The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-02-09
.wuItt Paw,

~
a railroad meeting held in the court
house, being called upon to give my
views in regard to the propos ition to
vote bonds TO aid in the construction of
a narrow gauge railroad through this
county, l stated that had not inves-
tigated the subject sufficiently to say
whether l was in favor of the bonds
or not-that intended to get all the
information on the subject l could and
If on the Goth Of Feb. was satisfied
that it would be to my interest as q
taxpayer for the bonds to be Issued
I should vote fePit and if not 1 should
vote against the proposition. l had
written to my two brothers in ILL.,,
who live in a county through which
there runs a narrow gauge railroad,
and expected soon to get information
of them as to the benefits of that road
Co that people. thought that would
be, to some extent, criterion in this
case. WhereupoA Mr.. E. p. Bancroft
gave glowing account of the success
OF that road (the st. Louis & Cairo
narrow gauge road), its great benefits
to the countryside vast numbers of
live stock it took from st. Louis to
Cairo and that no other road got one
hoof to carry although there were two
competing lines. He heLed that
when got answers to my inquiries L
would have them published in the pa
pers. That desire so expressed,
and resolution unanimously passed
at a meeting of voters of Fremont last
week are my reasons for Offering this
letter for publication. I might say
that Jenesboro is something over 100
miles from St. Louis, within one mile
from Anna, which is on the Ill. Cen
trail, and from st. Louis to Jonesboro
via the narrow gauge is about 20
miles nearer than by the Ill. Central.
Here is what Davis w. Miller says !:
Well, about narrow gauge railroads.
1t is q fact we have one and we don't
wish another at the same price or even
at any price. The narrow gauge road
is considered worthless compared with
too small to do heavy business and
the cars are always tumbling off the
track and smashing up themselves and
freight. In fact we have found it to
be almost worthless so far as business
is concerned. This county, Union,
took 100000 stock and Jonesboro
SGT, 600 stock in the road, by a vote of
the people and you can't find a man
who is satisfied with bis vote unless he
voted against Issuing the bonds. The
cost of transporting goods over the
narrow gauge is the same as that of
the Ill. Central r. r. and if your goods
are smashed up OH the narrow gauge
you get no pay for them, for the COM
pany is law proof. Another advan-
Gage regular gauge road has over a
narrow gauge is that car can be
loaded in New York and run through
TO Mobile or any other point without
change of car, while narrow gauge
car can be run emily TO the end OF its
own line which does not amount to any
thing in shipping at this day and age.
That is the great trouble with our
narrow gauge; We can ship only to
Cairo or st. Louis. II the farmers of
your county want more railroads let
them encourage regular gauge, but
never vote any bends 80 q narrow
gauge unless they want to be swindled
for they are humbug and a swindle.
Here is what John B. Miller says.
ANNA, Ill. Jan. 26, 1877.
Your letter of inquiry concerning
our narrow gauge railroad was receiv-
ed. have never had anything to do
with said road. The business men of
Anna do not use it in getting goods
from Cairo & st. Louis. This COM
munity looks upon the road as y swim
die. This county took 500, 600 stock
aAd Jonesboro $4,000 but threught it
was to be an ordinary gauge, or they
would not have voted Tor y narrow
gauge then, or now. J. B. NJ.
I will further say that these two
men are Business men in their respec-
tive towns and have written with not
the least personal interest or bias one
way or the other, more than that one
of them owns property in Emperla
and If he thought it would be benefi-
cial to Emporia and Lyon county to
have narrow gauge road suppose
he would like for it to be built.
JOSEPH II. MILLER.