The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-12-13
THE c.. r. I. 4 P. RAILROAD.

bilt with the wabash" interest, the question
is occasionally asked US, what figure Is cut by
and wha, is the position of our own favorite
railroad the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific
The Wabash combination was one emf
nrutly hostile to Chicago and IN favor of 81.
Louis. It was consolidation Of lines from
Detroit and Toledo, with all the intervening
net work, to st. Louis, and thence by the 81.
Louis, Kansas City and Northern roads to
Omaha where 1t Joined hands with the Union
and Kansas Pacific roads. THIS was its for
mdablc hold on the West AZ to the East, il
contemplated joining hands with the Grand
Trunk and Great Western railroads of Canada
and It also had the choice, in opposition to the
Vanderbilt lines, of the Pennsylvania and Bal.
timOre and Ohio roads to the scaboard thus
leaving New York out in The cold rs well ~
Chicago. OF course the G., K. |. * L. WAS not
in tins combination for all its interests incline
il to favor Chicago as well rs the Vanderbilt
lines to the East like the Michigan Central
and Southern, the Lake Shore, &c. But what.
ever might be the drift of the Wabash comb.
nation AS against Vanderbilt, the position and
strength of the Rock Island was such that it
could take care of itself No maLeuvring of
Jay Gould could deprive 1t OF its advantageous
connection with the Union and Kansas Pacific
roads, and AS to Kansas City, happily the Wa
bash combination had not monopoliscd all the
roads leading to that city The Rock Island
has \ connection with Hannibal and there is
road from Hannibal to Kansas City known
as the Cameron Branch of the Hannibal & St
Joe Railroad This the Rock island proceeded
to gobble and now owns, giving it a route Of
It's own to Kansas City. Then, lest the Wa.
bash combination might monopolize the lead
ing lines in northern Iowa, the Rock Island
proceeded quietly TO appropriate the Buring-
ton, Cedar Rapids and Northern road, com
pleting its connections with Sioux city, Yank,
ton, &c.
Thus while the Wabash combination was
drawing It's octopus tentacles around Wander
blt, 1t will be seen that the Rock Island was
quietly taking care Of itself and whatever
might be the outcome of the Vaccinations Of
Cyrus w. Field and his associates, IL could
snap its fingers and defy them to do their
worst. OF course the swallowing up Of Van,
derbilt by the Wabash combination changes
its former QuaSi.hostIle attitude towards the
Rock Island into frendliness; yet it is mani
tes, that of all the prominent lines in the
country whose interests were SO nightly in.
volved in the outcome of the Vanderbilt war,
the Rock Island was almos, the only one in u
position to mot care a durn" which way it
went.
And now word about the SAID Rock Island
road itself We usually think of 1t rs road
some 1855 miles in length, extending from Chi
cago to Rock Island. In fact, however, the
corporation known as the G., Il. |. q =.
ltw. Co. controls over 700 miles Of road
1t owns a branch from Bureau Junction to
Peoria. 1t owns line from Davenport and
to Kansas City, Leavcnworth and
Atchlson, it owns the important line from Da
venport to Omaha giving il the shortest route
from Chicago to the eastern terminus of the
Pacific roads, and it owns or controls dozen
Of branches penetrating into all parts of Iowa
from the Missouri line to Sioux City. ASIDE
from all these roads under its own control, its
with other roads are endless. You
can from the Rock Island depot at Chicago,
enter cars that without change will take you
to any important eastern or southern city you
can name. Or, YOU needn't 20 to Chicago, for |
you can take the Lake Shore e Michigan
Southern and Plttsburg Il Fort Wayne roads
at Englewood, or the Pittsburg, Cincinnati &
st. Louis at Washington Heights.
Then "a to the West and Southwest, cars
from the Rock Island depot at Chicago, or for
hat matter, at Ottawa, will land you safely in |
almost any city or village you may want to 60
10 IN Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Colo, |
TO San Francisco.
Besides its infinite ramifCatlons and Connec-
lions, there is another popularity about the
Rock Island road Its management is so per.
feet, that no other line in the country has
more uniformly faultcss road bed or keeps It's
cars in more perfect order You ale not joled
to death and you don't travel IN perpetual fear
Of accidents, for they ncvcr-well, hardly ever
on that road And its coaches are so
wide airy and elastic that the motion is con.
stanty reminding one of that of a boat over
smooth water
Another thing that pleases travellers on the
Rock Island road is that they can enjoy their
meals while pursuing their journey with the
'ame ease and comfort, and IN all the elegance
md perfection Of cuisine, as IN the best hotels,
md at as low price.
And then, unlike most other lines, the Rock
Island owns and controls its sleeping cars,
which are equal to any others in the world, and
while all others charge you from So to S. extra
or a berth and from SO to 80 for section, the