Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1898-02-24
The PROPOSED ELDoN RAILROAD
A Proposition to Be Submitted Next
Week-The Enterprise Growing
Greater-The Projectors
Mean Business.

The following letters in reference to
the proposed new railroad, addressed
to Mr.. Orlando Hit, of this city, are
of interest to all of our readers and
explain themselves:
To the Citizens Committee of Mexico, Mo.
ELDoN, Iowa, Feb. 10, 1s9s.-Dear
Sirs: l herewith hand you letter
for publication and have to say that
next week will submit our PROPOSE
ton and hope you will be ready to
accept it and 60 to work in earnest:
We have been delayed somewhat by
our enterprise growing greater than
we expected and now we have one of
the best lines running to the South.
/ visited st. Louis with our attorney
and have made satisfactory arrange
ments whereby we enter the city;
also connect with the NJ, K. & T. for
Galveston, Texas. You see now what
we have been doing and hope you
will see that we are better than when
we were first with you. The INSTRUCT
ions will accompany the proposition
and We will build on the line substan-
italy as surveyed, but il at any point
the people do not want us we will 20
around them. We started out to
build where we wanted the line and
will, If we can, fulfill all promises we
made to you. Let no one interfere
with us with rash promises, for they
are your enemies and we are your
friends. Yours for success,
J. E. HoUGHLAND,
General Superintendent.
ELDoN, iowa, Feb. 15.-Citizens'
Committee of Mexico, No., Sirs: Per-
haps your people are anxious to hear
from US, therefore / will inform you
that we have not been idle. To build
a railroad of the magnitude to which
ours has developed takes time, and to
do the preliminary work is to do the
major part of the whole.
We have secured many miles Of
right-of-way, depot grounds and yard
room, grants Of subsidies, terminal
facilities and traffic arrangements with
st. Louis, Mo-, and Galveston, Texas.
All this has taken time and work.
We asked your people for aid In this
work, which l am pleased to state
they have cheerfully given MS.
Our line Of road has grown In mag
nitude until can assure your people
that we will not be short line, start
ing nowhere and ending nowhere, but
reaching from the great wheat fields
of the North to st. Louis and Jeffer-
son City, Mo-, and Galveston, Texas.
The trend of the grain and meats of
the great West is to the Gulf ports,
while the imports and emigration
formerly landing in the East are COM
ing our way.
Our duty is to help ourselves In this
matter and assert our independence
OF the East so far as foreign trade Ia
concerned, by building our road in
order that we may connect with the
Gulf ports.
| The Eldon & st. Louis railroad is
one of such lines and will open up to
your people the markets Of the world.
We will ask your people to aid rs in
this mutual enterprise In reasonable
manner and in accordance with the
laws of Missouri, remembering that
you pay nothing until our road is in
operation for 80 days.
Your committee will have our prop
osition In a few days and we respect
fully ask your acceptance and help
them to fulfill its requirements.
Respectfully yours,
| j. e, HoUaHLAND,
| Gen'l. Supt.