The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1873-06-05
Atehiseu,s Railr..s TribuIatiens.

Atehison 10 in trouble again about the railroads.
The collapse of her bridge project, has set rail-
road men to looking oyer IT.. field for better con-
n~cfions The Atchison. Topeka and Santa F~
Road seems to 10 intent upon fuding shorter
cut t. the East in Or'icr to hold its cattle trade,
and Kanass City IL holding ont Inducements for
the connection. This ia the principal cause Of
the present trouble at Atchson. We notice that
the Cke.pio~ is almost every day slashing the
towns that want this road, sud telling how the
dear, good, honest Atchissu, Topeka and Santa
Fe Company mean to keep faith with the peo-
pie Of Kansas, and rudeavor to retain the friend
ship Of the people Of this State, by building up
Kansas towns. This over,lonc soft-s awdering in
duces ms to think there 10 really danger to Atchi-
son. We shall next see hasty call for pnblic
meeting to consider railroad matters Of vital i'm
Port.nce to the city. Atchiaon takes & railrosd
panic about once evary three months; whereup-
on startling call is issued for the citizens To
rush tn the rescue.
Atchison is constantly making two great mis-
takes. One is, hor idea that Atchison is Kansas,
and that every railroad that docs not tend direct
ly to huild mp Atchisou, and every public Office
that is bestowed outside Of Atchiscn, are blows
direct at the prosperity of Kansas. The other Ia,
that every railroad terminating there belongs to
Atchison, and must be run in her interest exclu-
sively. We might also add, that 4 third mistake
10 the notion that Atchison 10 natural railroad
centre.
Trade, unless changed by forcible means, will a.
surely seek its natural channel - water. Il may
sometimes be diverted frum its natural course,
but the moment il becsmes strong eu"ngh to
break over the artificial Barisf, it 6ows back into
its natural channel. 1t is certainly morr natu-
raj channel fof cattle from Southern Kansas to
take short cut from Csrbopdale to Lawrence,
and thence to Kansas City, than il 10 to 70 all the
way mp to Atchisen, and from there down to Kan
sas City. 1t may be n condition Of the charter to
continue the terminus If the main line Of the roa,
at Atchison, but there il certainly no law to pro-
hibit the switching of cars oif ON other roads
along the route. The charter does not compel
every passenger to buy through ticket to Atch-
ison, and stop over night at her hotels although,
If her management were carried out, every pas
sengsr going through there would be compelled
to do the latter. But day or two saved makes
stock huddlcd together In railroad cars, and the
A., T. & 8. F. railroad will find it to its advant-
age to make any connection that will secure such
. saving Of time.
Atchison never was and never will be q great
railroad centre. By persistent work and blowing,
she has kept mp something Of that appearance;
but trade slips off into its natural channes in spite
of all they can do. Her growth and trade arc
forced and unnatural, and arc bound to collapse
sooner or later. Atchison has induced the people
Of the surrounding country to furnish the means
to build roads, and then calls them her roads takes
exclusive control Of them and eompels the peo-
pie who built them to pay tribute to her. wher-
ever there is prospect that the pesple along the
! dreadful howl about the railroads discriminating
against Atchison, and being run to the disadvant.
age Of Kansas interests. 1t would be blessing
10 the people of Northern Kansas and of Nebras-
70, If the project which is broached every now
and then, of consolidating the Missouri Pacific
md the Atchison and Nebrssks Roads, and max
ng it continuous through line, should be con-
Both roads terminating Mt Atchison, |
,fords an opportunity to blow about the great |
Railroad Centre; but the people who usc the |
'oads have to pay for 1t.
Atchison literally stole and lied away what ia |
low the Central Branch, from Doniphan and the |
'ther Northern Connties. Had It not been for |
'er frauds, the main line to the Pacific Ocean |
rould run over what is now the st. Joseph
md Denver City Railroad. It was the intention |
# Congress to mako the line run west from st.
oseph; but by Atchison lies and false maps, the
oute was laid from st. Joseph to Atchison, thence
rest. As last chance, the Henderson Amend.
nent was attached to the bill, leaving the route
o the decision Of the Kansas Legislature. Atch-
son went down 70 Topeka. with her usual cry
bout building mp Kansas city in preference to
t. Joseph, in Missouri. They pointed to the
vet that the law, without the Henderson mend.
tent, compelled the building of the road to To-
eka, which should he done at once. In this way,
,ey enlisted the aid of Topeka and all who sym.
athized with the Capital Of the State Even
len the thing would have failed, had not Leav-
worth entered into treacherous bargain and
lie with Atchison against tho Northern Tier.
. recompense, Atchisou has been ever since
ithfnlly laboring to strangle the life out of I
eavenworth, until she is to day ~ dead in rail.
'ad advantages as Atchison is destined one day 4,
be.
Well, the Henderson Amendment was defeated, |
I'd forthwith Atchison went to work, through
'nators and Congressman in her interest, to be-
az Topeka Tho route was changed and the
agnifcent land grant Chat part of it which I
As not stolen) was squsndered in building . '
ird-class road one hundred miles to-nowhere. G
,ere It stands, and has stood for years. It s of
use to anybody, and 10 rapidly sinking into .
lte of dlapidation, without means to either ex. {
nd or repair it. In the recent railroad assess-
,nt, the managers of the Central Branch asked p
1t the road br assessed ut almost nothing, a '
ut was its true vsluc the ties being rotten, and
ble to break in two at any time
Thus We ace, that the only road exclusively and Il
pelesaly in the grasp and under the control Of o
Gibson, is falling into decay; while tho good c,
'ds, such as the Missouri Pacific, the Atchisou
d Nebraska, and the Atchison, Topeka and
nta Fe, are struggling to throw of the iucu- o
; she has imposed upon them, to break asun- 2
; the shackles, to emancipate themselves from
: selfish and ruinoas thr.ldcs, and meet the q
rent demands Of trade and travel. Speed the .
7 when that which she wrsSted from others by u
nd may slip from her grasp! The day 10 past u
en- any City, State or Nation, standing in the u
hwsys Of commerce, can Be permitted to con- IN
or assess 1t for their own especial benefit.