The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1874-01-29
With the aid of bends subscribed by

With the AID OF OGnus subscribed Dy
the counties of Atchison, Jefferson,
Shawnee, Usage and Lyon, and by
D edging our road and franchises, and
the lands granted to us by act of con-
crcss, we have succeeded with much
difficulty in completing first-class
road from AtchisOn TO the west state
line of Kansas. The bonds voted to
aid the road by the counties above
named have faithfully used for the
purposes for which they were given,
and have served to reduce the bonded
debt of the company by nearly one mil
lion dollars, and it is here worthy to
remark that this road owes its ipcep-
ton to this assistance, and would to-
dav probably not have been construct
ed a single mile, only that this county
aid gave the enterprise basis to begin
upon.
AS before stated, we have success
fully completed our line, but our BUSH
nese is, of course, small for so long a
line of railway, and the receipts from
land sales are also small, for we are
giving aid and encouragement to actu-
al settlers, and making few sales 10
spectators. Hence, even with the
most economical management, and
with the most earnest efforts to dis
pose of our lands to settlers, we find
ourselves at the close of 1873, with All
insufficient amount Of net receipts TO
paw the interest upon our debt. by over
two hundred thousand dollars. But
nv self and associates. who have in
vested our means III this railway, had
anticipated that during its cGnstruc-
ton aud for few years afterwards we
should be obliged to conduct the at-
fairs of the road at loss, still with
full confidence i'll the resources of the
state. and in the development of the
country through which the road runs,
we have promptly met these losses for
the las; three years. and have looked
to the future for fair return from the
enterprise which we have opened.
Our business Is continually increasing,
our land sales are constantly growing,
the amount due TO us on lands already
sold are yearly becoming larger, and
we have no fear for the future, if we
are only treated fairly and justly by
the state and municipal authorities.
We are heartily glad to see every prop
or improvement made in the counties
through which our road runs, and we
will chcerfully pay our proportion of
every Just tax levied for school houses,
court houses, bridges. etc. but an ex-
animation of the assessments and lev
les made in many of our counties for
the year 1873, will prove to any fair
minded person, that there is evidently
a desire to make us the victims of a
system of confiscatiOn. The most open
irregularities and frauds have been
committed, and allowed to pass by I'M
noticed and unpublished, merely be-
cause the railroad company are either
the chief or only victims. The county
of Reno, with an organization scarce
" one and halt years old. has made n
tax lew for 1873 Of nearly ST., goo, and
the proportion of this amount assessed
against the A., +. & S. F. II. r. Co.'S
property is l,4l8.49. The county Of
Barton, with more recent settlement
and organization. has made tax levy
for 1873 of over $27 900, exclusive of the
town property of Great bend, aud the
proportion of this amount assessed
against the a., r. & S. F. II. r. Co.'S
property is &25,2l9.50. Other western
counties figure in nearly tho same pro-
portion.
But the worst feature of the whole
matter is that while we have been call
ed upon to meet the tax for 1873 of
over $3.50. OO0-levied upon a property
that is already being operated at a
heavy loss each vear-we have not
even the satisfaction of knowing that
the money has been honestly expended
upon improvements which will benefit
the counties. On the contrary we have
positive proof that large portions of
the proceeds from the sale of bonds,
and large proceeds from the tax levies,
have found their way to the pockets Of
officials. and that regular system of
'dividing the spoils' has been the rule
in many counties; indeed the terrible
system of extravaganza and fraud that
has been inauguratcd, is largely re-
tarding the sale of our railroad lands
to actual settlers.
Under these circumstances. what can
we do, as stockholders in the road,
otherwise than strenuously oppose the
collection of these taxes, and thus pro-
tect our own property, as well as that
of sixteen hundred persons who have
purchased land from us! We shall,
on the 10th of January, or as soon
thereafter as possible. meet all the tax
es where the levies have been fair and
legal. and we shall look to the courts
for relief from the wrongs which have
been committed in others. If the
courts do not relieve us, we snail per-
init our unsold lands to revert tempo
rarily to the counties. and thus put a
temporary stop TO the systems of fraud,
for an examination of our present cir
cumstanccs will show cOnclusively,
our inability to pay the demands made
upon us.
This is briefly the true condition of
affairs. and if our people will only lay
prejudice aside, they will see that their
true interests are our interests. and
that this railroad company is the best
friend they have. juts as they should
be the best friend we have. We wish
and intend to deal fairly and Justly
with all. Efforts have been made, and
successfully too, to prejudice the minds
of the people living in our counties, be-
cause we have opposed the issuance OF
bonds voted to sundrv railroad lines,
which were to be bnilt in Rice, Nc
PhersOn. Marion and other counties.
The fact is. that we were protecting
YOUR interests as well as ours. In
Marion county our action was too late
and what has been the consequence !
A hundred thousand dollars of bonds
have been issued to bogus railroad
co.. who, after cxpending less than
S25 900 upon the road-bed. have entire
" ceased work. The only legacy they
have left behind them is the principal
and interest upon 100000. TO be paid
nv YOU and BY us. In Rice and Nc
Pherson counties we were fortunately
Just in time to prevent the perpetra-
ton Of similar frauds by another bogus
railroad. although the county of Saline,
which lies north Of us, has suffered TO
the extent of $4,000, issued to this
same road (the S, A. & X. X. R.), for
which they have received no benefit
except about $4,000 of earthwork.
Efforts are made by ignorant or de-
signing men to show that our rates of
freight and fare are high, but any well
informed or tair-minded person will
find on examination and comparison
that they are now very low for a road
that is earning less than $500 gross
per mile. Our rates of course Will not
at present bear much reduction, when.
as positive fact we are losing money
each day in the prosecution of the ell
terprise.
We cannot he blamed for appealing
to the court for relief from such taxes.
We appeal also to every honest proper
ty-holder along the line to assist us in
introducing spirit of reform III the
county organizations. so that the frauds
aud ;,rnnu arifies of the mast year