Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-11-07
THE CHICAGO, BURLINGTON & QUIN
CY RAILROAD.

THE CHICAGO, BURLINGTON &QulN-
OY RAILROAD.
It seems pretty we'll established that
the c., B. & q r. r. company intends
to extend its road southwest, passing
through Lafayette county in the direc-
ton of Fort Scott.
1t would be quite futile, indeed
puerile. to advance unfair or unsound
arguments, in attempting to secure the
road, either by one route or the other,
because the company will naturally
investigate for itself, and act at last as
its own best interests dictate. We
shall, therefore, endeavor to approach
the subject fairly.
There are many points on the Mis-
souri, river where bridges can easily
be built; there is no part OF the river
that cannot be bridged. There are
some advantages possessed BY Lexlng-
ton as a bridge site not common even to
favorable sites. First, it has been estab-
lished by soundings, made by an engl-
| neer of the B. & S.W. R. R.Co., the ar
| chives of which are now the property
Of the c., B. &c O., that at the most
convenient point for a bridge there is
a solid rock bottom, all the way across
the river. Second, the river at Lexing-
| ton is as narrow as at any point
for seven or eight hundred miles from
| its mouth, and all Of its water does
now, and has always flowed through
one channel. Third, the government
| of the United states has in the last few
years expended many thousands of dol
lars in a revetment just above the city
which confines the river to its present
course and prevents it from N
croaching upon the bottom lands above
the bridge site.
AS to routes. When the greater
sinuosities, because of a rougher coun-
try by way of the eastern route are
considered, there does not seem to
be a miles difference from Carroll
ton to Fort Scott by either the Waiver
" or Lexington route. From Waverly
TO the south county line the country is
beautiful and fertile; the line crosses
numerous streams and the ridges be-
tween, requiring heavy cuts and a great
many bridges, some of them expensive
ones. In the Waters survey Of that
route, it was demonstrated that some Of
the grades could not we'll be reduced be-
low eighty feet to the mile. There is not
a dollars worth of work now done on
that route. From Lex ington to the
south county line the country is also
beautiful and fertile; the line running
along a natural plateau, a dividing
ridge between the headwaters of two
systems of streams, presenting a phe-
nomenal route alreadysurveyed, already
graded for twenty miles, and which
does not require a single bridge or tres.
tie work for the entire distance. -Four
miles of the twenty are now part of the
c. & A. track, and would have to be
rebuilt, the remainder belongs to, the
c., b. Sc Q. railroad company, if it
belongs to anybody, and in any event
they can have it for the asking. It cost
several hundred thousand dollars to
construct it.
a large part of Lafayette county is
underlaid with coal, of good quality.
RecediDg from the river, however,
the vein becomes thinner and less re-
liable, being wavy and liable to run in
to thin places. The most eligible and
reliable coal field is that which sur.
rounds Lexington. The proof of this
is, that with only one railroad, and in
spite of change of ownership, quarrel
ing and litigation in the coal company,
Lexington to-day mines four times as
much coal as does all the remainder. OF
the county put together. and Mr.. Gould
regards his coal mines here as the mosl
valuable and permanent that he has in
the state.
The coal field is very extensi We sit haI
up to. this time barely been tonched
and Mr.. Gould's hold up on it is a yer!
insignificant one as. compared with tn
whole. Not to speak of the coal, Lex
t ington and Odessa would easily fur
/ nish a railroad three Dr. four times a
much business as could the towns o
E Higginsville and Waverly. The roa'
already graded through Lafayett
county is a part of the original b. 4 S
W. R. R., its legitimate and prope
!? route. 1t brings The road by Lexington
from which it can easily put out a spu
: to Kansas City to feed its connection
r there with coal, and to connect wit
= that place for its southern business
4 No great railroad will long be conten
y with a trunk line running 40 mile
: from Kansas City, without a direc
e connection with that place.
These are a few reasons, which seer
to us sound and unanswerable, why
= would be better for the c., B. y q. e1
tension to ONE by way of Lexingto
q? and Odessa rather than by way of Wav
s erly and H~igginsville.
The company, too, may elect to ex
tend its road from Bogard. in whic
event there could be no question as t
v routes.
$ The Lexington Business Associate
held its regular monthly meeting, la
Tuesday morning. A number of re
7. ports were made from committee
after which the subject of the Chicag'
Burlington & Quincy railroad extel
l. sion was brought up. In view OF II
l. fact that Col. Jno. Reid and Mr.. Title
sc Davis, who are probably better inforr
re ed as to the intentions of the railros
company than any other gentlemen n
or in their board, have for years BET
es doing all in their power to secure Il
a building of the road upon the old lin
Is the Business Association passed a re
. olution asking them to accompany, as
IN delegation from Lexington. the col
l. mittee appointed at Odessa to go
as Chicago to visit the officers of the roa
s. The entire committee is now compos
" of Col. John Reid, Mr.. Tilton Dav