, 1881-01-30

double that amount to build such a road |
through the plains Of the West, and much |
and Pennsylvania, where the most difficult
feats present themselves"
:" Are you a-railroad -engineer?" asked !
Mr.. Abbott, surprised.
am not" responded: TIE reporter, :.out
I know enough about failroad building to
estimate the cost OF constructing railroad |
III the various parts of tnis conatry.n
y DO not think I stated that the road
which he is charged with having nl:a.: that
assertion: After looking. pyer It hs said:
That is mistaks &; W!as sa,d Was that
double~tr,ck road such as is proposed.''
You do not mean to:say that sou can
build road" put IN rherep0rter, "6traight
through the mountains Of New jersey md
Pennsylyal'la Tor of t2t &: monntf an,{ ., a.
mean to shy that. What I mean to say ls
that We call construct double-track road
through, the Prairie States, from Akron. O.,
to Oulaha, for s40,o5o mile. Through New
cost FROM s3o000 to 5000 4 mile Of single
track, but this portion of The road We do not
lncan to build right away.
II also have seen 1t stated in the papers,"
Your proposed road viii not exceed thirty
feet 10 the mile east-bound and forty miles
wes1-hound. Railroad engineers In the city
with whom I have conversed consider such
.'These persons know nothing about it,
said Mr.. Abbott II llavc been a railroad
engineer for years, and laid cut and coll-
structed many roads III the West and know
what 1 AIN ap0nt: We do not mean To run
run i1r right Oh Oh tic top Of the IS meSpnlains.''
get over the gulchus ~ said the reporter.
II can't xp1ain this IN a few words,'' said
N1r. Abbott, but will slow you the nu.ps
you alta and he went f4lto slde-rouua and
brought out an arMful~of papers and doc,l-
meuts that ws,uld take a week to look over
to get fair idea OF the scheme.
n,ents.." said the reporter; II really. have
not the lime to look over them now. ! have
studied the map Ut Your route sufficiently
to have Il fair idea of what is proposed. 1
had rather you answermy questions US point
lie threw the bundles into a corner, eyl~
IDENTIFY 1iucl1 relieved himself; and said:
"Weli, you haul better conle up tn-lnorrow
afternoon and | can explain all lllese matters
not yet had my dinner, and have been
bothered BY people. all day who wanted to
know. fuller particulars abont our road"
II am 4 little under the weather. snid the
therefore rather get all theintorinatlon about
you great sclltn1e now. II l can call up
will DO 50, however, .<.:.. ,,n
Abbott. I've do not wlsl, TO have our .roa1
written up in the papers: We have not
asked anybody to say anything about us"
"Bnt this is matter Of greatinlportance."
said the reporter, ''ai'd the people Ike 70
know ii the great benefit you mean to be-
stow upon them unless 1t were published i'll
the Ws Ssys5S are ready to give all the Information
We cail," replied Alr. Abbott SO 1iSt ASK
your questions anu will answer YOU" 1,..
ri see BY the ,nap," said the repofssr," tl.at
your road runs sixty miles south of Chicago,
and has buta spur to Chicago ru1lnIng north.
west. This will give you gpod, straigt,f :t,5
line to the East from this point, but how will
"at'W awe do not mean to run West over this
line, but use existing Chicago roads III cor. con-
nectoh wil' our tS% Hwn 1t to1 }be Chicago oosl"
.sRut will these Chicago roads allow you
such facilities? They are not usually,in the
habit ot alioytng their competitors any saeh
iG TGis Staggered Mr.. Abbott somewhat, -but
he soon recovered and said: 8 Don't you ~ See
| that we needn't 20 West fruln Chicago. We
can build to Chicago and stop there, AND use
our ROAD just as trunk linz between Chiea: T. ::
'.:E,
Tie the 40 miles OF road for which 1t Is
| reported you have already given out. the con-
! tracts run east from Chicaso?' ~ asked the
reporter. -, .,,,o.t Il. rh. .oo
| miles for the grading and construction, Of
| which contracts hAve been awarded, @ run
| from Akron, O., to TiHin, from :Tltiitl to Fort
| Wayne, and from Fort Wayne to Chicago"
;" To carry out such scheme,n. !rl1t' ne
are the capitalists that are BACKING you? All
tie principal American capitalists are elther
associated with Could or Vanderbilt, and
they wiII:eeE,tainly not assist you and in1are
- / cau't answer that question, y responded q
Gould & and Vanderbilt have ali the money, or
that they are onlnipntent In railway matteIs.
There are lots Of capitalists in Europe VINO
are willing to invest money 1ust no" III
0t Then yott mean to get the money from
Europe?'' askeil the reporter ~ ~.
II can't answer you thae' sa1o MI Ap
"Would you tell me,' asked the reporter,
| "Ulio the contractors are to whom the con:
| tracts for the construction Of the road from
Akron, O., to Chicago has been awarded
II won't fell you that said: Mr: Abbott;
| t.you must find out for yourself II YOU want
to know anything about this" :, J,
| ssBt,t Contractors are usually anxious .
S1lu the REPORTER. Nv llHtE LlcA Ad4iC7 pao
lished when they secure 1arge. contracts
know contractors TINT nave climbed up hVe
flights Of stairs at l. o'clock at night TO gel
| such notoriety.' -,
"Oh, this is not the case with our coh
tractors,'' replied Mr.. Abbott. :,
. It seems to me-" said the reporter, .tilat
the real object nf your scheme IS TO build z
| line from Akron, o.. to Chicago to head Of
the proposed Chicago s. Atiantie, i{ailroaa,
Witch IS to afford an outlet to Chicago tor
tho Erie and New York, pennsylvania q
1What gives you such an idea, Responded
nr, Abbott, greatly surprised. I'VE hayss
nothing to do with the proposed chicago q
= did not say you had" said the reporter
ssWhat said, was that you meant to ge
ahead Of the Chicago 4 Atlantic, and l!ayts
the Erie and the New York, Pennsylvania .
Ohio use your road instead OF that one as
their outlet to Chicago"
"I.wllI tell you sol}ethtllP privately, con con
d};np|y replied. Mr.. Abbott, It you VII
promise not to write this thing up for tomor
rows paper. You can cotue up tomorrow y
afternoon and we will talk the matter ~
over, and then you can publish It IN Monday
paper" 4o,, ~, than ,,eo;c
the reporter, ''as / DO not mean 70 plS;ass
myself a1l controlled by the ntStructlonts GU, u