The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1886-03-11
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Dy Hfr. Jones ss the exponent Of the |
Chicago, Emporia and Southwestern
line of railroad, ought not 10 be lightly
regarded by the people Of EmporlA-
A proposition coming from any Of /
the great trunk lines Of rail.
ways leading ont Of Chicago aud
proposing to Tun through your state,
county and city, is worthy of the hign-
est consideration. To connect EmpoFis
with the greatest metropolis west of
New York, by direct railway commuDi
cation, means 70 double OF triple your
population and bring perhaps millions
of treasure within her corporate limits
II means maBufactories and increased
enterprise and prosperity 20 your com
mercial and business interests. This Is
what her present condition and future
prosperity demands. Emporia wants
more railroads, and must have them If
she is to continue 70 increase in pOpuIa-
ton and wealth. See to il that your
neighboring aud competitive towns do
not steal the prize whilst you are halt
ing between two opposing opinions.
wo1lG not object TO, but rather COM
mend the Santa Fee company for watch
ing with jealnus care and
sCrupulously guarding the inter-
ests of its road and stock
holders. This company has done much
for the people and state OF Kansas by
way of developing the county, its re-
sources, and making transportation and
traYel easy, aud the people along lts
great thOroughf4re appreciate what 1t
has done for them. But, nevertheless, It
is great, rich and Influential corpora
tlon that works Tor its own best interest.
natural for 1t 10 oppose competing lines
of road, no matter how much benefit
they may be 10 the state aud the citi-
zens OF Lyon county. The golden rule
Is not apt TO DC regarded where conflict
ing interests are at stake But, 10 the
opinion Of the writer, the interests OF
the Santa Fe company would not b. ms
terialiy initiated against by the con-
struction of the proposed road. Fan
aud honorable competition in whatever
department OF business. commercial. pro
fessional or otherwise, intuses new life,
vlgor, and indeed is principal motive
Inspiring men with renewed zeal and
energy to the accomplishment of stilt
higher and higher attainment,
There is no one or half dozen railroad
corporations that ought To expect u
control the great agricultural and com
mercial interests aud commodities of &
state OF such magnitude and vast proper
lions as the state of Kansas state just
IN its infancy, undeveloped in its agri
cultural and mineral resources, with al
its clouis OF cousum ng grasshop
pers and chinch bugs, ranks today, il
point of all that constitutes the materis
greatness of stale, about 18th in th'
Union. Let the railroads come. lik'
| great arteries of life encircling The state
and there will BE- u itc;iti f,F transpor
| tation for all. With the railroads vii
come millions of .ressure and millions
of taxable property. Let Us not be sci
fab aud contracted In our views of grea
public measures. Let EmporIa lose on
or TWO more trunk line roads and she neet
not expect to be much more then sh
now Is, g small inland town, Her bus
iness men, her men of thrift aud enter
prise will desert her, and the town will
stand still and soon retrograde. Rail
H. a
eye over the country at large, ant
through the state. and where ask, d.
you find the great commercial centers O
trade and business? answer, wher
the greatest natural and artificial faciIi
ties for transportation and manuiacutur
abroad. Railroads and water powe
are the great motors TO business enter
prise. The question for the people O
Lyon county and Emporia to decide is
not, how much they have been benefiLe'
In the past by the construction of tn
present roads. But what ia the bes
thing now to do to promote the welfar
of the town, and insure continuou
growth and prosperity? II II is CUES
ton, as to which of the two propose,
lines, the Santa Fe shrrt line, or tn
c., L. s. s. W. is the preferable one, tn
weight of evidence would certainly
in favor of the trunk line Il is cnmpe
lItion that Is wanted. Railroads that d,
not reduce the rates on transportation
and bring to US at least some OF the com
modities of lie at reduced prices, ar
substantially of no practical account 3
US. But railroad that will bring u
better and cheaper coal. chesper lumbe
and reduced rates in the import and ex
port of ali kinds of merchandise Is jus
the thing desired. Now which of th
two proposed lines will be the most like
~ 10 accomplish this end? answer
understandingly, the Chicago line
That road, built or commenced in earn
est. and before the rolling stock is on II
reduced rates in freights will come
Look al the cost of getting a huRdre'
pounds of wheat to Chicago, or evel
Kansas City, and then compare the COS
and distance to New York. ]
Is superhuous to ask tn
reason. The same holds good with re
gard to passenger rates. Where ther
is no competitive lines of travel, 20
simply pay the price and ask NO ques
tons The state of Kansas 10 on the ev
of her greatest prosperity. The eyes c
the nation are turned toward her. EN-
grafton pouring il from all quarters, nc
only of the union, but from the clvilize
world, Situated as it ia IN the exaC
| geographical center OF the union, with
soil inexhaustlble for grsin and grazing
with Its mild climate and health ladeI
breezes, what can she not accomplish
She is destined TO be an empire within
herself. To facilitate and further en-
courage this desirable state of things re
quires public spirited and broad mind
ed men at the helm of the ship of stats
Citizens OF Emporia make no mistakes
do the right thing and do IL when III
opportunity is afforded. About 8
many, and about 50 often the peo
pie are asked to cooperate In tn
construction of railroads. Should tn
Jones people be in earnest, and see q,
i good reason why they are not. and EN-
poria, either through apathy. indiffer
ence or want OF harmonious co-ordina,
ton, lose the road it would be q gree
misfortune The loss would be almos
irTepaEable. The citizens, committc'
may be sincere. and yet mistaken.
hsve yet to hear single reason Why III
Jones proposition should not be fsyors
big entertained by the people OF Empo
ria and the citizens Of Lyon county. 4
reasonable assurance that the compan,
representing the c.. E s. s. W. rail
road company are in earnest. ought /,
secure the hearty cooperation of al cit
liens who have II heart the best inter.
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