Mexico weekly ledger., 1888-04-05
rfIR MEXICO U
An Aahlaaa Correspondent Points
out its Many Advantages
nonne's Resources.

NE
April 2.-Enterprising business
and railroad men of Chicago in
seeking investment for capital
have discovered the great necessity
of u trunk line Of railway leading
from that metropolis via Hannibal
and thence southwest through the
counties of Rails, Monroe, Audrain,
Boone, Moniteau, Morgan, Camden,
Dallas and Polk to Springfield,
No., thus giving their city a much
closer and more direct connection
with the great Southwest. Hav-
ing thoroughly investigated this
route and Its advantages, and being
thoroughly satisfied as to Its FEAST
bility as a financial enterprise ii
has been determined to construct
this trunk line at as early a date as
the best, cheapest or most availa-
BILE line to survey al be located.
As is usual in such enterprises eff
forts have been made to locate the
road through the country SO as to
facilitate the cheapness of con-
~struction and at the same time
reach the greatest amount of local
patronage. Hence several surveys
are being made SO Is to definitely
settle this question. The latest
survey, or the one now being made
via Perry, Rails county, Mexico, Au-
drain county Ashland, Boone coun-
ty and California, Moniteau coun-
ty, has undoubtedly the advantage
over any other for many reasons,
among which are the following:
First, the route is much the short
est, being almost Il bee line from
Hannibal to California. Second,
the grade is much easier, there be-
ing scarcely any bridging to be
done on this route Except the Mis-
souri) from Mexico to California.
The line of survey from Mexico to
the Missouri river via Ashland is
over a regular inclined plain, being
on a divide between Cedar, Hink-
son and Bonnie Femme creeks and
by reason, making this route nat
urally more than one hundred
thousand dollars cheaper from
Hannibal to the Missouri river
than any other within range of the
proposed line. Third, in building
the road via Mexico, Ashland and
California it will pass for almost
the entire distance through one of
the. richest agricultural, grazing
and mineral districts of the State of
Missouri, the country from Mex
leo to Ashland being one continu-
Gus unbroken line of u~ndulating,
rich, productive prairie land, oe-
cupied by as energetic, intelligent
and thrifty farmers and stock
r~aisers as are to be found anywhere
in the West. This is also a most
desirable section through which to
locate on account of a very large
amount of local patronage to be OBJ
tanned. Ashland is situated in the
center of a section of country not
surpassed by that surrounding any
city or town, large or small, in
North Missouri. It has a popula-
ton of about five hundred, and has
as extensive a trade as any town of
like size to be found in the West.
Ashland alone would furnish more
freight annually than any other
town of corresponding size on the
route, to say nothing of the resour-
ces to be developed by reason of the
road being built by this place.
There are in the near vicinity of
Ashland unmistakable evidences of
large deposits of iron, lead and
coal which would be developed
thereby. In short, a road con-
structed through this section of
country would have a constantly
growing local patronage by reason
of passing through a belt of coun-
try not to be surpassed in any re-
spect by any oflike extent. Nor is
there any other like section in
which railroad facilities are more
needed to develop its latent re-
sources, nor one in which the
venture would be more handsome
ly rewarded. What may be said
in regard to developing the re-
sources of the country between
Mexico and the Missouri river may
be said in larger degree with re-
spect to the entire route from Han
nibal via Mexico, Ashland and Cali
fornia to Springfield. The entire
line would be through a country
which with little exception is
without shipping facilities of any
kind, and one promising much
substantial growth and prosperity
by reason of the facilities afforded
by the construction of such a road
as contemplated by the c., H. & S.
people. The people along this line
will be found as intelligent, enter
prising and as liberal in the way
of substantial assistance, as upon
any line which has been under con-
sideration. From the course pur-
sued by the company we feel as
sured that the road will be built
through this section, knowing that
upon a careful investigation this
route will be found to be the
shortest, cheapest and more profit
able of any other. + y y