The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-11-03
GIVEN A PUSH.
Interurban Railway Company Is
Organized Today.
Purpose Is to Build Line to
Council Grove.
PEOPLE IN EARNEST.
Meeting Attended by Represen-
tatives of Three Counties.
Eskridge People Resent Reports
of Unfriendliness.

WHICH represents equally MOTIFS, wa
baunsee and Shawnee counties. to be
known as the Topeka and Council
Grove Interurban Railway company,
was formed at the Topeka Commercial
club rooms this morning as the con-
cluding measure of a meeting called
for the purpose of projecting a rural
electric line west from topeka. A
meeting of the directors has been call
ed for Wednesday, November IL. at 1
a. m, to prepare articles of incorpora-
| ton From that time the company will
proceed with the work of laying out
the route and securing a right-ofway
for the electric road
| Represented at today's meeting were
all the towns in western Shawnee and
eastern Wabaunsee counties which ex-
| pect benefit from the roads construc-
ton. Twenty-Five delegates were pres
ent from outside Topeka and nearly
twice that number of substantial mem
bers of the Topeka Commercial club
were present at the meeting, many of
| them expressing hearty endorsements
of the projected railroad. From these
Topekans considerable financial help
can be secured. It was confidently as
serted that in the townshias through
which the electric line is proposed to
/ D0 DultI no ODDOSlI1On WOulQ De OH6T0Q
to substantial bond subsidies for it.
The readiness with which the people
along the route have responded to the
call for a meeting. and the assurance
| of sympathy from those who were un-
able to come. is the best evidence of
the intense interest which is taken in
the project.
| The following report of a committee
| appointed to frame a course of action
for today's meeting was adopted unani-
| mouslv:
we recommend, first, That an or
ganization known as the Topeka and
Council Grove Interurban Railway
company, be formed at once.
+ 'Second-That the board of directors
of said company consist of 21 members,
seven of whom shall be selected from
which the proposed railway is to be op-
t.erated. -ss
"Third-We recommend the following
| board of directors: From Morris coun-
/ ty, W. F. Shamleffer. Anson Miller, W.
H. White, Ed G. Williams, H. E. Rich
Liter. Eugene Heybrank, and Horace Paul.
From Wabaunsee county, A. F.
| Wade, Arthur Cate, w. w. Ramey, F.
A. Seaman. A. ]. Skeene. John Barlow,
John Cousin.
From Shawnee county. F, M stahl,
John Tornson. Peter He'll, Robert Stone,
w. w. Mills, John r. Frost, E. B. Mer-
riam.
.'Fourth-we recommend that the
u
les of Incorporation under the laws of
/ the state of Kansas and complete the
details of the organization without de-
lay.
ssF'ifth-we recommend that the board
| of directors determine at once the
| amount of money necessary to detray
| preliminary expenses and that such
amount be apportioned among the sew
eral counties and townships.
Eskridge people resent, deeply, the
statement made by c. G. Cook, resi-
dent of that vicinity, and published in
the State Journal, that opposition VIII
be made to the electric line by the busi-
ness men of the town Mr. Cook was
responsible for the assertion that the
Eskridge Commercial club would oppose
its building. At this mornings meeting
H. .Hershberger of Eskridge said:
1T pains me to hear the fair name OF
Eskridge maligned and to see the false
reports of our sentiments toward TINS
electric line circulated by the newspa-
pers Eskridge is most certainly in Ia
vor of the road and is ready az any
moment to come forward with its
Istrongest support. The report that the
Eskridge Commercial club is against
the line is untrue. In the first place
there is no Eskridge Commercial club
There was one. but it died several years
since and has never been revived Ii 1t
were still in existence it would be in
favor of the line. There ought to be a
Commercial club in ESkridge now but
for some reason there is not 1t IS new
ertheless a live, wide-awake town with
enterprising business men and thriving
institutions Eskridge is the biggest lit
tie town in the state and when you
come to line up your strength in favor
of this railroad you can count her IN
, the front rank.
one or two other men from Eskridge
Imade remarks in the, same tenor and
letters from w. Trusler, hardware
land general merchandise dealer who is
the largest tax payer in the township,
l " I,
the Security State Bank, who were un-
able to be present, gave assurances OF
: their accord with the movement Harry
F. Richter spoke as representing Coun-
: ell Grove. He made the suggestion OF
= the formation of a construction com
pany without further delay, a large
) number of other delegates having given
: their assurance that their constituency
were ready for immediate action. Jas
Troutmans of Topeka moved ZOE the
annointneut of committee to draft a
plan of organization Those upon fne
Committee were County Attorney F. a
seaman and w. w. Ramey OF Wabaun-
see county: e s,an M, ssanr nnd am Anson Mi
2 and H. E. Richter of Council Grove
for Morris county
Tn lire from Topeka to Council Grove
. can be included with little Vdrld.lol y.
, from absolute directnesS the towns OF
: Dover. Keene, Eskridge and Chalk Au'
burn in the southwest part of Shawnee
county. and Harveyville, on the Sants
Fe branch from Burlingame to Alma
and about ten miles southeast or Esk
ridge are both very anxious to be in
: cluded in the route of the proposed
. electric road. The distance proposed tt
i be traversed is about 90 miles; the cos
of construction and equipment beine
estimated at about $4,000 per mile. /
| is anticipated that the ToDeka and
: Council Grove company will be at al
: mos. no expense in securing the right
| - Several favU1Sf4Tfz cal