The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-02-17
The I. B. & ". Railway Extension.

aE - IL ~
We give below a portion of a very in
teresting letter from an eminent railroad
gentleman of Indiana, to Ca pit. A.
Denny, of this place, on the construction,
advantages, &C., of the contemplated
line of the I.B.& w. Railway Company,
which has been surveyed through a por-
tion of Preble county. What this gem
tleman says about the advantages ofthis
line to the city of Dayton, will apply
equally to the little city of Eaton, and
to those who seem Indifferent about it we
ask to ponder owe and weigh well. IF
properly managed, railroads are asource
ofgreat profit to the people, as well as
affording superior facilities for friendly
relations with neighbors at a distance.
scribes for a road is going to make a for
tune right away, but indirectly it will
benefit not only him but all the people
along the line. The general result of
railroads gives an impetus to all the
towns alike thro' which theyrun. Man
ufacturing industries follow railroads as
naturally as night follows day. These
enterprises put idle capital into active
employ, which is a benefit to the agri-
cultural region surrounding them. Men
of capital will not go into a county where
there are no railroads, to start a manu-
factory. They always seek the railroad
towns, and men who will t'sit down. on
an enterprise of this kind do not under
stand their own interests, and we are
sorry to say we have some in Eaton. But
to the letter: nt ,
Much is being said in the ~Indianapo-'
lis JOURNAL in regard to the merits of
the two lines to Springfield. It has
been said, l believe, that the northern
line is two miles the shorter-l32 miles
as against 134 miles via Dayton. How
this became current l do not know,
but do know that it is rot correct. The
length of the northern line l ~oniyknow
from what is said. The line from Day
ton to Carthage is 7434 miles, say 70.
miles; from Carthage TO indianapolis
80 miles, to west end 81 miles-equal
106 miles. From Dayton to Spring
field, l believe, "a miles, gives 100 in
stca d of 134 against 1872 miles northern
line. y \ \ 1t seems their max
imum grade is .35 feet per mile-this
IS 80, only from Boston to East Fork
from East Fork to the summit, west,
the water shed between it and Noland's
Fork, about 0 miles, the grade is 30 feet
per mile. There is slightly expen-
siye crossing at Big Twin and at Ban
ta,s Fork: also az West Florence Ridge.
which will cost. to Fourmile, g $40
miles in distance, by estimate. $25E $50,
or So, IS9 per mile /: or from west bank
of Sevenmile to Fourmile, a distance of
Z miles, $27. SSO-euual to So, 9S3 per
mile only, including that heavy cut.
The next expensive point is the cross
ing OF East Fork and to and through
the summit. Next estimate roughly,
for L have not had a close one, the
lbfidge over East Fork ard the APP
proaches, at $125, 000~ The bridge will
be l25 feet high, and. the distance from
bluff to bluff is 1900 feet. The bridge
and trestling l estimate at $100, 000, and
the filling of the embankment from the
bridge to the bluff, at each side, during
the life time of the trestle, Iestimate at
$4,000. The cut or tunnel Il think we
will have. in the interest of economy,
to tunnel about 500 feet through. the
summit), will cost $4,000 to $4,000.
Here Is at East Fork" and the sum
nit a cost of say $50, goo for perma-
nent structures. l shall present an es-
Innate for this crossing in the direct
line, and also for a crossing just below
Elkhorn; but now, l believe, l shall
recommend the adoption OF the DIRECT
LINE. It is near 8 miles shorter of the
Two. That the Dayton line
has 6aai6nd qnVQ nfqnC In q rrpuf1u cI1- II
perior alignment, in its AGRICULTURAL
productiveness, limits business towns,
and in the general wealth of the ceun-
try, are considerations that h rival
line would have utterly Ignored by the
public. The line Is superior In this:-l
1t is STRAIGHT from a point two miles
west of the rim of the Dayton Basin to
near indianapolis, Y west with mag
netlc. yariatlon-no grade exceeding go
feet per mile, except from Boston to
East Fork, - feet, as before stated
Most OF the distance (other than those
points L have named) merely surface
grading, altogether inexpensive, after
getting out of The ,BAsIS, and located
through a country not excefled in fer
Utility by any. But the great cost at
the East Fork of Whitewater is a mat
ter that may be seized on to the disad-
vantage of the line with mulch show of
reason. To successfully meet this, all
low me a suggestion The Company
asks the right OF way and a donation of
$4,000 per- mile-I understand Preble
county through its prominent citizens,
has guaranteed this. Has Montgomery
county? Dayton, l understand, has
tbe extant of another s100-o00 rather