Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-01-02
THE BURLINGTON & SOUTHWESTERN
RAILROAD.

EDITOR INTELLIG ENCER-We now
have information that is credible, that
it is the intention of the company to
run Burlington & Southwestern rail-
road across the Missouri river and
strike for the great southwest. 1t is
also known that two routes are being
considered, one by Waverly and Hig-
ginsville to Holden, and the other by
Lexington and Odessa to Holden, and
it is important in view of the fact that
the citizens of Waverly and Higgins
vile are urging their claims, that the
Lexington and Odessa route should be
properly represented before the officers
of the railroad. To one who is fami-
liar with the country over which the
two routes would pass, and the ad-
vantages OF location and business, there
is no comparison between them.
Should the extension be from Car
rollton, the distance bv each of the
routes to Holden will be about the
same, but the cost of building and
maintaining the Higginsvile line would
greatly exceed that via Lexington.
From Carrolltom to Waverlv across the
bottom, it is only ten miles. From
Waverly to Holden, distance of more
than fifty miles, the route would be
over a broken country, and running
across the streams emptying into the
emptying 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
twenty-five miles. there is Il level bot
tom, requiring little or no grading, and
only one bridge to erect. From Lex
in9ton to Holden via Odessa, is one of
the best and cheapest upland routes
that could be selected. The route from
Lexington to Mt. Hope, twenty-five
miles, is Oh the track once graded for
the Lexington, Chillicothe " Gulf road
and there is nothing to do but to level
it, at Il small cost. The grade from the
river to the highlands south of LeXing-
ton is an easy one, not exceeding fifty
teet to the mile, and thence to Back
water it is level country, the line be-
ing on ridge between the waters OF
the Sni on one side and those of Ta5O
and Davis on the other, and the grade
"ouiNt HOl cACtCu l"Ch lCCI W tIlc
mile. From Lexington to Biackwater,
Il distance of thirty miles. there is not
stream to cross or bridge to be
built. From Blackwater to Holden the
topography of the country is about the
same as it would be Oh the Higginsville
route. The route from Carrollton via
Lexington and Odessa is one of the
best that could be selected in western
| Missouri. 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 i.
the larger amount OF business that
would accrue to the road on the Lex
ington route. The business OF Odessa
and Lexington will treble or quadruple
that of Waverly and Higginsville, and
the stratum of coal extends much
further on this line that the other.
But it is not all certain that the roaC
will be extended from Carrollton. i
is more than probable that the exten
sion will he from Bogard. Should i
be SO, there will be no doubt as tt
which is the best and most PRACTICABLE.
route. The Lexington route would b,
The shortest and cheapest. y,