The Hawaiian gazette., 1889-01-29

.Ol4 lam OtO dillIlS. Dub4IohVO SOLAlS
days ago, and thought your esti-
mates very low, as compared with
my experiences in railroading. "Busi-
Ness Of rajlroadiag eoer Increases"
Ny knowledge of railroads is de
rived from the effects of building
the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy
Railroad. At first the road was
composed Of the Central Military
Track Railroad, running from Men
dota to Galesburg, Illinois the
Peoria and Oguaka Railroad and
the Northern Cross Railroad Each
was distinct railroad. under sep
arate charters. Peoria and Oquaka
was the line on which there was the
most travel, having a daily line of
stages. being the main stage line
for Iowa and all the west,
running half to two-thirds
full. there was no other line Of
stages running on the other routes,
the settlements were sparse. The
line from Mendoza to Galesburg was
first completed, and the company
Immediately put on two coaches,
many Of them nearly full: after
wards they built the road Gorth to
Aurora. and thence north to Sum
nit about twenty. miles from Chi
cago. on the Chicago and Galena
road. Then 1t took from three to
four trains Of two coaches each twice
day 10 carry the passengers, and
quite a number Of freight trains.
They then consolidated with the
n. Cross Military Tract from Quincy
10 Galesburg. adding to their pas
senger and freight business. They
then purchased the Peoria and
Oouaka, finishing il to Burlington;
afterwards they finished the Peoria
branch. and when I have stated that
where a single stage coach had car
RED all the passengers, it took two
trains Of two cars to carry passen-
gers alone, with the addition of two
TO four freight trains to carry the
produce. Since then they have
added branch road from Buda, a
point IN the road north of Gales
burg. to Nashville, to carry the extra
freight and passengers TO Fulton
and Schuyler counties, or a parallel
road 10 the main line. about one
hundred miles long, These roads
were all built through Z prairie coun-
try. Knox county having popula-
ton Of ten to fifteen thousand,
Henry county six to ten thousand,
Bureau county eight to twelve thous-
and. Lasalle county was unsettled
where the road ran, and AIcDonough
county had a population of from six
to eight thousand. Warren county
s-om seven to ten thousand and
S~-ler counties through which the
road passed with population in pro
portion at the time of construction
OF the roads.
The roads were afterwards consoi-
dated under the name Of the Chi
cago. Burlington and Quincy Rail
road Co. and are known by that name
now, although they have added
largely to their mileage. l VIII con
fine my remarks to It's lines in Ii
linois. In 1868 the Legislature
granted charter for road from
Chicago to st. Louis. permitting
them to run to every farm, every
township. every village and city they
might see fit. They chose q route
via Rock Island. Monmouth, etc,
and so reached St. Louis. The com
pany failed. and it was eventually
bought by the c.. B. & @, who com
pleteG the road. thus forming another
line 10 come into competition with
Their original line. Also d line
from Peoria 10 Galva. Miss.
and down the river to Quincy.
These lines, although built through
sparsely settled districts. are all now
running. Notwithstanding the strike
from March last to the present time,
at remunerative rates. The stock
holding Dec. 10. 1888, S110 Besides
this. the c. B. & @. owns roads to
Denver and Ogden, and will reach
the Pacific this year. l have thus
noticed the growth of road, that
now runs over $50 trains d day into
Chicago. And the country when the
roads were first built were not so
densely settled as between here and
Pearl River.
Having visited Pearl River, and
noticed the lands. the population and
their resources, [ am frank to say,
that evidences are good that the rail
road TO that point will pay, not only |
on freight and passengers, as far as
YOU may build it, but, that you will |
find encouragement to build it |
around the island, with necessary
branches to reach all parts of the in
Berlnediate country Thereby greatly |
increasing the wealth and prosperity
Of the people as well as yourself.
Respectfully yours,
JOSH S. WINTER.
Jan. "A, 1889.