The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-10-09
OH 1ailr Atgns,
Concluded from second page.)


Concluded from second page
the Rockford road(as it is generally calledl
would be able to make connection with
Chicago through the new Chicago & Pa
chic livery recently become bankrupt by
constructing about forty miles of new
road. 1t had done something towards Sc
curing the construction Of this connecting
link, with which it would become capable
OF considerable mischief to several roads
In Illinois, besides the three 10 the Omaha
pool. For it would form long line be-
tween st. Louis and Chicago, with some
thing OF the power over the traffic of the
short lines by the Chicago q Alton and the
Illinois Central that the Grand Trank
route between Boston and Chicago has
over the traffic Of the short lines BY way
OF Albany. That is, it would have a line
SO circultous that it could hardly get traffic
tor it without undertaking the rates
oy tae short route-with all the mis-
chief that the fact implies. Somewhat
similar would be its position with
respect to the Chicago, Burlington
q Qniney,s five crossings, and the
hoek Island an. Davenport business of the
hoek Island road. though both routes
would be of about the same length from
these places. The damage almost sure to
result would be without any equivalent
benefit to the owners of the new line, it is
rue; but 1t IS sufficient reason to justify
the old companies, or either of them, in
taxing measures to avoid it.
But the acquisition of this road by one
OF the Omaha railroad lines will have an
other effect: it will give it Tor all of them.
II they agree, line between Omaha and
st. Louis, which by the Burlington road
would be but little longer than the short
est and so will give the owner voice in
the adjustment of the S. Louis Omaha
business. which is now the chief occasion
OF disturbance in Omaha rates. Putting
together the Burlington and Rockford
roads, route sos miles long is made be-
Veen st. Louis and Omaha, against ATT by
the st. Louis, Kansas City and Northern.
and another route 346 miles long between
Chicago and St. Louis, against go miles
by the Chicago & Alton-both therefore
practicable routes for competing for
through traffic
MIR. Osterberg bid in the Rockford rail
'ad 1T the toreclo ure sale for ST, $40 900.
and at that time and thereafter he repre
sented that some of the Chicago companies
had made ovtrtures to purchase it. Doubt
less the road can be more useful to one OF
these companies than TO any one else, and
one of them could afford to pay for it
more than it is worth to the owners if they
work 1t themselves, at the foreclosure
sale it brought less than $1,000 per mile;
AID it need not be very profitable to make
a fair return on higher price, though the
control of it is desirable more for the sake
# preventing losses han for making pro
fits. 1t can be worked better in connection
with the G. B. & @ than with either of
the lines north Oft. however. though there
is one part Of it which would Join very
neatly with the Northwestern. and another
which the Rock Island could work con-
veniently.
The first line of the Chs Q crossed by
this road is that from Mendoza to Clinton
(now having very light traffic.. This
crosses the Rockford road thirty FIVE miles
oorth, east of Rock Island ard sixteen
niles south west of the Northwestern at
Sterling. By this line the Burlington road
would have a line from Chicago to Rock
Island only l6T miles long, against 1872
miles by the Chicago Rock Island & Pa
chic road. That the company will run
rains to compete for Rock Island business
1owever, does not follow. The distance by
the Northwestern aud the Rockford road is
but 90 miles, and the latter would doubt
less always have been glad to make an al
nance for this business; but the Northwes-
tern has not cultivated this traffic, probably
because it had as much to fear from COM
petition with the Rock Island road else
where as to hope from any Rock Island
aud Davenport local traffic, which is all
that it could hope to get. 4 route of al
most the same length can be had BY con
meeting the Chicago & Rock River branch
of the Burlington road at Rock Falls with
the north eastern terminus of the Rockford
road at Sterling, to do which little more is
needed than to bridge Rock river. But to
make this line it would be necessary to use
about thirty miles of the Chicago e. Iowa
railroad, III which the Burlington company
has an interest, though it does not own or
work it. All that part Of the road from
Sterling to The crossing of the Quincy road
at Bushnell, one hundred and twenty-five
miles, could be worked very well in con
nection with either of the above described
routes to Che go; and all that part south
OF it in connection with the Chicago Quincy
line on which Bushnell is situated. Then
the northern part of this line, being north
and west Of the present Chicago-Quincy
line, extending irom Aurora or Mesdota
10 an arc around to Bushnell, would form
loop with the last PANIED liae.
If this sale is consummated, as probably
ii will be, it will deserve attention as an
example of the natural and most desirabi>
disposition of very large class of bank
rupt roads, whose construction was never
justiiable perhaps, but which, now that
they are constructed, will be most useful if
absorbed into or among the systems of
solvent roads 10 the same territory. We
may naturally look and nationally wish for
MANY mara Suah <raDSrorc