Lexington weekly intelligencer., 1885-10-31
THE BURLINGTON & SOUTHWESTERN
RAILROAD.

| EDITOR INTELLIGENCER--We now have
Information that is credible. that 1t is the in
tention of the company to run the Burlington
Il Southwestern railroad across the Missouri
river and strike for the great southwest. 1t
is also known that two routes are being con-
sidered, one by Waverly and HigginsvilIe to
Holden, and the other by Lexington and
Odessa to Holden, and it Is importsnt in view
of the fact that the citizens of Waverly and
HIgginsville are urging their claims, that The
Lexington and Odessa route should be prop
erly represented before the officers Of the
railroad. To one who is familiar with the
country over which the two routes would
pass, and the advantages of location and busi-
ness, there Is no comparison between them.
Should the extension be from Carrollton,
the distance by each of the routes to Holden
will be about the same, but the cost Of build
ing and maintaining the Higginssille line
would greatly exceed that via Lexington.
From Csrrollton to Waverly across :he bot
tom, 1t is only ten miles. From Waverly to
Holden. distance of more than fifty miles,
the route would be over broken country,
and running across the streams emptying into
the river on the north side, and those empty
ing into Davis and Blackwater creeks on the
south. There would be heavy cuts and deep
fills all along the route and many bridges to
build, some of them large and expensive
ones.
From CarrOlltOn to Lexington about twen-
ty-two miles, there is level bottom, requir-
ing little or no grading, and only one bridge
I uoIJ wi,
Odessa, is one of the best and cheapest up
land routes that could be selected. The route
from Lexington to Mt. Hope, twenty-five
miles, Is on the track once graded for the
Lexington, Chilicothe & Gulf road and there
Is nothing to do but to level it, at = small
cost. The grade from the river to the high
lands south of Lexington Is an easy one, not
exceeding fifty feet to the mile. and thence to
Blackwater it is level country the line being
on ridge between the waters of the Sni on
one side and those of Tabo and Davis on
the other, and the grade would not exceeh
twenty feet to the mile. From Lexington to
Blackwater, distance of thirty miles, there
Is not stream to cross or a bridge to be
built. From Blackwater to Holden the topog-
raphy Of the country Is about the same as 1t
would be on the HigginsvIlle route. The
route from Carrollton via Lexington and
Odessa Is one of the best that could be select
ed in western Missouri, and would cost ut
least from $500, 900 to $1,000, 900 less than the
line via Waverly. On this route there would
be but few bridges to be kept up, as long as
time lasts, while on the other route there
would be many.
Another important consideration Is the
larger amount of business that would accrue
to the road on the Lexington route. The
business of Odessa and Lexington will treble
or quadruple that of Waverly and Higgins,
vile, aud the stratum Of coal extends much
further on this line that the other.
But it Is not at all certain that the road will
be extended from Carrollton. 1t Is more than
probable that the extension will be from |
Bogard. Should 1t be 30, there will be no
doubt as to which Is the best and most prac-
tcable route. The Lexington route would |
be the shortest and cheapest.