The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-09
FOR NEW RAILROAD
Continued from Fifth Page.

RADIO Goals, one ton of which is equal to
one and one-half tons of the best coal
found in Kansas, and should be laid
down here at less than two-thirds of the
cost of present Kansas Goals.
One hundred thousand tons Of coal an
nually is about the amount consumed in
Wichita. A less price of $3.50 per ton
would mean a saving Of $15O,OOO yearly in
the one item Of fuel, saying nothing about
the quality
This line should enable the manufac-
tories to obtain the best slack for less
than one-half Of the price paid today.
The lire would also pass through an ex-
celleHt quality of hard wood timber,
such as white oak, burr oak and post
oak. in abundance, and should cheaper
the price Of this lumber to the purchas-
ers in this section.
Besides furnishing a cheaper and bet
ter coal, hardwood lumber, posts. piling
and ties, this road would open a market
into the Cherokee, Usage, Seminole,
Creek and Choctaw countries which our
icbbc-s now scarcely touch and give
them a competing line for surplus pro-
make fosinC' rates here.
Tais e not all. 1t would furnish en-
pCnent fer all unemployed citizens Of
Wichita who desired work, for a period
Ct@y enc or two years at good wages.
This road, in my opinion, should be
controlled by The city of Wichita. Wich-
ia shc I'D hold all the stock and officer
tie read and make the rates no higher
than would be necessary to meet fixed
charges ard operating expenses. BY so
doing Wichita can double her population
and thri5ble the present taxable property
in less than ten years.
Wichita has been instrumental in ex-
tending railroads in every direction ex-
cept in the one, above all, most wanted.
To make this a great commercial CEN
ter we must have cheaper fuel and to
round it out" as a commercial center
there must be no territory south of US
within geo miles which our jobbers cannot
enter for competition.
The territory which this road occupies
viii, in the next ten years. have as many
people per square mile as many of the
older settled countries.
With a little well directed effort by the
bankers and business men of Wichita,
this read can be built, and every citi-
zen, no matter how humble. be directly
benefited
Tho ques don Is, "Will Wichita strike
while the iron is hot" or will she do like
some other cities we could name. on the
Missouri river, let their chances go by
and see a rival spring up in their very
midst and practically absorb all? Not
only absorb by their own efforts but by
strategy obtain the assistance Of their
neighhors. who thus consume themselves.
History will repeat itself unless during
our upward tendency we keep moving
upwards. Decay begins where progress
ends"
The estimate submitted is based on
l per cent gradient, or l vertical to the
100 horizontal, which is. in round num-
bers. about IS feet per mile, for the max
imum grade
The road-bed to be Il feet on top, slope
and 4 to l; cuts % feet at bottom; slope
/ to l except in solid rock work, which
will be Il to 1.
Preliminary estimate for the construc-
ton and equipment Of the Wichita and
Southern railroad. from Wichita, Kan.
to South McAlester, I. T.:
Main line. 235 miles.
Siding. % miles.
Total. 25S miles.
Sixty steel rail-9.s4o ties per mile.
Grubbing and clearing IS miles
at $500 per mile ..............$ 22.50OOo
Right of way in Kansas at 81 600
per mile TO miles, ............ 65.OcO00
Right Of way in Indian Terri