The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-09-10
From the Walnut Valley Timesl
sOMETHING ABOUT RAILROADS.

From the Walnut Valley Times.l
ABOUT RAILROADS.
Within the past six years over TWEEN
ty railroads have heen chartered to run /
to some point in the Walnut Valley.
We have had the Memphis & Salina
road the Fort Scott, Humboldt & |
Western the Paola & Fail River; the
Kansas City, Burlington & Santa Fe:
the Walnut Valley road the Atchlson,
Topeka g. Santa Fe; the Kansas City, |
EmpOria & Walnut Valley; the Kan
sas & Nebraska, and a host of other |
roads not of sufficient Importance to
enumerate at this time.
Nearly every town in Kansas OF any |
Importance, either has now, or has had
proposition up to build railroad TO,
or through the Walnut Valley.
We have In Southwestern Kansas
seven of the most popuious counties in
the State without railroad within
their borders.
With the LeavenwOrth, Lawrence &
Galveston railroad on the east; the
ATchison, Topeka & Santa Fe road on
the north the Wichita s. Southwest
ern on the west, and the Indian Terri
tory on the south, we have territory
oUer one hundred miles square, not trav-
ersed by railroad.
The statistics show that these seven
counties contain population of over
Serenity Thousand PEOPLE, or about one
seventh of the entire State.
The returns further show that there
are two millions five hundred thou
sand bushels of wheat, and seven mill
lion bushels OF corn within this terri
tory.
With these facts staring US in the
face it becomes us TO make some move
towards getting a railroad. We have
talked railroad about long enough.
Farmers in this region will either be
compelled to get railroad or stop
raising grain. Should we have pros
porous season next year it will be i'm
possible to move our crops without
railroads.
The Walnut Valley is eighty miles
long, including the counties of Cow
ley and Butler.
Population of two counties. 10000
No. acres wheat 49,. .---..-.-....--. 3l,uO0
No. acres corn. .--....-- ..---.-.- 5000
NO acres oats S,OOO
No. acres potatoes ......-....-..-.... 1000
No. acres millet NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 4,OOO
No. acres miscellaneous crops ....- 12,0Oo
Total No. acres under cultivation. 142,GOO
taxable valuation :$4,OO0,0tO
Actual valuation .--........-. $500 $IOOOO,OOO
These figures are taken from the OF
fetal returns and are correct.
What we want is railroad -one
that will be of the greatest benefit to
the greatest number-One that will ex-
| tend the entire length OF the valley
or to be a little more selfish, we would
like it to come from the east and cross
the Walnut Valley at this place. But
then we do not propose to say where
this road shall come from, nor hO'v far
| it shall be extended. We wish to have
the iron horse go laundering across or
down this valley within the next year.
We will give the road the right of
way.
We will give the land for depot
grounds.
We will give the company few
township bonds to aid in building iC.
We 1ciLL gice it plenty Of l1OTk 20 do
after 10 is built.
We will take narrow gauge If we
can't get a broad gauge, but then we
want and must have the road.
A few years ago we were prepared
to give large amount of bonds to Sc
cure a road. Now We are willing to
| give but few bonds and plenty o. work
for the road after it is completed.
If the twenty thousand people in
this valley are determined Oh having a
railroad, they can get it.
We want concert of action. We
want the leading men in the valley to
move in the matter. We must have a
convention and select men 20 cores
pond with railroad men and visit
towns. The bouudless resources of
this valley must be properly present.
ed TO capitalists. We can set down
nd 20 nd fhnV N
railroad will not come to US. We must
work it up ourselves.
If we do not get a railroad soon, we
will lose a great deal of the power and
prestige that we now have. Farmers
will leave the county and cattle men
will take possession.
The idea of twenty thousand intelli-
gent, prosperous, and well-to-do peo-
pie living from twenty to sixty miles
from a railroad at this high noon of
the nineteenth century, is preposter-
Gus in the extreme. 1t might do for
the clay eaters of North Carolina or
the Pukes of Southwestern Missouri,
! but in Kansas never!
"Well," says one "what are you GO
ing to do about it 90
| We propose TO go to work for rail-
roads ami do not propose to let up till
the people of this valley get them, and
this article is the preface to the first
chapter.
The above, we are satisfied, repre-
sents the feeling and purpose of the
people, and is not merely a newspaper
'blasG." The farmers and the business
men of Greenwood, Butler, COwley
and Sumner counties, are ready this
fall to vote bonds for any railroad,
wide or narrow gauge, that will get to
them without delay. EmpOria can
now make herself city, if she VIII go
to work and start a road Southwest,
without any more tomfoolery.