Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1894-08-10

Railroad Abandonment in Colorado.

Official notice has been given by the
Union Pacific Railroad Company that
from and after the 7th instant it will
wholly discontinue the operation of what
are knswn as its Leadvllle branches in
Colorado, aggregating 300 miles. For
some time only two trains have been
operated, one mixed and one passenger
Such abandonment will, undoubtedly,
work forfeiture of charter, and may
lead to an attempt in behalf of the public
to force the company by legal process TO
resume. or at least to ferfeit all claims to
the railroad proper. The State of Colo
RADIO may become, by virtue of this stop
page, the owner of the road-bed, in
Guiding ties, rails, bridges, and depot
property, on much the same principle
that buildings and other permanent i'm
provements 60 with the land itself. The
lessee can take with him what CORE
spends in railroad matters to rolling
stock, and nothing else. He cannot take
away buildings, fences, and the like, ex-
cept by express stipulation. This ahan-
donment of the Leadville branches may
lead to some very important court made
law"
The chief significance Of this abandon.
ment is, however, the search light it
throws upon the general condition Of
affairs. The Union Pacific is suffering
in it's trunk line and all its branches
from the paralysis Of mining industry all
through Colorado. and all the way from
the foothills to the slope. Camps are
deserted, or nearly so. and the people are
under depression never before expert
enced. Every railroad in that whole
region is suffering woefully, and anxious
ly pondering the question, What shall
do to be saved from bankruptcy The
democratic party PIRATES in conventions OF
free silver, but when it comes right down
to business is firmly held in the grip of
the gold octopus. Not content with stop
ping the wheels of industry in our manu-
featuring centers, the party IN power is
the enemy of our mines, whether coal,
iron, lead, or silver If this sort of thing
go on much longer the abandonment of
railroads will not be confined to the
Rocky Mountains, but extend from ocean
to ocean.-Chicago Inter-Ocean, Aug. 4.
The latter part of the above statement
would be delicious reading for republi-
cans, if it was not for the fact that the
republicans demonetiZed silver, and a
majority of the republicans i'll the House
and Senate voted for repeal of the
Sherman law, and later united with the
gold bug wing Of the eastern democrats
to sustain Cleveland's veto Of a coinage
bill. Read the last paragraph OF the
above article from the Inter-Ocean care
fully and you will learn from high re-
publican authority what even the repeal
of the Sherman law has brought about,
and, yet, the InterOcean is against silver
coinage, and the leaders of the republi
can party are against free coinage. Free
coinage would open the mines and re-
quirc full service from railroads, just as
they were before the Sherman law was
repealed In this emergency, with ruin
staring the west in the face, the Inter
Ocean has the brazen impudence to tell
it's readers that the democratic party is
responsible for the destruction Of silver.
Of course the Inter-Ocean is gold Dug
organ. but to think Of suck barefaced
lies in times like these when every school
boy knows which party is responsible
for the closing up Of mines and railroads,
is too disgusting for ward heelers. The
ruin and suffering above referred to is
the work of John Sherman, Tom Reed
and other republican leaders.