Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-01-02
THE BRIDGE AND THE NEW RAIL
ROAD.
From the Lexington Intelligencer, Decem-
ber II, 1885. |.

ROAD.
From the Lexington Inteligencer, Decem-
ber II, 1885. l.
In the two interviews recently held
with Mr.. Il. j. Potter, first vice prcsi-
dent of the G. 3. e q. railroad, that
gentleman asserted that the building OF
bridge across the Missouri river was
the greatest impediment in the way OF
the extension OF that road southwest.
Is al interview with the attorney of
the St Joseph g. ST. Louis railway il
was ascertained that the owners of that
road were much dissatisfied with the
way their road was being treated by
the Wabash; that they seriously con.
templated taking it into their own con-
troll; and that i'll that event they would
greatly desire to operate 1T from St.
Joseph directly into Lexington. A
letter was then received here from the
president of that road, Mr. VIM. f.
Nisbet, of New York, in which that
gentleman, among other things, said,
lin regard to bridge at your city,
we feel deeply interested in such Il
matter. 1t would be very desirable
thing for us to have bridge there,
and of incalculable benefit to your
| city. Our board will meet
one week from to-day" Mr.. Nisbet
asked particularly for all information
in our possession for use ut that direc-
tors meeting.
At mass meeting of citizens OF
Lexington the writer was requested
to attend the meeting of the board of
directors of the ST. Joseph & st. Louis
railroad, in New York City, Tuesday,
December l, which he did. There
was full attendance of the members
of the board, and he was received and
given an attentive hearing. Numer-
GUS questions were asked by the gen.
tlemen present, regarding what had
already passed between our people and
the G.. b. & @. railroad company; the
cost of bridge; the probable business.
etc. The result of this meeting was.
that the gentlemen promised that their
board should be represented at the
conference TO be held here in January
with Mr., Potter and other officers of
the c., B. & Q.
| The writer spent almost the entire
day, Thursday, with Mr.. Nisbet, in
discussing the bridge question as il
would effect the St. Joseph IL st Louis
railroad. 1t is not necessary here to
enter into details as to the condition
of the st. Joseph road. 1t is enough
for our purpose to know that it is ont
part toward building bridge. Several
of its directors are Individually able TO
do so. They are anxious to make their
road paying one. 1t has been so in
the past. 1t can be made even more
so in the future by an active policy,
with able and honest management
The best manager of poperty. as a
rule, is its owner. These views Mr..
Nisbet entertains. But the present
owners are SO as investors; and to get
them to take upon themselves the Bur
den of management will require con-
victions of probable profits. The hope.
full feature, for us, is, that the road
cBnnot do worse than it has beer
doing, aud that some change must be
made. There are several propositions
under consideration, but none of them
are thought, by those in interest with
whom we have conversed, SO favorable
as direct management of the road.
The president and other gentlemen i'm
quired as to the feasibility of extend
ing the road south to the G. & A. This,
they believe, will be desirable if they
cross the Missouri river.
Ut course the opponents of this
! movement will say at once, go, it will
not pay" Have they investigated it
The fact is, that there is every reason
to believe that it will pay, and pa,
well. There is no reason WHY tn,
road, even from st. Joseph to th,
Junction, should not pay. 1t traverse:
beautiful, fertile and thickly settled
: country, and with the connections a
the Junction, at Lathrop and Platts
, burg, should do good passenger a.
well as freight business. Extend tn,
road to Lexington. thence to the G.. &
!. A, the g., B. & q. joining il here anc
going OH to Odessa and south: ther
3 look at the situation, First, we be
= lieve, firmly, that coal business O
twenty-five to thirty five car loads De
> day could easily be developed here
, without injury to but rather with ben
8 eft to the Richmond mines, which ar
now comparatively idle, not because O
: lack of demand bnt because of exces
q sive freights. The net profit on tn
minimum amount of the coal busines
would more than pay the roads annua
> interest upon its share of the cost O
n the bridge. The road then would hav
: as feeders, for passenger to st. Joseph
= - all the country living down the Missouri
q Pacific, the n. X. u Il. as far as Gin
q ton, and large portion of the G.. & A
, in this vicinity. 1t would also have tn
c., 3 Il q. at this point; the Hanniba
!, u St. Joseph at Lathrop, and the Roc
= Island at Plattsburg.
With a Ouick q certain conpact;o,
over bridge, with the Missoul
-, Pacific, this is the natural route fo
: passengers from 81. Louis and Jeffe,
I son City to St. Joseph 1t is thirt,
y five miles shorter, and bv reasen of th
breaks and stops at Kansas CITY nearl
r two hours quicker than going by wa
;, ;, of Kansas City. Properly conducted
: would do an immense passenger bust
4 ness. 1t does some now and it is not
9 railroad at all, but the mere pretense {
y one. The Missouri Pacific couldu
:. change its time table fast enough to pr,
n vent it from making close connection
a with its trains here; and it it did SO
q would get the passengers. Anyon
who will take the trouble to look at
# map Will see that what we say is true
y The only danger to us, who want it t
q be an independent line, lies in the TEN,
q q tation that would beset Mr.. Gould
. buy it. He ought to have done it
!, 1874 when he was thinking and figul
ing on the matter. Lexington alOm,
q with its schools and mines, would ful
q nish very considerable passenge
4 traffic; and every road it would eros
II would be glad to make arrangement
;, with it.
The argument make itself 1t
n only a question Of time when thes
: things must be done: and it seem to II
that this is the golden opportunity fo
: the st. Joseph road. Now it ca
secure the cooperation Of the c., B.
g g., the people of st. Joseph and Lex
v ington i'll building the bridge. If
: neglects this opportunity it will eithe
have to build the bridge itself: continu
a under the murderous sway of tn
). Wabash, or rent its St. Joseph end t
Y the Rock Island. The first will b
costly; the second suicidal, and tn
y third humiliating and destructive to
!. part of the property which is fully a
Y valuable as the other property man
aged.
!, But, may say some of the stockhnld
5 ers, ''We bought these securities si,upl
5 as an Investment; we do not wish l.
: be burdened with management
: Well, of what good are securitic
i which bring no returns? And is il no
h a craven policy to see valuable prop
e erty wrecked and destroyed by advers
= management! SuDpOse the Wabash ,