The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1875-08-12
TIE RAILROAD QUESTION AGAIN.

The editors OF the Adrocate attack the
position taken by US in an article which
appeared in the JOURNAL, two weeks ago.
We advanced the proposition that rail-
road running southwark from Salina TO
Hutchinson would be of no material
benefit to our city. We claim that such
a railroad, in the first place, cannot be
made to pay 4 sccOnd-class road with
sccond-class equipments (the only road
which would likely be bullD would 10
Us no good. There is no particular de-
mand for it at present, and such being
the ease no responsible company will
take hold Of the project. Our second
objection, Ringing somewhat upon the
first, is that il would result only IN taxi
ins away from Salina its legitimate
trade and dividing it between towns al
ready established and those which might
be established if the road was built. The
day of paper roads in Kansas is past.
/ People Will not become enlisted in rail
road building unless there is great good
TO be realized from it. Kansas has had
enough Of roads commencing nowhere
and running nowhere. Railroad com
panics must have moro bottom than
heretofore. When there is demand
for them they will come readily enough,
and will commence somewhere and go
somewhere.
We ask the editors of the AdCocdte
how much freight would be shipped from
Salina TO Hutchinson, on this road, and
from Hutchinson to Salina during the
year? Would there be enough money
made TO pay for oiling the machinery!
/ We think not.
The Ajcocatc is of the opinion that
Junction city is dead to-day, not by
reason of that Republican branch, but
because when the people OF that place
had secured the road, they "Sat down
on the stool Of do-nothing." We shall
have to differ with our friends here.
junction City's people have always been
noted as cnterprising and wide-awakc-
always working in union and in full
sympathy tor the Advancement of the
best interests of their town. We have
! not discovered. as yet that they have
"let up in their work or "hi nchcd" in
any manner. The town is dead to-day
because it has lost its Republican river
trade, which has been taken away by
that Republican branch. The junction
Union says:
When the original design Of that road
is carried out, that is its extension hun
dred miles or so, Junction City will
again bc Il thriving place.
That is, when tho road IS extended
S0nechere-in into Colorado or some other
state, thus giving junction City IN out
let, then will junction City be a thriving
place.
/ We argue that we want another DAD
East, having for its objective points, Chi
cago, St. Louis, and other large cities.
! Or else we want road built towards
the large cities Of the southern States.
! We want trunk lines, or lines directly
connecting with them. We cspoused
the Kansas Central project, be ause it
would give us line running east COM
pcting with the Kansas Pacific.
road running from our city in direct
line to Clay Center would not draw from
! the trade of Salina, either. We get no
trade from that direction, TO speak Of.
/ We agree with the Advocate in its pro-
position that Saiina has a grand pros
/ poet before her; that she possesses ma
tural advantages for manufacturing
point that she has enterprise, and all
that; that her people should unite IN
common effort TO develop every natural
advantage she has, and make it rebound
to the glory and welfare Of the town.
Salina is all right, and we can make her
such a point as important railroads will
desire TO build te, and without enterin.
into railroad projects which do not seem /
feasible. By hard work VIC can make
'1hc mountain come TO Mahomet' at !
tract railroads, and such railroads as we
want aud need. We are compelled TO
abriJge our article somewhat, by reason /
of lack Of space. We do not desire |
10 be regarded rs a 'kickcr" in any rail (
road enterprise; but We do not think
the AdrOcGte's project good one. Per-
haps, however, we may be wrong. At
present we do not think so.
Next winter will bc the time for new
apportionmcnt of the State. The soma /
toral and representative districts viii
be changcG-thc boundary lines of some
contracted and others perhaps expanded.
Saline and one other county will I'M