The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-11-22
THE NORTHWESTERN.
The Freeport and Mississippi Railroad
Project.
Freenort Daily bulletin, Nov. 90.


That the Importance of Freport as a
railroad center is recognized, and that it
is to be greatly augmented in the near
future, may very properly be inferred from
what follows. In the Office of the clerk
of the circuit court in this city this morn
ing, articles of incorporation were recorded
which set forth that their signers propose
to form corporation for the purpose of
constructing, maintaining and operating
a railway under an act of the general as
sembly of this state, which provides for
the incorporation of any association that
may be organized for the construction of
railways, approved March list. 1872, and
all acts amendatory thereof.
THE NAME.
The neme of this incorporation shall
be the Freeport and Mississippi railway
company.
The place from which it is intended to
construct the proposed railway is from
Freeport, Stephenson county, to Galena,
10 Daviess county, witha branch line from
some point thereon to a connection with
the Chicago 81 Northwestern railway. at
or near Fulton, Whiteside county. also in
this state, and such other branches as may
hereafter be determined upon by the board
of directors.
The principal business office of the cor
poration shall be in Chicago. the SAID cor
poration shall commence on November
goth, 1885, and shall continue for the
term of fifty years with power of renewal
IN such manner as may be provided by
law
The capital stock shall be $3,000000
The names and places of residence of the
persons forming this association for in
corporation are as follows: Albert Keep,
Marvin Hughitt, ]. b Redfield aud E. II.
johnson, all of Chicago; Chas. E. Sim
mons, Oak Park; NJ. NJ. Kirkman and II.
c. Wicker, of Evanston
THE FIRST BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
is TO be composed of the gentlemen just
named, the government of the corpora
ton and the management of its affairs the
articles above named, 60 on to state, shall
be vested in board of seven directors,
and the officers shall be president, vice
president, a secretary, u treasurer and an
executive committee.
The number of shares of capital stock
shall be 10000 and of 800 each. The
signers to the articles of corporation are
the same as he incorporates and direct
0rs.
WHAT IT MEANS.
The man who filed the above papers
was Mr. Bliss, who at one time was Meth
dist minister in this city. He left for
Galena this morning on freight train. :
The scheme of building the above men
toned railway evidently had its origin
with the Chicago & Northwestern rail-
road company, as part or all its incor-
ators are leading men in that company
The Northwestern's road ending here, as
it does. from the east, is not as profitable
| by any means as it would be if it had an
outlet to the great northwest, and its
boundles5 productions. That the COM
pany intends to run branch line south
west to Fulton or to Dubuque, or some
other point on the Mississippi from Ga.
lena or other convenient starting place
on the new line, would indicate that q
line running north and south along the
eastern bank Of the Mississippi river,
might also be sought after.
For several weeks past parties of civil
engineers have been making surveys there
but for what railroad company no one
seemed able to guess with any certainty
Those surveyors have doubtless been
working under the instructions from the
Northwestern railroad company.
/ 10 !, hoo lin
ming into Galena from Wisconsin, and the
building of this new road would open W
better communication with that section oI
the &C untry. Should the proposed line
be built through Dubuque, then without
II doubt, 1t would be extended q little far
ther southwest, and open the connection
through to the main line running to Coun
Gil Bluffs in Iowa.
The line running northward vii
doubtless be continued to the road of thi
company which runs to St. Paul What
ever is done after running the TRACK
through to Galena, the Chicago, Milwau
kee & st. Paul and Illinois Central road;
will have q strong competitor for tn
western business, and it seems to us tina
the result of it all will be benefit Il
Freeport. Certainly the facilities TO
getting to and fro will be better thai
now and shipping rates ought to be les
sened, but whether that will be dom
remains to be seen.
Until the articles of incorporation wer
filed here, or until last night at tn
earliest, no one in Freeport knew any
thing about the "Freeport and Mississip
pi'.' railroad. When the construction 0
the road will begin still remains secre
with its projectors.