The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1901-05-31
THEFRANCH|SE REFUSED
Council Voted Unanimously
Against the Douglas
Street Route
PROPERTY owners CASE
Their Lawyers did not Leave
Even a Knot Hole of
Escape

The lola, Ft. Scott e. Western rail
road will not run on Douglas street in
lola. Such was the decision of the
city council Saturday night after is
tening two hours to arguments for and
against.
Saturday nights meeting of the city
council was probably of more direct
interest to more people than any meet
ing yet Of that body. Long before the
council met people began congregat-
ing in front of the city building and
by the time the council got in working
order there was good large crowd
both inside and outside. The sole OBJ
iect of the meeting was to decide
whether the city of lola would grant to
Mr.. Henderson and associates a tper'
petual franchise to build railroad
through the center of lola on Douglas
street which runs east and west one
block north of the Missouri Pacific.
Mr.. Henderson and Capt. Ewing
were present in the interest of the en-
'terprise and Lawyers Gard and Cliff
ford represented the people who did
not want the road to go on Douglas
street.. Mayor Campbell read a copy
of the ordinance and stated the pur-
pose of the meeting and then invited
the gentlemen to begin their argu-
ments. Capt. Ewing began by asking
any or all members of the council to
ask Mr.. Henderson any questionsthey
desired. Councilman Walker was the
coaly one who questioned Mr.. Hender-
son aud for few minutes there was
neat little parry of words between the
two and then Mr.. Henderson arose
and made his talk, He said he was
not here representing any large sys-
TEN of railroads, that he had nothing
20 do with the Santa Fe, the NJ. K,
II. or the Mo. Pac. That he was here
representing himself and associates
one of them being G. c. Nelson OF
Fort Scott Said that he came here
six weeks ago and after looking over
the town decided that he would like to
build railroad through here. That
the road would start at Moran and
end either at Piqua or Neosho Fails.
Said that he had been building rail-
roads for twenty years, and built one
into Edorado Springs, Mo. and OPP
Grated it for eight years, until it was
bought by the M. X. & Y. That at
present, though, he did not represent
the M. X. & 7. people and that they
we're not furnishing him the money to
build with. He had hopes, however,
OF making the road SO profitable that
they or some other road would buy 1t
from him. "We will spend quarter
of a million dollars in your county in
a very short time, " said Mr.. Hender-
son, "unless you force me to build a
plug road which will not be so valu'
able" He said he did not want &c
build along the line of the Missouri
Pacific unless forced to and that he
thought he was asking very reason
able thing when he asked for RICH
of way on Douglas street, But if i
was refused and the people of lola OF
the city would buy him right of way
along the line of the Pacific he would
accept it with thanks.
"You can call me promoter Of
what you like, but can give my rec
ord that | am not here in the interes
of any scbemers and | can give yol
plenty of evidence that / will build tn
road" Mr.. Walker then asked hin
how he would get through Smelter No
the center of which is exactly in tn
line of Douglas street. Mr.. Hender
son explained that he had made ar
rangements to run south of works No
/, on the lots leased by the Lanyo
Zinc Company. II. II. Anderson VIII
has property on Douglas asked Nh
Henderson what arrangements, If IA
he had made to recompense thos
y whom his road damaged on Douglas
"None whatever, replied Mr.. Hen
derson, 81 would expect the citizen
OF lola to repair all damages" Cour
Gilman Dowler inquired what a RICH
of way along the Mo. Pac. would cos
but Mr.. Henderson had no idea
Councilman Walker then asked him
the Santa Fe didn't make a practice c
buying their right of ways and sal
that he thought Mr.. Henderson shoul
do the same. To which Mr.. Hendei