The Van Buren press., 1897-09-04
ARKANSAS RAILROADS.
The Construction of One New Line the
Means of Starting 4 Dozen.
magnets Which Draw Humanity and Cap
ltal L Ito New Fields-Rich Mines,
Fertile Lands and Vast Forests
Soon to BE Penetrated.


Fertile Lands and Vast Forests
Soon to BE Penetrated.
This is an age of great beginnings
and great enterprises New cities
spring up almost in night, new eenters
OF industry are formed in what were
lew years ago considered uninhabitable
portions of the country, forces of nature
are being subdued, while railroads are
working maryels in the way of opening
new lands and changing the course of
traffic. Two years ago all western ex-
port business went via New York,
Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore,
while now there is a steady flow to
southern seaports. Wheat for foreign
markets is pouring into New Orleans
and Galveston every day. Last year a
firm of grain exporters at New Orleans,
operating IN connection with ST. Louis
dealers, placed 14,000,00O bushels of
grain ON shipboard, while at Galveston
the amount shipped was II ,000, 600. 1t
is estimated the shipments of Galveston
this year will exceed 1000, 600 bushels.
North and south lines of railroads have
diverted western grain to southern
ports. The causes which have influ-
enced the building of railroads to the
gulf may be defined as the operations
of new laws of trade and changing con-
ditions, but the secret or hidden cause
which led to the construction of one
new line which compels the building
of others may be read in
Tale of Two Cities.
To any person who has kept tab on
the rivalry between Kansas City and
st. Louis to control Mexican and sea-
port traffic the building Of the Kansas
City, Pittsburg and Gulf railroad was
no surprise. For many years past both
these cities have been reaching after
southern and southwestern business
and now they are waging a contest for
supremacy which intensifes as time
goes by, and will eventuate in the CON
struction of new railroads and exten-
sion of lines now in operation. Kansas
City has what are designated Kansas
City roads, that is to say, lines that are
specially interested in building up the
trade of that city, and the same may be
said of ST. Louis. While this is the
case, there are railroads connecting
both cities and traversing the west and
southwest which are more interested in
the amount of freight they carry than
in the cities to which it is carried; in
other words, simply looking after bust
ness and using every means to hold
what trade they have and get more if
possible The Missouri Pacific is one
of the neutral systems 1t enters both
Kansas City and st. Louis, with lines
radiating south, west and southwest
Long ago the management of this sys-
TEN cast an eye over the field to every
point of the compass beyond the termi-
nails of trunk and branch lines, with a
view of extending them to meet antici-
pated competition whenever it became
necessary. 1t may be safely asserted
that the opening Of the new line from
Kansas City to Port Arthur resulted in
Breaking the Barriers
which obstructed projected lines to the
gulf and arousing all roads pointing
that way to a consciousness of the
necessity of pushing their lines to
completion. The Incorporation of the
Little Rock, Springfield and Gulf road,
the berefi iary of the Smith land grant
bill, whicl will parallel the Kansas
City, Pittsburg and Gulf from Spring
field, Mo-, to Yell county, Arkansas, has
caused the Missouri Pacific manage
ment to discuss the question of building
an alternative line, or extension rather,
from Cushman northwest to Spring
field, or rather Carthage, where it will
tap one of its own trunk lines. This
project has long been in contemplation.
Cushman is located about u miles
northwest of Batesville and is the ter
minus of the Newport and Batesville
branch of the Iron Mountain road. 1t
crosses a splendid region of table land
traversed in every direction by creeks
and rivers, all fed by springs at short
intervals, with a surface heavily tim
bered with hard wood of various kinds,
while everywhere along the route ex-
ist rich deposits of minerals which will
be brought to light as soon as the route
is finished. While steps are being taken
by established systems to extend their
lines in Arkansas there is manifested
Local Interest in All Parts of the state,
indicating that the people are fully
awake to their interests and resolved
to reap the benefit of every opportunity
the occasion offers 1T is the opinion OF
state officials. who are well informed
respecting railroad affairs, that work
on the Little Rock, Springfield and
Gulf road will begin within 80 days. A
force of expert employees of the com
panv has been searching the records of
the state land office selecting forfeited
lands, which lands were withdrawn
from market to become the property OF
the railroad company, provided it com
plies with the conditions upon which
the land grant is made, one of which
requires that work shall begin within
six months after passage of the Smith
bill.
Preliminary Work Progressing Rapidly.
There is no reason why work should
be permitted to lag, and there is every
reason why it should be FASTENED, as
the land donated by the state will more
than pay the cost Of construction. Re
rarding the manner in which the initia'
tive steps are being taken, late copy
of one of the Little Rock dailies says:
There is vast deal Of preliminary work to
be done. but the company is rapidly getting
that behind &C. The question OF hnanelerlng
the scheme IS as good as settled, several propo-
stlans having already been made the company
one offer Is for s9o0o00, which the bankers