The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-02-22
ION TO M'ALESTER
BUSINESS MEN COUNSEL TOGETHER
FOR GOOD OF ALL
Prominent Men who Attended Last Nights
Meeting--want a Railroad to South
McAlester--A Committee is Appointed
to Present a Bill to the Legislature
Prominent Men Discuss the Measure
This Road is Just What Wichita Has
Been Dreaming About for Years--What
They Said.

J. r. Hallowell, L. D. Lewelling. l.
| M. Cox, r. A. Sankey, Err. Powell, A.
S. Parks, j. n. Roach, J. P. Allen, w.
w. Johnson, w S. Corbett, T. G. Will
son. NJ. NJ. Murdoch, F. j. SwartZ, T. j.
Hagney, z. Webb, NJ. Bush, y. E Har-
mon, E. C. Campbell. Thomas Means,
Pat Mcdonnell. Tom Tricky. John
Mccormick, Nicholas Dodge, T. 3. Nc
Grew, s. E. High, H. l.. Jackson
The above is the committee appointed
by the citizens meeting last night to go
to Topeka and secure the passage
through the legislature of an act en-
towering the county Of Sedgwick to
guarantee the payment of interest on
the first mortgage bonds of the Wichita
and Southern railroad on 200 miles of
road not exceeding $4,000 per mile for
a period of five years.
This amount in case the road is built
would make s2.000,O 900 and the interest
of 5 per cent each year would amount
to 500, 900.
The Dill which will be presented to the
legislature will simply empower Sedg-
wick county to guarantee this amount
of interest after the proposition has
been submitted to a vote of the people
and received their approved.
The meeting in thee ouncll chamber
last night was attended by the primin-
ent business of the city and the sub
Ject was dicussed in all its bearings.
Major Powell was elected chairman
and City Clerk c. S. Smith was chosen
as secretary,
In the audience We're noticed men rep
resenting nearly every branch of bust
ness in the city. There were bankers.
merchants and professional men, among
whom were: Ex-Governor Lewelling,
c. r. Whey, W. W. Johnston, Jr., L. CT.
Sheets, E. T. Allen, ]. P. Allen, Peter
Getto, o. c. Daisy. l.. F. Naftzger, c.
X. Miller, John Stewart, County Com
missioner Webb, S. n. Bridgeman, r.
S. Coats, Murray Myers, ]. A. Jacobs,
J. A. Doran, J. r. Hallowel1, w. K.
Tucker, I. c. Wilson, w. J. Wilson, W.
E. Huffman. A. c. Jobes, o. z. Smith,
A. S. Parks, r. A. Sankey, L. NJ. Cox,
w. lines, c. c. Kenyon, DR.. Jordan, l..
c. Roberts, N. Garst, j. N. Roach, ]. 4.
Davidson. "A. c. Dickson. F. J. Schwartz
c. E. Rogers and P. S. Mellinger.
Speeches Were made by W. w. John
ston, c. r. Miller, A. S. Parks, Judge
Sankey, A c. Jobes, L. D. Lewelling,
Sawyer, w. j. Wilson and Colonel
Hallowell.
Ali the speakers agreed that the pro-
posed road from Wichita 20 McCollister
was a necessity and men representing
different interests showed how their
lines of trade would be benefited and
the people enabled to save thousands OF
dollars.
EX- Governor Lewelling wanted to
know whether the farmers and the peo-
pie Of the smaller towns in the county
would be benefited and whether the
other railroads could boycott this road
after we had built it and thus put the
county to the necessity Of paying the
interest. He did not think it fair to use
the larger vote of the city to force the
county into measure of this kind un-
less they were going to receive q cor
responding benefit. The governor ad-
mitted that he was not fully posted on
this proposed road but said he had be-
come accustomed to speaking on the
unpopular side of questions and he was
likely TO get on the unpopular side Of
this movement
Colonel Hallowell replied to Mr.. Lew
cling and said he did not regard Mr..
Lewelling as being on the unpopular
side of this question but that his objec-
tions were nothing more than the pre-
caution of a thinking man. Colonel
Hallowell explained the proposition and
said that while the city of Wichita had
a majority of the voters in the county
that the city also paid very nearly two
thirds of the taxes of the county, and
that Wichita could not hurt the county
without hurting itself.
". J. Wilson showed a good deal of
knowledge of rate matters and railroad
business in general and his speech was
cheered. All the other speakers spoke
from business ponit and their remarks
were intended and did show that the
building of this road would give US
cheaper rates to the south. The asser-
ton was made that this road was just
what Wichita had been dreaming about
for years and the business men seemed