Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-10-21
The Proposed New Railroad.
COUNT MEXICO IN AS ONE OF
THE CITIES THAT WANTS
THE ENTERPRISE.
A Meeting Held Thursday Night at
the Court House in the Interest of
the EIdon-St. Louis Railroad
To Run Through Mexico.

cEOWU dt tfi6 SOttIt I1Oubo W iibscu W
a proposition to be made by ]. E.
Houghland, general superintendent
of the proposed Eldon & st, Louis
railroad. Mr.. Houghland is q thorough
business man and proposed that, as
preliminary step in the action to Sc
cure the road, a committee be ap-
pointed to correspond with the officers
of the road and to confer with the
residents of Audrain until an estimate
can be made as to the cost of building
the road, then further movements will
be made.
Mr.. Houghland spoke of the advan-
tages to Mexico of such road run
ming through such fine country as is
embraced in the counties which would
be passed through between here and
Eldon. He spoke of the ready man
ner in which the business men of
Memphis, Edna, Sheibyville, Shelbina
and Paris entered into the plan and of
the enthusiasm shown.
AS explained by Mr.. Houghland the
route, as laid out by the corps OF sur
veyors, extends over 100 miles of
Missouri and Iowa's best farming land
and that Mexico is but IL miles east
of direct southern line from Eldon.
He said that the company was not
making a survey of two or three
routes, but that the one mentioned
was the only one, therefore they
were not holding the whip and de-
manding SO much and saying they
would take one of the other routes if
a stipulated sum was not forthcoming.
According to Mr.. Houghland, the
chief engineer says that the route
gone over is the best one which he
has ever surveyed in a number of
years spent in the business.
The speaker said that when the final
arrangements were made to build the
company would, of course, want the
right of way and some money, the
money to be held in trust by some
bank or citizen of this county until
the road was built and equipped. In
case the road fell through with or the
right of way was not used in 5 years
for the purpose for which donated, the
land would revert to the original
owner. s.as
Hon. W. FL. Kennan, who acted as
chairman of the meeting, then asked
what was the pleasure of the meeting
in regard to having a committee ap-
pointed to correspond with the officers
of the company and attend to other
necessary business in this county.
B. Schienberg made motion that the
chair appoint q committee of five to
attend to this business. 1t met with
ready second. The chairman then
invited discussion of the matter and
a number spoke in a very brief man
ner. They said in substance:
J. F. Llewellyn: "We want the road
if we can get it it will add 5 per cent.
to our property"
K. H. Allen: "The proposition made
by MIR. Houghland is the most reason
able which / have ever heard, and
having been in the business for several
years I have heard hundreds. We
surely do want a north and south
railroad"
J. G. Bassford: 81 favor the propo-
sition and consider it a very tair one.
When the Chicago, Hannibal & South
| western railroad was talked of we
made up $685. 900 and the road was not
one-haIf as valuable as this one prom
ises to be-"
| A. G. Barnes; ssI am in favor of the
movement" ...4
j. ". Williams: ''The first question
to be considered is, will the road place
money in the pockets of the people OF
Audrain county? That question is easi-
Iy answered by saying that the two
roads now passing through the coun-
ty pay into the county revenue fund
from to Ia thousand dollars per year
1 think that the people of Audrair
county who back the enterprise viii
realize better than per cent. on the
investment" And then Mr.. Williams
told how, by better travelling facilities
the Mexico merchants would be ben
Gifted by the shoppers from the
lsmaller towns north of here.
Orlando Hit: "Yes, we want the
lroad and it will prove to be an excel
lent thing for both the farmers ant
merchants. The greater railroad
| facilities a town possesses the better
for the town. spent several year.
in Colorado and when 1 located there
the towns near by were all made NJ
of adobe or mud houses. When the
railroads reached that country th'
| fine buildings began to make Their ap
pearance; in fact, the entire aspects o
the towns were changed. AS Mr.
Williams says, the county tax on rail
road property is enormous, and tn
Eldon & st. Louis road would, think
pay more tax than either of the tw
. roads now operating In the county b.
virtue of the fact that they woul
have an expensive roundhonse 1
| this city.n