Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-11-14
KANSAS CITY'S AIR LINE.
The Vice President Says il viii be
Built.

Built.
From the Kansas City Times, Nov. 12.1
Mr.. r. P. Williams, of Fayette,
president OF the St. Louis & Kansas
City Short Line; General Odin Guitar,
of Columbia, vice president: Mr.. j. IL.
Cordell, of Marshall, secretary; MI. j.
H. Waugh, of Columbia, treasurer; and
Messrs. John d. Tolson, of Fayette,
and A. Il. Palmer, of Malta Bend, ar
rived in the city last night to attend a
meeting of the board of directors to be
held at the Coates house to-day.
Speaking of the status of the enterprise,
General Guitar said that a preliminary
survey of the entire route had been
made and that the line had been located
from Columbia to a point west of Lex
ington. He added that the surveying
party would reach this city in a few
days, striking the Belt line at its east
ern terminus, and that they would re-
turn at once to Columbia to locate the
line from thence TO St. Louis. "Thus
far we have found a very favorable
route" said General Guitar. "The
maximum grade has not exceeded fifty
feet to the mile. and the road will be
but 235 miles long, thirty miles shorter
than any existing line. 1t will pass
through the several county seats of the
counties lying between Kansas City
and St. Louis and will cross the Mis-
souri, river in two places-at a point
between St. Charles and Howell's
ferry and also nea Saline city"
''Could not this be avoired?"
1t could not without making the line
longer. The expense of the eastern
bridge will be comparatively small as
we will build it conformity with the
St. Louis, Keokuk & Northwestern and
Hannibal Sc Keokuk, both of which
roads have lines already projected to
cross at this point. Both are depen-
dent on the Wabash for an entrance in
to st. Louis, and the bridge has be-
come a necessity to them. In this way
the bridge will be built at a small cost
to each road"
"What towns will it tap?"
"After leaving Howelrs Ferry it will
pass near Warrenton via Danville, Full
ton, Columbia, Fayette Marshall, Lex
ingtOn and thence to Kansas City"
'sWhat are the financial arrangements
of the company"
otSSA ~ IN uA1OAhit OAVscN5ONO Alho
been subscribed by the corporation ,apd
we have the assurance of local aid to
the amount of $4,000 or $4,000 a mile
in the shape OF subscriptions to stock,
and at least 80 per cent of the right of
way will be donated. With the $780,
QUO already subscribed, and aid to the
mount Of $4,000 We shall have ST.
100000 besides the right of way.
With this we could build the road our
selves, by constructing fifty miles and
bonding it for enough TO construct an
other fifty miles, in the same manner
as Mr. Gould aud Mr.. Vanderbilt build
their roads. But there will be no diff
Guilty about getting the money. Every
railroad man who has been shown the
line has declared that there is no road
in the west that has a more lucrative
local trade than will be commanded by
this road. This line is unlike any other
that has ever been built in the west.
Those hitherto built through the state
were intended to build up the country;
ours is demanded by the population
and wealth existing along the propos-
ed line. When l presented the facts
to the board of trade in St. Louis they
were amazed. The ten counties through
which the road will pass represent two
fifths of the wealth of the state: they
represent one-third of the population
of the state, raise n One-half of all
the wheat produced in the state, pro-
duce more hogs, cattle and corm than
any other forty counties Iii the state.
added to this, the road will tap the
centers of wealth and population of
these counties, nearly all of which are
destitute of connection with roads
leading to Kansas City or ST. Louis,
and which are forced to go to Chicago
against their will and interest"
"What is being done toward sccur-
ing local aid?'
Nothing as yet. We have money
in the treasury sufficient to do all the
initiatory work. What is more, it has
been given voluntarily. Nobody has
been solicited. The friends of the ell
terprise are not seeking to give it w
paper notoriety. They embrace tle
principal business men and capitalists
along the entire line, who are quietly
and persistently working to secure the
early construction of the road, with
no view to individual profit or Interior
speculation, being amply compensated
for all they may dc in securing the
completion of the line so imperatively
demanded by the commerce of the
counties through which it will pass
The survey will be finished and the
right of way and local aid granted this
winter, so that by the opening of next
season the company will be in a shape
to undertake the immediate construc.
ton of the road"
"Shall you expect anything from
Kansas CityY
"Well, yes. We have felt from the
start that the line is of such importance
to Kansas City that she will feel dis
posed to encourage it. The road will
give Kansas City what she has never
had, a direct short route across the
state to a connection with the sytem of
roads leading out from st. Louis. With
Il line thirty miles shorter than that Of
any other St. Louis line, ami with
twenty-five feet less grade, Kansa,
City will be placed several hours nearer
the Mississippi river. 1t will be a great
line for Kansas City. Will it be built
1t is certain to be, and as soon as tho
work can be done, for the reason
that it is a necessity. The people de-
mand it. What is more, il will be an
independent road, though of course il
will afford an eastern outlet for several
western roads that have long been de.
string one"