The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-01-09
THE RAILROAD MEETING.

ed railroad meeting was held in J. Z.
Rash & Sons new building on Santa Fe
avenue, and was attended by from 300
to 500 of the citizens of Saline county
who had come to gain information upon
the railroad projects which have recently
been talked of in this county. The
meeting was organized by the cleo
ton of Mr.. G. r. Underwood as chairman
and Mr.. W. r. Gels secretary.
On taking the stand Mr.. Underwood
made few remarks bearing upon the
NJ. X. & r. connection. He stated that
he had recently received letters from
sir. Bond, receiver and manager OF the
II. X. & T. Railway and Mr.. Sears, at
torney for the same, saying that they
would not be at liberty 10 come to this
place to talk over railroad matters until
after tho rush of business was over,
which would DO after the 10th of Janua-
~. That then they would como up and
talk with our people and see what could
be done. 1t was Mr.. Underwood's idea
that all We wanted to know from them
was whether they would go on at once
and build the road il the aid of $1,000 per
mile was voted. lie was heart and
soul in tho work of procuring this line
of railroad.
Mr.. A. p. Collins, of Solomon town
ship was called for, and he responded
by presenting concise and convincing
statement OF the advantages to be re-
ceigcd from the N. X. 4 T. connection.
He favored the road because it would
como in competition with the X. 2. and
lower the freight rates. He went into
this business just as man went into
any business transaction, because he be-
lIcved it would make him money. A
man bought horse because he believed
it would pay him, and he was careful to
select tho best horse for the money.
He took bis chances on the horse living,
and SO he was willing to take the chan
COS against the two railroads coming
here pooling thelr earnings. In charg-
ing the rates it does the X. p. was sim
ply doing just as man in any business
he engages in-sets all he thinks the
people will stand. Any road did that
where 1t had its own way. lie had been
figuring out tho expenses and the profits
to accrue in the bllliiny of the road.
There were in this county $3.50 quarter
sections of land. The assessed valua-
ton OF the property of the county was
$3.50, 00O-an average of 5000 per
quarter section. The proposed route of
the NJ. X. & I. woald require the build
ing Of l3!,,m,lcs Of road in Saline coun-
ty. Aid to the ratio $1,000 per mile
would make total of $4,000. The in
terest on this amount would be $3.50
per year, or sl.2l on every quarter Sec
ton of land, without counting the per-
sonal and city property. This tax
would be the same for the second year;
for the third it would be- 22l per quar-
ter section when the levy for sinking
fund would be required; the fourth S2.l4 |
and less thereafterto the twentieth year,
when it would be Sl.07. In the twenty
years each quarter section would pay
ut most s34.O9. Mr. Collins then pro-
ceeded to show how the amount of the
tax could be saved. On coal he csti-
mated that 81 per ton could DO saved,
which 1T tho rate of one ton per year
would about pay the twenty years taxes
in IL years; where two tons were used
It would leave thirty above the tax in
sixteen years. He estimated that each
100 acres of land would have so acres
cultivated and IN wheat. Taking an av-
,ragc of l6 bushels per acre, and it
would produce 500 bushels. Out of
his amount he allowed $50 bushels for
iced and bread. A saving Of > cents
Ter bushel on the $50 bushels to be sold I
would give man $3.50. Putting this
mount at per cent. per annum, and |
.dding the interest each year, at the end |
f twenty years tho grain raiser would I
ave sl332.35. Multiplying this amount a
y the number of quarter sections in r
no county and saving to the county /
would DO found to be S4,737, l6s, an {
mount Of money which no one who h
eard him could fully comprehend. His {,
emarks were received with hearty $
h eering and concentrations. d
Mr.. L. l.. Bond was next called for. 4
10 favored the NJ. X. Il r., because it :,
pened to our shippers new mark cts :
{ low rates of freight. 1t gave to our j
armers choice of ST. Louis, Chicago Il
r Galveston by direct lines of road, Ii
nd the amount saved on freight was il
aved to the farmers in Saline county.
{ gave us a direct line of road TO the y
eaboard. A road to Kansas City only u
1T as TO the mercy of the grain and VI
We stock gamblers there. Kansas Il
'ity was alive to The damage she would !,
eccive in having the NJ. h. 4 I. con-
ection built TO Salina, and the bust. "
ess men there had sent out Tom Lynde 10
, work for the X. Z. The business
len of that city were always awake TO "