New-York tribune., 1901-03-10
STEALING 4 RAILROAD.
THE SPECIAL FREIGHT CARTED AWAY THE
TRACK BEHIND 1T.
From The Evening Wisconsin.

I IHdL a ld!IGOaQ IN WISCONSIN stolen
ana carried away? asked Edward Barber. an
early day railroad man Of Wisconsin. and now
the well known real estate dealer of Milwaukee
/ Never heard of a novel case like that, Oh o.?
. Well. was very much Of interested spec
/ tator of the stealing Cf railroad in Wisconsin
in the early days of struggling railroad enter
prises and one of the officials OF the fatcd
road ! was compelled 10 stand alongside the
right of way and see our railroad picked up and
7 nauleG @ away a genuine case OF stealing 1t
was all done before the company could get out
any legal papers to stop it, because the road
was stolen on sunday"
Mr Barber then proceeded 70 give the details.
which are of particular interest Just now in
view OF the semi-centennial Of the Chicago.
Milwaukee ana ST. Paul road
1t along in 1889 that the railway enter
prise known as the Wisconsin Central Railway
company mot related in any way connect
ed with the present road of the same name)
mad its beginning in Illinois and Wisconsin. It's
projectors We're capitalists Interested in both
States. and the plan was to construct and oper-
ate a line of railroad from Etgin. H.. To Lake
Geneva and from the latter point 10 White
water and jefferson. WIS. The original pro
jcltors secured and paid for th. right of way
from ElEn To the Wisconsin State line and
from The boundary 10 Jefferson. and later up
as far aS Columbus. in this State. Th. road.
constructed of scrap iron placed on scantlinE
run i"IEthW'Se. like the original tramWays in
ENGLAND, was completed and operated from
EIsln 20 Lake Geneva. No attempt made
al extension Tor some time, but later the enter
prise was taken hold Of 10y NtW-Yorl c-pital-
ISIS. headed by Euclid Chadsey and others. and
an effort was at once made to construct the
road 10 jefferson and Whitewater from Geneva
ne new promoters issued $1,000 Otp in bonds.
which we're in addition to She farm and town
bonds already issued and sold for the benefit
OF ne enterprise contract Was then made
with the Canadian railway construction firm of
George T. Harris * co. Harris Immediately
came To Wisconsin from Canada bringing with
him 4 large outfit. consisting Of steam shoyels.
experienced workmen. etc. and started in in
dead earnest. He secured w IL bradford now
4 well known retired citizen of Milwaukee as
his private secretary.
About the same time the new owners ordered
NA-4fE- "a 4 rf.r1c -Gs.l.
delivered iii Milwaukee. These rails were finally
unluaded AT the dp,k az Milwaukee il bond.
and the secretary Of the road. Edward Barber
Vas called upon 10y Collector Of Customs Gotleib
Weiss to plank down $1,000 in gold as duty on
the foreign iron" Harris went TO work grad
ing the road from Geneva north and did some
heavy cutting through the Whitewater bluffs
and On through to jefferson. where he put in 4
bridge over the Rock River TO connect tn road
with the Northwestern line. The English rails
were taken to Whitewater and laid for a dis
t2nce Of about two miles. making n spur fru.a
the Milwaukee and Mississippi Road.
Then rumors of war depressed business. capt
talists became timid and hard times set in. and
the companies with completed roads found il
Very hard To make both ends meet, TO say moth
ing OF the prospect for new enterprises. The
bonds Of the Central would not sell and its
funds got low. Harris had a big bill due
ork faithfully performed The company met
and decided 70 give him the bonds u what
he could DO with them. He could do nothing uf
course. and the company is still in his debt II"
wanted his money and his men were clam"riAg
for their pay.
one bright Sunday morning some one reported
To the chief engineer of the new road. Frederick
Starn. that long train Of fiat cars had ar
rived at Whitewater Junction. and that the
trainmen had broken the switchocks on the
track connecting the Milwaukee and Mis-
sissippi and the Wisconsin CentIals two miles
Of spur Starin got the secretary. Edward
Barber and both FASTENED to the scene to learn
just what up They found their contractor,
Harris. in charge of the train. and he had a
big crew of his men with him. He ran his
Special up to the far end of the road. two
miles beyond the junction, and there, on that
beautiful Sunday morning. when courts were
not in S<ssiOn and injunctions could not he had
his gang proceeded Systematically to load the
Wisconsin Central Railroad his special
train-tieS. rails and all The would take
up and place a section of the road the flat
cars and the train would then retreat far
enough TO give the men chance to work
the next section, thus taking up the track in the
wake of the train until all of the two miles OF
railroad board Then Contractor Con
ductor Harris gave the signal and his train.
with its load of English rails pulled out the
main line of the Milwaukee and Mississippi and
disappeared around curve.
What did do?" exclaimed Secretary
Barber. We'll, what could do? Harris had
our road aboard his train; il was Sunday, and
besides he had big gang of Irishmen with
him. and decided under the circumstances to
let him steal the road. We knew he could not
get his money and did not blame him much
As his train passed with our railroad on
board he smiled graciOusly and waved n
Eoodby. We never saw Harris after that The
remainder Of railroad in Illinois gradually
disappeared also: we never knew how or where
But the right of way is still there-paid for
In later years Edwin H. Abbot and George
Esterly, Of Whitewater. the inventor of the
Esterly reaper and header. made an effort to
revive the project and Z