Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-06-19
THE BURLINGTON ALIVE AND KICK
ING.

1NU'
From the st. Louis Globe-Democrat.l
There is now no longer any doubt
that the Chicago, Burlington u Quincy
is coming into st. Louis, and to use a
plain phrase, both ways-from the east
side and from the west, and although
the contracts for terminal facilities
have not been signed, the company has
quietly perfected its plans and has the
refusal of several desirable sites, so that
in the event of one landholder attempt
ing to take advantage of the occasion
by placing his ground at an exorbi-
tant figure he will be dropped and II
of the other offers accepted. 1t has
been considered wise to say nothing
about the intentions of the Burlington
until all plans were perfected, but it is
useless for that company to attempt to
conceal their movements in such a
%stupendous project any further. The
project will involve the outlay ofab out
So, 0OO, 900, and is vast in Importance
as well as in the expenditure of money.
The first step will be to meet the en-
croachments of the Chicago, Milwaukee
s. St. Paul by building a line from Kan
sas City to st. Louis, the consummation
of which will not only checkmate the
st. Paul, but will prove a telling move
as against the Wabash, with which
company the Burlington now has a
running arrangement between st.
Peters and St. Louis. The branch line
from Kansas City to st. Louis has been
under consideration by the high officials
of the company for a long time, and
the directors and heavy stockholders
are fully cognizant of it and have given
it their approval. The plans are not
only we'll matured and right-Of-way
quietly secured, but work has actually
begun at points along the line, and it is
expected that it will be completed dur
ing the present year, and at the very
latest by May 1, 1887. The company
is now constructing a bridge near St.
Joseph and when the Kansas City
Branch is completed, it is claimed it
will give the Burlington an advantage
of twelve miles over the present short
line. The extension of the Chicago,
Burlington & Kansas City, a leased
line of the Burlington company lis now
completed to C%arrOllton, Mo, and the
right.of-way to Fort Scott scared.
just before the great strike the plans
of the company were nearly perfected,
and the intention was to push the
work through to completion in 1886.
The strike came and put a stop to the
work, but as soon as its effects had
been wiped out, and especially the st.
Paul and Rock Island, especially the
former, evinced a determination to en-
croach upon the Burlington territory,
the work was again taken up with
the determination to press it. General
Manager Barnard, of the st. Joe, and
General Superintendent Law, of the
Burlington leased lines in Iowa,includ-
ing the St, Louis, Keokuk & North
western, which now comes into St.
Louis from st. Peters Eel the Wabash
track, came to St. Louis for the purpose
of deciding upon terminal facilities.
The cyclone at Kansas City compelled
Mr.. Barnard to leave before the work
here was fully completed, and later a
prominent official returned, and after
going over the ground had all extended
conference with Mayor Francis, laid his
plans and maps before his Honor, and
obtained from him a hearty endorse
ment and substantial encouragement in
the project OF the Burlington entering
st. Louis on its own rails.
The entrance from the west will be
effected with little difficulty, and it is
understood that the right of way from
St. Peters to st. Louis has not only
been secured but that preliminary work
has actually been commenced on the
line. There are several pieces of ground
70, <ho oOn,nony 40 onloof f,o,n fou tlo
requisite terminal facilities, including
the Cotton Compress grounds, the An
heuser- Busch tract and several blocks
OF desirable property in the western
part OF the city. The entrance from
the east side is not so easy of accom-
plishment, but it will be effected in
such a way as will place the Burling-
ton OH an equal footing with any of
the great trunk lines now centering
here. AT the time General Manager
Potter went east, when it was erro-
neously presumed that he was making
a tour of inspection of the Bee Line,
his mission was largely with reference
to the proposed extension of the Bur-
lington, and while in the east he laid
his plans before the board and they were
indorsed. The immensely of the project
rendered it necessary that the board
should most thoroughly understand the
details, hence the visit. There is no
superstition about the fact that the Bur-
lington is coming into St. Louis from
the east and the west, and that it ex-
poets to accomplish the feat during the
present year. The Globe-D Democrat
has it direct from high authority, and
its representative was not far distant
when Mayor Francis and the Burlino-
ton official held their important con-
ference in the Southern Hotel, a few
weeks since. That the Burlington will
meet with opposition is a foregone con-
clusion. as in the case of the Wabash's
entrance to Chicago, but negotiations
have progressed so far now that moth.
ing can stop that system from extend
ing its rails right into the city. 1t has
paved the way from the west, and,
possessing, as it does,a direct line from
Chicago on the east and Council Bluffs
on the west, with Burlington as a CEN
trail meeting point, the fact is patent to
all that nothing a stay its progress in
this direction. The eastern entrance
will also be effected, and all attempts
u PiSNShO IL Will supply Dc Ill
the nature OF delays, but will not
change the final result. The company
moves quietly, but is as certain in re-
suits as thelcOming of day and night.
Not many years since it built forty-tive
miles of railroad in Iowa before the
outside world actually knew who was
building it or what for, aud thereby
secured the key to the vast and prolific
territory it now traverses to the west.
which has increased so rapidly within
a short time as to necessitate the con-
struction of a double track between
Burlington and Council Bluffs in order
to accommodate the vast number of
heavily laden trains moving on the
western divisions. The full details NAV
be delayed a short time longer, but the
fact remains that within less than six
months the Burlington will enter st,
Louis on its own rails.