The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1899-05-13
Missouri Pacific Survey.

the state, though it bodies we'll for a
Joplin connection to Arkansas,
does not in the case of Springfield be-
speak an Arkansas connection over
lines of that system.
1t was hoped that some arrange
ment would be effected with the Mis-
souri, Pacific which would ensure
Springfield direct connections to
North Arkansas and to Little Rock,
and during the past six months or
more, some fine work was done to
that end, outside of the company.
But the beginning of the survey at
this time and from the direction of
of Batesvile are not wholly unex-
peeted events. For not only has it
been saying of the last ten years,
and so accepted in common, that the
Missouri Pacific would be the first
road to build into North Arkansas,
but there are other reasons for the
two facts mentioned not now under
stood BY the public
1t is known, that the Bald Knob
or Memphis branch of the Missouri
Pacific Railway, with a northern ex-
tension to Carthage, Mo, is the con-
ception of the young president of
that system, when first permitted to
try his hand at improving the oppor-
tunities of the road, according to his
own ideas OF the situation. And it
is recalled by we'll known authori-
ty in such matters, that, without
stopping to consider rapidly chang
ing conditions at the time, veteran
railroad builders took it as a good
joke on the old man. that the son
had tanned out" the first time he
came to the bat.
This was, say II years ago. when
nothing was known of the coneep-
ton, by outsiders, beyond the fact,
that the Bald Knob and Memphis
extension had been bonded at $26,-
900 mile for construction through
swamps;" and the other end of the
road one that would have to be built
through a mountain country, of
which nothing was known specifcal-
ly excepting as maps showed, that it
comprised large scope of territory
without railroad connections. But,
if the survey means anything, there
is no question of another surprise
for the veteran railroad builders, >"
and Mr. Gould comes into the game
again at a stage which will enable
him to prorae, that in sagacity, if not
in lessons learned from the expert
ence of the sire, he is Chip of the
old block"
For it does not stand to reason,
that enterprises of such magnitude
as the Memphis and Carthage extern
sions were conceived outside of an
intention to connect the mineral sys-
tens of Arkansas and Missouri, and
the company share in the transpor-
tation OF the ore, whether bound for
the seaboard, or north, east or west.
And even admitting, for the sake of
argument, that the opportunity was
not so broadly comprehended at the
time, fortune, at all events, has ia
vored the brave; and the system,
through the earlier conceptions of it's
young president, coming at last in
to an inheritance of one of the big
gest things on wheels" in the histo-
ry Of railroad building in the south
and west.
The argument of shooting an ar
row at the sun and hitting star"
however, does not hold in this case.
1t has been known, conclusively, by
the Missouri Pacific people, for 10 !!
these many years, that the ore would
be found in commercial quantity in
the mineral territory of the two
states; and hence, no set of men
have been less surprised by develop
ments made in Missouri, and by the
present news from Arkansas, than
those who direct the fortunes of the
Missouri Pacific Railway Company.
That the focus of the Missouri min
eral development has changed dur
ing the interval of II years, and the
system in possession of a line of it's
own to New Orleans, and in posses
sion ot branch road of the Iron
Mountain route which affords them
a good start in the race for new bus
mess, does not complicate matters.
1t simplihes them, for with all other
extensions completed, on account of
which additional construction to Ar
kansas and Missouri had been de-