The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1876-03-30
THE GREAT RAIL ROUTE.
The Arkansas Valley Railroad
Again.

The Arkansas Valley Railroad
Again.
There is not a reader of the EAGLE
but that knows that the building of a
road up the Arkansas Valley has been,
and is one of our pet enterprises. For
four years now we have been
writing upon the subject and sending
our articles 10 railroad men, Congress
men and Senators. But we have not
been alone in this work, nor were we
the very first one to see its great inn
portance.
! In the last few months we have seen
more to encourage us than III all the
time past. There has not only been
action upon the part OF persons III
Washington, with reference to the
right of way, but those in interest on
the Mississippi river, at Memphis and
in Arkansas are getting wakened up,
as we last week intimated.
This week we received letter from
w. j. Budd, of the Memphis & Little
Rock and Fort Smith railroad, in
which we are informed that the road
will reach Van Buren, by the first of
July. lie further says that the COM
pany are anxious to continue west
We answered him by forwarding sew
eral of our articles upon the subject.
From the Van Buren, (Arkansas)
argus we clip the following article,
touching upon the enterprise. We
hope it viii be carefully read by every
business man and property holder in
the valley. The editor of the above
paper says:
We stand, geographically, in the
very gateway of the Great Arkansas
Valley. Any railroad, constructed
for the purpose of carrying for this
magnificent valley either TO the east or
west, must pass by Van Buren,. The
Little Rock 81 Fort Smith road will be
completed TO Van Buren, by the first of
June, almost certainly and it behooves
us TO look forward to the probable
future of that road, and of our section
of the country. Let us see what is to
be our route TO the Pacific. Thither
now tends all the grand railroad prof.
Gets. Railroad extensions, all now
look 10 q connection between the Pa
cific and Atlantic seaboards. Across
the Continent" is the watch-word.
There are several routes projected and
roads partly constructed on them, such
as the Great Southern Pacific and the
to a connection with one or the other
of these two roads. Which should we
favor and why.
That the Little Rock & Fort Smith
railroad will diverge from its present
general course and form connection
with the Southern Pacific, we cannot
believe. Nor would it be well for us,
for il to do so. Neither, in our hum
bic opinion. would il be best for that
company. On the contrary, we think
a connection with the Kansas Pacific
at Ellis w rth, or some point near there,
the best route that can be taken by the
Little Rock q Fort Smith railroad.
Thus. its course would be from Van
Buren, to Webbers' Falls, thence TO
some point on the Missouri, Kansas Il
Texas railroad, crossing ii and contin-
uing up the Arkansas Valley, on the
north side. to Cedar Island, the point
at which it is supposed the Atlantic
& Pacific road will cross the Arkansas
river. The present charter Of the At
lantic s. Pacific road requires them to
build branch road to Van Buren,
a.. -, Of ho a rlra
and this portion of the charter can be
complied with by the Little Rock u
Fort Smith company, on such terms
as they can make with the Atlantic |
a Pacific company. From Cedar
Island the road can continue to follow !
the valley of the Arkansas, close TO
the river to Fernandina, thence i'll a |
north northwest direction to Ellsworth |
on the Kansas Pacific. This route is
q most excellent one for constructing |
a railroad. The country is level, with |
little heavy work after we pass the |
hills this side of Gibson. There would |
be no short curves, heavy cuts or large |
fills. The road would pass east of the !
hills Immediately south of Ellsworth !
avoiding them almost entirely. IL is
about one hundred and twenty miles
from Van Buren, to Cedar Island. This |
road would strike the Kansas State |
line somewhere near Elgian Tor Elginl
and cross the Atchison. Topeka q
Santa Fe railroad about Hutchinson.
The grade of this road weuld be ex-
tremely light, judging from the gen.
eral fall of the country.
Now for the connections such road
"A Il
direct connection with Memphis, by
the Memphis & Little Rock road;
with ST. Louis, by Cairo s. Fulton, and
soon the Pine Bluff road will be COM
peted which will be extended Ito the
river. Here will be sever
al routes, from Little Rock as center,
going towards the eastern markets.
Westward, we have Il connection
with ST. Louis, by the Missouri, Kan
sas 81 Texas and Atlantic Il Pacific or
Missouri Pacific railroads, and with
Texas by the Missouri, Kansas Il
Texas. The Atlantic Il Pacific must
be finished and this gives us connec-
ton, at Cedar Island, with New Next
co, Arizona, etc. At Ellsworth, or
any other point of junction on the
Kansas Pacific, we have an outlet to
the Pacific coast as soon as that road
is completed. which must be at an
early day. This is placing ourselves
IN connection with the road that will
most certainly be the first to reach the
Pacific.
SO we have, b. an extension of the
Little Rock 81 Fort Smith railroad, as
indicated, direct eastern connection
with Little Rock, Memphis, st. Louis,
New Orleans and Galveston, and all
lac eastern cities by rail and the entire
,hain of cities along the Mississippi
liver. the railroads centering upon
Little Rock. We have an open thor
,ughfare westward to the Pacific coast
New Mexico, Mexico, Lower aud
Southern California, Colorado, Ore
ron and Utah.
All this is before us, and we have
,nly TO build road from Van Buren,
o the Kansas Pacific to accomplish
he whole thing. A few hundred
niles of road over level country, and
~ one of Che finest valleys in the
world Will our railroad men take
lold and secure this splendid oppor-
unity If this road is built the
whole wealth of the rich Arkansas
Talley. passing from west to east or
asst to west, must. much OF it, pass by
Is and on the Little Rock & Fort !
smith road. Ii cannot fail 10 be 4 I
argely paying road. The soil up the {
Arkansas, as far as this road would |
un, is rich alluvial soil, producing |
he very finest grain of all kinds and {
otton may be raised with success far S
~ the valley. Up this road, which s
We mi0hf name the "Arkansas Valley s