The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1881-02-17

IT,
The fecs1t eoalessnes betwesa the
direceun q tAe Topeka, 6alins 4 Wss-
tern RAilfued and the Kansas Railway
has resulted In practically combinine
the tntsses6 Of these tWo cospoeAtions
- n . appeftnins b building their
respective nnes through the territory
tIavesssd b. both, ts .. that poftien
q the iouts lying wsst Of Topeka.
The bosis Of the agreement entered
into between thess corporations b,
briefly. that they aFe In no way % con-
6ict with each other OF Invade each
others territory - taf west = Council
Grove. Each company p 70 build its
line to this plece.@provtded the regui-
site amount Of subsfdy b votsd BY the
people to b Immediately benefited.
From this point west - iAr - Halina
the I've companies are to use the same
road-bed; in all other respects 10 ne
tain their individual Organizations.
Thus relieving the people ffom voting
subsidy TO but one line Of road, while
they will enjoy all the advantages of
two ESSENTIALLY competitive routes.
Tho prospect opened before our peo-
pie BY these proposed line. Of road
presents nothing ut0pian or impossi-
bic. The wants OF business and the
necessities Of the vast interior country
to be reached have brought about de
msnd for these lines of road, felt alike
by the protectors OF the proposed roads
and the people. Two great systems OF
railroads seek outlets in order to cope
successfully with other lines which
have already penetrated the interior
and sre reapinY the 5cnedts while con-
ferring unnumbered advantages upon
the regions Of country they traverse.
1t falls to our lot, prOvidentially, to b
situated directly In the most pfactica-
BILE pathway Of these two great arteries
Of commerce, and which they must
claim aud occupy. 1t Is undoubtedly
true that one Of these proposed lines,
the T., s. q W.,-will become the
main line Of the Chicago, Rock Island
& Pacific, one Of the best equipped and
wealtniest Of western railroads. Ma
king no prophecies ~ to the ultimate
future Of the other line, which will
run west from Kansas CITY, the ad-
vantsges Of competition thus afforded
and, what il more important to our
people, the benefits arising from hav-
ing direct communication with two
ouch favorable market: as Chicago and
Kansas City, are not to be lightly es-
timated. The building Of these linee
will place this portion Of Kansas in the
front rank rs far as favorable mark ctr,
competition and direct lines Of traffic
can accomplish that result.
To secure these advantages we will
be asked to extend our credit for linn
tied amount to these roads, receiving,
in return, stock In the roads to the ex-
tent of the amount Of credit advanced.
In addition to this we shall receive an
amount Of taxable property double the
amount Of aid required, from which
the annual tax will be amply sufficient
to pay the interest on the bonds which
we will be asked to vote. West Of
Council Grove aid will not be asked
for but one OF these lines and that
amount will be placed at the mimi
mum figures To every other township
in the county traversed by these lines
the investment will be q profitable one,
returning annually larger proportion
In taxes than the township would pay
in interest on the bonds voted. COun-
Gil Grove township Is asked to vote
81, 600 to the Topeka, Salina & Wes-
tern, about "a 600 per mile of road.
This Is more than double the amount
asked from any other township, the
proportion In other townships being
about the same As In Elm Creek, where
the amount Is about 81 ,686 per mile.
There Is prospect Of something in
the future Of Morris county IL these
roads go through. II but one Of them
is built it will bring many advantages
with ii, and there Is little reason to
debut that the Topeka, Salina & Wss-
tern will be il 1t meets with success in
getting the aid asked for. This roads
survey Is completed 1t 10 favorable |
one throughout. One county has
already voted ga, 900 in bonds, and
there is reason to believe that most of
its propositions will bs carried. With
this read alone we shall be given q di-
rect and competitive line to Chicago,
lines to st. Louis, and ex-
cellent communication with Kansas
City.
Our railroad prospects were never SO
bright rs now, and IL our people will
work together they may see Council
Grove q railroad center Of some impor-
lance before another year. tits worth
trying for.