The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1885-04-19
Narrow VS.. BROAD Gauge.

Tie recent visit of Col. Fordyce to
he city and the banquet rendered
i'm Friday night brought good deal
# discussion of the question rs to
hange of gauge on the Texas Il St
louis railway to a broad or standard
gauge. Col. +. doesn't hesitate TO
my that he warmly supports the sug-
gestion, and places his advocacy of the
policy upon the advantage OF the
road Perhaps that is the proper way
tor stakeholder or servant Of the
road to talk, but II the people Of
Texas, and especially of Waco, can
exert the least influence in the matter.
every consideration of sound policy
demands that they exert II to main
tain the present gauge. There Is no
sort of doubt but the little baby road
has exertcd powerful, if not even q
masterful influence in the great pros
perity of Waco for the last two years,
and that influence was built up by the
fact that 1t was and is an independent
line II is independent because it is
narrow gauge and can't pool and cx-
change business with other lines be-
cause reshipment is too costly an al
fair in these days ofclose cuts. Being
narrow gauge 1t can and docs haul
freight cheaper than the broad and
standard gauge lines. 1t is this differ
ence which has given Waco her start.
The Texas Il st. Louis compelled 9TH
err lines doing business here to come
to their rate. Now then, change the
gauge and in less time than
1t would take 10 write the
news up, 1t would be
in the southwest pool and asking and
demanding the same prices. Then in
what way would 1t benefit Waco? II
would simply and only constitute one
of the three lines to ST. Louis. As a
railroad proposition, or had we an in.
terest in it as n stakeholder, we should
unquestionably demand that it bt
broadened, because then the business
growing out of the pool and inter
change would make the investment
ii not profitable one, at least as prof
liable as stock in the Missouri Pacific
or the Iron Mountain lines. There
only one way this proposition coul
be made to induce Waco to consent {
it, and that would be to have the cha
ter so amended that for ninety-nin
years the Texas & st. Louis would l
compelled to observe and naintai
, the present difference in rates. TIL
, she could hardly do at profit becaui
the difference in the running expen'
between broad and narrow gaul
! roads is fully thirty-three and on
third per cent in favN of the bal
L road system.
OF course we write and feel on tn
I subject only as citizen of Texas, an
, above all of Waco. We are not col
sldering the interests of the road, M
we may remark generally that the
: interests are entirely safe in Il
hands OF the able and genial gentl
I men at its head. Nor do we thin
the less of them for the a
tempt they are making to chang
the gauge, under The belief that tier
: hy thov vonId no he's, carrying tho /;
,cres,s or ,b,ir cornora,,on We a,
oenpinelv sorry that the ,n,cres,s
Woco and Tho Marrow Cauge diver,
: nj This ,oint n isa fault of tho 90
oral situation and not Of either n
, road or this city. We propose TO al
fer as earnest. honest gentlemen. en-,
side on ,hc ,ookout the one 10 aeoui
0 an advantage which Il has not M
b the other TO maintain one which IN,
I are already in possession Of III
5 road and its officers do wen TO co
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