The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1877-09-20
THE NARROW-GAUGE.
MEETING At THE LINDELL HOTEL, ST. LOUIS
To WHICH REPORT Is MADE AND ACCEPTED
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED.

ton, the NarrOW-Gauge project mas
arrived at somewhat definite shape.
a meeting of gentlemen interested
was held last night at parlor % Lin
dell Hotel, Hon. Erastus Wells in the
chair. The following report will fully
explain matters:
The convention held in ST. Louis OH
the 9th and 2Sth of June, 1877, rec
commended the organization of the ST.
Louis, Kansas & Colorado (narrow
gauge) Railroad Company, aud APP
pointed committee to farther and
perfect the work of the convention,
Bnd to secure local organization aud
subscriptions. Ts this committee all
recommendations and communications
were referred. The committee select
ed the route and adopted and recon-
mended the building of the st. Louis,
Kansas & Colorado (narrowgauge)
| Rnilroad, commencing at the City OF
Louis. then through the counties OF
ST. Louis, Franklin, Gasconade. Usage
and Maries, to the Usage River, and
thence westwardly, by tie most prac-
ticaple route, through the States of
| Missouri, Kansas and Southern Colo
RADIO. The committee also recognized
the importance of and recommended
the building of several other lines OF
narrow-gauge railways in the interest
of St. Louis. The executive commit
| Tee thereupou devolved its duties upon
a subcommittee, consisting of Erastus
Wells, Giles f. Filley, john B. Maude.
Louis G.. Noryell and Ed. Morrison.
| This committee issued an address to
| the commercial and business classes Of
| ST, Louis, in which they showed tue
necessity of Earrow-gauge railroad
in the direction proposed springs from
a demand to market the products OF,
and furnish supplies to. a richly fertile
section of country, and to do this at
the lowest possible expense OF carriage;
aud they demonstrated that this max
imum of expense will be realized by
the use of the narrow-gauge railroad.
The committee lay stress upon the fact
that, with very large portion OF
| Western Missouri and Southern Kan
sas, St. Louis is not connected by rail,
while that section is traversed by lines
operated in the interests of other cit
les. They call to the consideration OF
| our people the facts that this terrific
~ is near st. Louis; that the surplus
productions thereof is already large
and constantly increasing, and that its
people have a preference for this mar
ket. They note the important fact that
it was shown in the convention that
the yearly surplus productions of iif-
| teen counties westwardly from 81.
Louis already exceeded $40, 900, 900, land
show that from the richest of these
counties in Missouri about one-third
of the shipments are to st. Louis, and
from those in Kansas not more than
ten per cent. Merchandise for the con-
sumption of the country is purchased
where its shipments are sold. St.Lou-
is dealers not only miss the profits re-
allied in handling the vast products
of this region, but miss the sale OF at
least Sc, 100000 worth of lumber, ma
chinery and general merchandise, pur-
chased and consumed in those counties
annually. These considerations, the
committee think. demonstrate the ne
cessity of the construction of rail
road through the section indicated in
the interests of St. Louis. and the
facts with regard to the comparative
cost of construction and operation,
with the inevitable cheapening ci
transportation, are conclusive that
such railway should be of the narrow
gauge. The committee feel sure that
such q road will inaugurate tor ST
Louis an era of cheap railroad traffic
and think the fsrt necessary steps now
| to be taken is to make preliminary
survey, and that the burden of tie
survey should fall upon ST. Louis,
They also recommend to the bushes
men of St Louis TO subscribe the sum
of 81 100000 for that purpose, and 81
once TO put into the field u complete
corps of engineers to do the work well
and thoroughly, the amount to &c
subscribed to be refunded to the par
ties making the subscriptions in full
paid stock when the company for con-
struction is organized, the surveys at
that time to become the property Of
the company. 1t is estimated that
the road, fully completed and equip
ped, will cost, within the limits of the
State of Missouri, S3,C00,000; and the
committee recommend that, when the
SURVEYS are finished, books be opened
aud the people of st. Louis be askec
to subscribe $1,000, 900, and the people
along the line TO subscribe also 81 900
coo, to be paid in cash or material
or work at cash prices, such subscrib-
ers TO have the option CT receiving
shares of stock or "trans portation GER
| tificates," which, in accordance with
law recently passed. may be Issued,
redeemable i'll five equal annual instai-
mcnts, witeout interest. The compa-
ny would then have to borrow 81 900
900 which, the committee think, could
readily be secured at par. The COM
mittee that these views, honestly and
fairly carried out, will command the
capital necessary, and mark new de-
| parture in railroad construction i'll our
State. They necessitate the absolute
ignoring of construction and financier-
ing rings, and the completion of the
road with cash for what it will actu-
ally cost in cash. By these means a
railroad 800 miles long will be built for
S., 0O0, 900, and the net earnings re-
quired to pay the interest on its bond
ed debt will not exceed $4,000 annG
ally. The committee conclude that it
remains with the merchants, manufac-
turers and capitalists to push the un-
dertaking to completion, and urge
their fellow-citizens to toxic hold of
the matter and at once make the sub
scriptions, In the liberal spirit which
has always marked the growth OF St.
Louis.
This report was accepted.
The following resolutions were
adopted by the meeting:
Whereas, AT the Narrow Gauge Rail-
road Convention held in ST. Louis on
the 9th and 28th days of June, 1877,
it was demonstrated that the citiz,
of the several counties of this S ia
and of Kansas, lying westwardly, 81
very deep interest in the construc-
ton of narrow-gauge railway which
shall give them ready and cheap access
to ST. Louis, their natural market, and
have profiered large and substantial
aid in the construction of such rail-
way; and.
Whereas, The report of the commit
tee appointed by said convention has
shown the great Importance to the
commerce of the city St. Louis of tho
early construction of said railway, and
they have submitted plan thereof,
which. in oar judgment, is practicable;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That we profoundly ap
preciato the utility and necessity o.
the proposed narrow-gauge railway,
alike to St. Louis and the country il
shall traverse, and that we will liber-
ally subscribe in aid Of its construc-
ton; alse
RESOLVED, That in our judgment tho
commerce of st. LOUIS will be mos.
largely promoted by building said road
upon that route which will enable Us
over the shortest route to reach the
agricultural regions lying west of st.
T