The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1900-03-03
CDR RAILROAD OUTLOOK.
Is Harfisan To Be Snubbed2 The Busl-
ness Ea~ or The ST. Louis & North Ar
kansas Shines On DOdd City.
45.ld- city Repnbliean

So NJ has been SAID OF late con-
cerningssN course to be taken by
Eureke prings Railway Company
that we now consider the time ripe
to express our beliefs and disbeliefs
regarding the matter There is
great amount Of loose talk being
circulated to the effect that Harrison
is to be dismaIly swamped with a
distaneelof four long miles between
her aud he line Of the Eureka Elk
tension. but whether to the north or
south gossip does not and can not
determine, The rumor atloat setting
forth theeonieetdre that the road
will pass. to the north seems to bear
more weight than that of the south
proposition, but at the same time
we have + reason to believe either
correct,
After y ny years of diligent, I'M
ceasing labor to secure a railroad to
Northwest Arkansas, Harrison has
at last accomplished her task. To
her credit must be placed the steel
connection to the outside world of
the greatest and WealthieSt lead and
zinc region in existence thereby en-
aiding Northwest Arkansas to bud
forth in her true light proving to the
foreign skeptics that she is right
" entitled to claim and to have the
distinction of being one of the richest
and grandest States in the Union.
For years and years Harrison has
striven to secure a railroad into this
vast area of unknown wealth, and
| has left no stone unturned which
could be of material worth to that
end. To every call and proposition
of railway promoters Harrison has
promptly responded, and to our
knowledge had she not accepted the
Eureka Extension proposition will
ingly and eheerfully and at once
vigorously pushed the work of rails
ing the bonus asked, the St Louis x
Northern Arkansas Railroad would
yet be thing Of very little promin-
ence
| While some OF our esteemed con-
temporaries may accuse us of being
slightly preudieed in paying tribute
to Hafrisou we deem it right and
Just sad the accusation would not
be altogether unpleasant, as we be
ieve in giving credit to whom credit
is due. Seemingly very small num-
Der in the different sections of this
great alnc%one realize the" value Of
this inland metropolis to her sur
rounding districts, Those who have
studied and are familiar with the
state of affairs in the zinc belt for
several years passed will at once
acquiesce with us in saying that the
great influx of people and the vast
amount of mining development is
mostly due to the untiring energy
and progressiveness of the city of
Harrison, while many in smaller
towns will conceitedly bestow
laurels to themselves for the progress
of a large surrounding district and
yet at the same time they are deep
lv rooted with conviction of the fact
that Harrison is the foundation of it
all.
Taking under consideration the
theory that the railroad will be laid
four or FIVE mile to the south ofHar-
rison could anyone familiar with
that territory be converted to such
belief? We hardly think so, as there is
no plausible nor even intelligent rea-
son why it should be so, Coming in
from the west the road strikes near
the northern end of Gather noun
tain, lying Just seven miles west and
a little north from Harrison. Elm
wood, the chronological prospective
point, lies Just seven miles south and
a fraction east of Harrison, and to
build to this point the road will
necessarily either run sixteen miles
to a low gap at the southern end,
cut through the middle or surround
the northern end of Gather Min.
OF course they will pass by henorth-
ern end, and Harrison being in a
southeasterly direction with no wat
er courses or other railway hinder
ances intervening who would be SO
narrow minded as to think the Com
pany would run their road directly
southeast across the heads and
breaks of Crooked Greek to Elm
wood, especially after carefully con
sidering the future expense of keep
ing the road in shape. The damage
by water to bridges, trestles and
roadbed each year would soon far
exceed the cost of building about
four miles farther to the north direct
ly into Harrison, and the tonnage OF
that city alone IS worthy OF con
sideration-there will not only
be thousands Of tons of mineral
exported annually but also thous-
ands of bushels of fruit and
horticultural products. il is stated