Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-08-25
OFF FOR OMAHA.
The Omaha, Abilene g. WIGHT R.::R
Preliminary Survey. Change Cars
for CLAY Center and the
Southwest. Engineer jack
SON Interviewed.
ON the Clay Center pispstch.


From the Clay Center Dispstch.
IL. l.. jackson, engineer of the Oma-
ha, Abilene & Wichita railroad, ar
rived in town from the south last FRI
day morning with his surveying par
ty, consisting of two teams and nine
men. A reporter of the old county
weekly called on him with an interrO-
CATION look and lead pencil and Sc
cured for our readers the following
information which NAV be taken for
what it is worth:
Reportcr-"Tell us something about
this line you are running"
Mr.. Jackson-''I'mi in the employ Of
the O., a. & w. II. II. company. re-
Gently organized at Topeka. and of
which G. q. Furlcy, of Wichita, is
president, and your fellow townsman,
ID. a. Valentine, Is secretary, and have
been on the road about three weeks"
Rep.-"W What are you doing ~
Mr. J.."I am making the prelimin-
AIRY survey preparatory to d report
showing topography Of the country,
and profile of the line. 1 left Wich-
tia and came directly to this point by
way OF Marion. Hope, Abilene, In
dustry aud Exeter"
Rep" What is the distance from
Wichita to Clay Center r
Mr.. J.-"Cau give Won exact dis
lance by referring to my notes-l find
it is 126 $40 miles and from Abilene
to Clay Center 30 Clio miles"
Rep.--"lIow do you find the face of
the country?"
Mr.. Ut couldn't be much better
gently rolling prairie, with easy
slopes to streams and the best kind o;
soil for grading. 80.
Rep" Is 1T up hill, or down. from
the Arkansas Valley. or in other
words. which town has the greatest
altitude?''
Mr. j." The altitude of your city
i only about fourteen feet greater
than that of Wichita. The average
grade per 100 feet per mile on my line
is siy-tenths of a foot, or an average
grade, rs railroad men wOuld say, of
ihirty-two feet to the mile"
Rep" Who pays YOU for this
work.
Mr.. j." The company, and as
understand ii, out of money contrib
uted at the first meeting. You see the
men who are backing the enterprise
are of the wealthiest citizens on the
route, and they are paying for the
survey. They don't ask for contribu-
tons from towns. Such men as NJ.
W. Levy, Furley, Blackwieller, Med
erlander, all connected with banks in
Wichita, Senator Crane, a banker of
Marion. Messrs. Fisher and Bone
brake, bankers of Abilene, Mr.. Nalen-
tine. of your city, and others will pay
for all preliminary work"
Where did you cross the Re
publican?r
bridge. passed up near the mill and
the waterworks, and will go north up
Fourth street, and fake direct line
for Washington, our next point on the
route"
Rep.-"Have you crossed many
farms in the county?"
Mr.. J.-"Np sir. have avoided
doing so when could. As Clay Cen
ter is only about twelve miles east of
WichitaI followed section and half
section lines very closely, and
through this county from Industry
kept on one or the ether all the way
to the river bank"
Rep.-"Do you know of your own
knowledge whether or not this road
is TO be buiIt?''
Mr.. il only know what | have
heard, and that is that Wichita people
are bound TO have northeastern out
let. and if INV report shows feasible
route work will be begun before snow
flies"
Rep.-"Well, what will your report
show?''
Mr.. $50 far no better route
could be found anywhere. Easy grade.
rich country. and big, strong towns
that didn't know were more than
villages. was surprised AT Abilene.
but when caught a first view of your
city from the hill south of the bridge, |
/ remarked to any BOYS, that there !
stood a sure-enough city, bigger than
Wichita was two years ago: and one |
that Ought to make the leading city Of |
this part of the state. And then YOU |
are just the right distance away TO 1
have division shops, and Won have a
rich farming country tributary TO YOU |
that ought 10 support 20.0ov people. l |
tell you I'm in love with Clay Center" |
At this point the ''intervIew" ended. |
Mr.. jackson referring our reporter to |
Secretary Valentine for definite infor- !
nation concerning the proposed work |
of the company. Our reporter then
tackled the blonde secretary and
asked him what he knew. In cub
stance he unloads about rs follows:
The company means business. wich- !
ita wants TO cut loose from Kansas
City and avoid the Missouri river
pool. She is to-day the second largest
city in Kansas, and is making a stride
TO be the first. The men with whom |
am associated have enough money TO
build this line themselves. They arc |
not asking gifts or contributions from
any body. They know that there is
but one north and south line 1.-THE Fit. |
Scott & Gulf road down the eastern |
border of kansas) west Of the Illinois |
Central railroad. Every other road !
runs east and west. The richest agri- !
cultural lands in the world lie along |
the line of this proposed road. Kan
sss virtually has no road running in
this direction. This road would give |
us an outlet to Chicago, Omaha, St.