Evening star., 1893-12-09
A FARMERS RAILROAD
It Will Run From the Gulf to British
America.
TO Save ON TRANSPORTATION COST.
Convention of the Projectors at
Topeka, Kan.
o UTLINE OF THEIR PLANS.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Sta.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Sta
TOPEKA. Kan, Dec THE movers in
| the gulf and interstate railroad scheme, the
most gigantic enterprise of the character
ever conceived in the United States, met in
Representative Hall, Topeka, Tuesday to
formulate plans by which two great lines
of railroad may be constructed between the
Gulf of Mexico and the British possessions.
History of the Movement.
This movement was started by the Ne
braSka legislature IN lSg2 when a series of
resolutions were adopted setting forth the
needs OF such transportation facilities in
the interest of the producing classes OF the
great Mississippi valley. The plans were
conceived by leading populists Of western
states. Gov. Lewelling of Kansas being one
OF the original movers in the enterprise 1t
Is the purpose of the originators of the
scheme to have the ten states through
Whlch the lines are to pass build and equip
the same. They claim that a tax of nve cents
per acre on the lands in these states would
cover all this expense and leave a surplus
of over two million dollars in the treasury.
one line Is to be built from Duluth through
Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas and
Louisiana to Lake Charles on the Gulf OF
Mexico. The other is to begin at the north
ern boundary Of South Dakota and run
through Nebraska, Kansas Oklahoma ard
Texas to Galveston.
The Nebraska Legislature declared in a.
series or resolutions that, by reason of .he
hearhess TO gulf ports as against the long
maui TO the Atlantic seaboard, the exports
or wheat, cattle, beef products meat pro-
ducts and bread stuffs of all kinds which
now amount in round numbers to y75UOO.
ooO annually to the producers of this region
$4ooO,OOO annually, which would pay the
cost or the road three and one-half times
Ana further, that the furnishing of said in
terior north and south transportation would
attract the great manufacturing Industries
10 the Mississippi valley country and make
IL the most populous as well as the wealth.
lest portion of the United States
On June IS the first gulf and interstate
railroad convention was held at Lincoln
Neb. Gov. Crounse welcomed the Delegates
present from all the states and gave the
plan his cordial Endorsement After two
days deliberation that convention ad-
Jourheo 10 meet at Topeka Tuesday.
Plan of Action.
A plan Of action has already been agreed
upon by Governor Lewelling and other lead
ers They will first secure a charter by a
provisional committee, consisting of one
from each Of the ten states. This commit
tee is to act as directors until such time as
the legislatures of three or more of the
states interested shall have passed an act
making IL a part of the duty of their state
railroad commissioners to take charge of
said railroad, when the charter and all the
properties accumulated under il shall b,.
turned over 10 them in trust for the people.
SAID railroad commissioners, together with
the commissioners of each and all the other
states and territories through which il
runs. or such other persons as may be des-
ignated by law in said states and terrific
rIes, shall have full power to control and
manage the road, within the provisions of
the charter, the same as usual boards of
directors. The chairman of the state rail-
read commissioners to constitute an execu-
tive board.
The charter will also provide. first. that
the railroad shall remain forever the prop
erty of the people of the states through
which Ii runs, never under any circum-
stances, reVerting to private corporate
ownership; providing that the United states
government may at any time purchase il
at par and not to exceed necessary cost of
the entire plant; to be run as a government
road.
The two great trunk lines are to be fed
by laterals the same as county wagon
road is now located and built The resi-
dents of locality desiring a branch road
will draw up a petition 20 the directors of a
road setting forth the location, distance.
practicability, necessity, giving satisfactory
evidence that they Will take the necessary
amount of construction bonds and secure
the right of way. If the directors find that
the facts are as represented, and that the
road is needed and the outlay is warranted
they shall Immediately proceed to construct
such road.
The Topeka convention will formulate a
plan for securing such legislation by the
ten states interested as will start this gi-
gantic venture at an early day. In con-
Eection with ii Governor l.ewelling will pre-
sent his gulf ship canal scheme, which, he
says is now an assured fact. In an inter
view today he said:
With a line of steamers plying between
gulf ports and European markets to carry
our products across the Atlantic when we
shall have laid them down at Galveston at
a saving of millions of dollars annually to
the people interested, il seems to me that
the problem of cheap transportation Will
be solved, and western farmers will be the
beneficiaries."
AT Tuesdays session and that night
the time was principally devoted to listen
ing to descriptions of proposed routes and
estimates from experienced railroad buili-
ers upon the cost of construction. The
subject in which the most interest centers
namely. the plan by which the necessary
money is to be raised to construct was
not touched upon, the flnanciers in the en-
terprise not having materialized. A letter
was read from an Emporia man. who said
he could raise sufficient capital to con-
struct the first fifty miles provided he had
be forthcoming to complete it.
Raising the Money.
for the construction OF $50 miles of road
in the immediate future, to cost SIS. 80 600
The entire cost, 1t is estimated, will be
saved to shippers by reduced rates annual
ly. The money with which to carry on the
work will be raised by issuing per cent
construction bonds in denominations of S5
each and multiples thereof, payable at the
option Of the road, and receivable for all
kinds of traffic. Forty-year per cent first
mortgage bonds will also be issued. to be
taken by the several states and purchased
from the school funds.
The provisional directors appointed are
Lieut. Governor Z. o. Wallace of North
Dakota; Lieut. Governor f. c. Harwell of
South Dakota; G. j. Randall of Nebraska
F. ]. Close of Kansas; S. J. Clarke of Okla
homa: w. S. l<impton of Texas; III. Halver-
son Of Minnesota; Governor Larabee of
Iowa; II. NJ Dake of Missouri: L. P. Feath-
erston of Arkansas; Z. S. Stoddard of Oma-
ha. director at large and chairman of the
board.