The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-01
A NEW AND IMPORTANT RAILROAD 70
RocK ISLAND,
Rock Island q Mercer County r. B.
All Steel Rails, and Solid Road to the


Great Coal Fields at Richland Grove.
1t has been understood for some time |
that the Coal Valley Mining Co., of which
p. L. Gable, Esq, of this city, is president
and principal stakeholder, had purchased
extensive coal fields in Richland Grove,
Mercer county. and had determined to
build railroad to them from some point
on the line of the Peoria & Rock Island
railroad.
Diverse surveys have been made and
line leaving the Peoria road at Coal Valley
was definitely located, and, in the interest
of the Coal Valley Mining Company, cor
poration was organized, under the general
Incorporation law of this state, called the
Rock Island & Edwards River Railroad
Company. The people along the line
we're then asked to give the right of way,
and were ass ured, if they would secure it
for the company, free of cost. within
given time, that the road should be COM
pleted within the present year. Some OF
them believing, perhaps, as that was the
route which the company had selected, that
the road would be built on that line, and
not only refused to give the right of way,
but, in some instances. claimed excessive
and unreasonable damages.
The time limited for procuring the right
of way having expired, new company
was immediately organized, in the same
interest, under the name of the Rock ISL
and & Mercer County Railroad Company.
for the purpose of building railroad from
Milan by the way of Turkey Hollow
through Bowling township and the east
ern portion of Edgington to the north
Mercer county, and thence through Pre-
emption to the coal lands in Richland
Grove. The persons forming the corpor-
alton are p l.. Gable, r. r. Cable. Hir-
am Cable, Geo. w. Gable, and Cor
nelius Lynde and papers, under this or
ganization have been filed in the recorder s
Office in this county and in Mercer coun-
ty, The preliminary survey for this
route has been completed and the line will
be definitely located this week. The dis
lance from Milan by this route is 20 miles,
while the distance from Coal Valley to the
new coal fields is but IL miles, making a
difference of miles in length of the road
to be built
| When it is remembered that the pri
mary object of the Coal Valley Mining
Company is to reach its new coal fields
and that in selling the road from Rock ISL
and to- Coal Valley it reserved the free use.o
the track for its business, it does not seen
as if there was much prospect of the build
ing of the road from Milan It is tru'
that there is no finer country in the stat
than the one through which the road woult
pass, nor region where a railroad would
add more to the value of the land and t,
the comfort and convenience of its inhabi
tants; but fine as the country is 1t is not be
lieved that the increase of the local bushes
would be sufficient to Justify the increases
. expense, more particularly as the Goa
Valley Mining Company would have t
throw away the use Of the track FROM Mi
J Ian TO Coal Valley (which track is main
tanned fer it free of charged and build an
) maintain more miles of road than woul
have to lie built aud maintained from Goa
= Valley. But we understand that yer
r favorable line,a to grades, has been foun
5 on the Milan route, and that, as soon a
9 the surveys and estimates are completed
definite proposition will be made to tn
people along the line for the constructio
e Of the road during the present year.
r We know of nothing which would ad
= more to the business prosperity of this city
: aud the people along the proposed line
than the construction of the road. and W
:, hope that such encouragement will b
J. given Mr.. Gable as will induce him t
; fnnaly adopt the Milan route.
The steel rails for the eleven mile
o have already been bought and paid fo
n and Mr. Gable has an option until the lot
: of May to take enough more rails, at tn
lsame price, to make the road 20 mile
long.
,e The building Of the road b
: either route will very material
;, benefit this city and the poop
can congratulate themselves on the fac
that it is to be built during the preser
year, and that too without burdnein
u generations yet unborn with taxation {
asking anybody to assist in the enterpris
: except SO far as his interests and feeling
may induce him to go,
The Coal Valley route would put us
> more direct communication with the poop
of Rural, and that township is the equal {
> any of the others. It. however, alreaC
' has reasonable facilities for communicate
- on account of its close proximity to Il
station at Coal Valley.
g By the Milan route we would have dai
l. and direct communication with Bowiin
: Edgington, Perryton. and Preemptio
o, which is vastly more important for us tn;
er Rural alone.
10 By either route we are, of course, in dai
=, communication with Richland Grow
ge which, of itself, is very important matte
Id 1t is certainly encouraging, in these dl
times, to see a man like Mr.. Cab
10 embark in such heavy undertaken
lie and we hope he will receive such necessa
al and proper encouragement as will indu