The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1883-07-04
NEW RAILROAD PROJECT.
The Fort Scott, st. Louis ana Chicago
Railway. and tie Plans OF It's
Projectors.
70 the Editor kansas City Journal.

KlCN IilIi- NO. lhnc 2I.-S
much has been said in the local
press fcreabout aud your corrcspou-
dent, concerning the Fort Sect. St.
Louis X Chicago railroad and nv
name 50 frequently connected with
the reports. that feel Justified IN
making a brief statement. | do thi,,
particularly because reports and ru-
mor> Of very conflicting character,
and sometimes wide of the truth, are
IN current circulation. 1t is but JUS
iice to the enterprise and the gentle
men engaged III it that the truth be
known.
The new railroad will be built the
coming summer and fall as located
year ana a half ago, except that
the line t !, been changed from But
ler to Fort Scott leaving Rich Hill
some ten or twelve miles to the cast
The reasons for this change are SIM
ply the interests OF the enterprise and
OF the gentlemen investing their
money in it. The change makes
the route shorter. Is cheaper to bull,
better grades when Duilt, passes
through a better country, and over
large beds 'of coal which the com
pany has made arrangements to CON
troll. Had we gone to Rich Hill we
would in addition to Il main line two
miles longer than our present routa.
have had to build several miles of
switches III order to reach coal anL
:hen could bnIy get it on leases by
paying high royalty for the privilege |
of mining. We would have to COM
pete with two other roads for the
business OF Rich Hill. and with two
strong coal companies, with
Il trade already established, FOR Rich
Hill coal. The chance for our
getting enough Rich Hill business or
selling enough Rich Hill coal under
these circumstances did not seem to
me to justify 50 large an additional
outlay, For us to build via Rich
Hill and then build switches out
from our main line to where we
could get good coal lands at as fair
a price as we get them i'll Walnut
would cost $2oo,o more than to
ouild direct ACROSS the Walnut coal
ields, where we have the coal
irectiy on our main line.
The report that we are simply 60
ng to build a spur to the Gulf road
md then stop, is simply falsehood
hat no man has reason to circulate,
I'd that do not think any man IN
'ates county believes. am sure
hose who are most industriouslv
REGULATING the report do not believe
!, tor belief would destroy their r
niy reason for circulating it. Plainly 1
le!r only reason for their course is
EAR that a rival town to Rich Hill
MI grow up in the southwest part
the country. II their reports are
ne, and there is no danger of tins
hy need they be so much concerned
bout it: do not know whether a
wn of any great dimlnsions will
'ow up at walnut or not but | do al
low that L railroad will nc butt a. r
oss the Walnut coal fields eNtend- te
8 as tar south as Fort Scott. and Us h.
north rs Odessa; that 4 coal COM 80
my will be organized at Walnut, -
ainat coal put on the market. and -
AZ a town company will te oroani-
q and lots sold To whoever wants
GUY them | can not guarantee II.
fsons huvins lois aSa;oS, failure M
q loss IN case the town should co
prosper but I can assure no
one ouving lot and go IN
INTO business at Walnut that lie
Ii not have 70 compete with the
opr'etor> Of the town coal or ra,l-
Id company for business after he ne
$ located These companies will fir
engage IN any merchartile bust rst w
: N Walnut. nor a;;eunD, 70 CON fir
the trade ofrhtir rn p oy>>. 1hsv du. m
: pay ;.l-,r .n<l? VII, ,,,.r..,- .,,l