Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-02-27
THE SHORT LINE RAILROAD.
A st. Louis Paper Encouraging the
EnterPrise.
[From thelMarshall Democrat

IC uIICCtOIo VI tuC ". A%OuAo ohN
Kansas City Short Line railroad
met in st. Louis on Tuesday TO con-
slider matters connected with the
building of the road.
AS this is Missouri enterprise,
intended 10 supply the shortest line
and best grade between the two prin-
cipal cities of the state as we'll as to
develop one of the richest sections in
the state-a section now deficient in
shipping facilities-it was fair to pre-
sumo that Missouri newspapers would
encourage the enterprise.
AS st. Louis has been bowling for
years about the freight determinations
which paced that city at disadvan-
tage when competing with other cities
tor the trade OF the western cOuntry,as
st. Louis has claimed in the past that
the existing roads have treated her
unfairly, and operated in the in
terest of eastern cities, It was fair to
presume that st. Louis newspapers,
especially, would favor the building of
this independent St Louis road, and
urge st. Louis capitalists to secure q
controlling interest in it, and thus free
the city from the grasp of the Gould
monopoly.
We confess, then, in view of these
facts, to feeling of surprise when we
see the following in the columns of the
St. Louis Republican, newspaper
that naturally ought to be fair, if not
friendly, to Missouri enterprises:
The directory of the st. Louis and
Kansas City Short Line project held
meeting at the Lindell yesterday to
talk over the financial end of the enter
prise, which, by the way, will be found
a very important feature in an under
taking that proposes the construction
of railway between points that are
already supplied with more transporta-
ton facilities than there is traffic.
| If it can be proven by reliable data
that line through the region of coun-
try proposed can create enough local
business to insure a fair and Just re-
turn for the money invested in the
property, plenty of willing hackers
| will be found, but if it is the purpose
of the projectors to force division of
existing traffic, even a gullible public
will hesitate to take the securities of
the concern, and unless the projectors
can show some earning power and op-
portunity for their scheme and are will
ing to float the bonds at big discount
and throw in like amount of etock as
a bonus it is not likely that the project
will ever get beyond the field notes of
the surveyor. The board of directors
is composed of Messrs. r. Williams,
Fayette. president; Odon Guitar, Col
umbia, vice-president; j. II. Cordell,
Marshall, secretary; j. H. Waugh,
Columbia, treasurer; w. p. Hale, Col.
umbia; u. ID. Tucker, Fulton; e. NJ.
Hughes, Danville; Mitchell Castillo, St.
Charles; J. D. Tolson, Fayette; E.
NJ. Edwards, Waverly; w. B. Steele,
Lexington, and E. S. Palmer, Malta
Bend. co.. ,ea e,.r
If the above extract had appeared in
Chicago paper, the motive for its pub
lication could have been found in the
fact that the road in question would
naturally divert trade to St. Louis.
If the a, ticle had appeared IN q pros
pectus of the Chicago & Alton rail-
road, or from the pen of q paid agent
of Jay Gould, it would naturally have
been assumed by the reader that the
existing railroads wanted to be rid of q
possible competitor.
But when it appears in Missouri
paper, and St. Louis paper ut that
one is at loss to know how to account
for it OH any other hypothesis than /.
desire on the part of that paper to per
petuate the very condition OF affairs o
which St. Louis has been complaining
and desire to serve the interest of ex
isting roads at the expense of the pros
, perity of the city of st. Louis and tn
5 people of Central Missouri.
II From what source the st. Louis Re-
publican could have drawn the inspira
\ ton that induced 1t to oppose, sneer a
and belittle this enterprise, we Cal
: only conjecture. But that conjectur
cannot possibly be Elimentary' Il
the newspaper itself.
. We have understood that the existin,
4 roads would fight the Short Line, ant
such action on their part would be on
: ly natural. But who would hav
thought that the st. Louis Republican
could be induced to do the very worl
}. that it was expected rival roads woul,
do +? What could have induced it t
take this course?
!, We leave for the Republican to ex
plain the reason for its more than faith
erly solicitude for the welfare of ex
isting railroads, andits less than friend
: ly regard for the interests of st. Loui
J, and Central Missouri.