The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1903-04-16
NOW BURLINGTON INV
Company to Build Road From
Greenfield to Connect With
X. & w. at NorWalk.


Winterset to Norwalk, where the new
line will connect with the Keokuk d
Western branch of the go" coming into
Des Moines.
The survey for the new line is being
completed, and it was announced yes.
terday that the officials of the road in
Chicago have notified their associates
that the line will be built Immediately.
1t will be entirely independent of the
Cherry road known as the Des Moines
& Southern.
The new branch of the 20" will not
ask the people for taxes. The fact that
taxes were voted to MIR. Cherry makes
it impossible for the 'sQ'' to buy his
road, were that regarded as desirable
proposition, a point which the SO" Off
cials decline to discuss. The line from
Greenfield will be built by the 20" and
not by subsidiary company.
1t is intimated that the go" may find
it unnecessary to build from Winterset
to Norwalk. This is because there is a
strong probability of en- agreement be-
tween the "Q' and the Rock Island by
which the former may use the tracks of
the latter from Minterset to Rock Is
land Crossing on its own old X. & w.
line.
Unless this arrangement is made the
20" will build its line through Winter
set and north of the Rock Island, cross
ing the Great Western at Ida and join
ing its own branch at Norwalk thence in.
to Des Moines. This is one of the routes
on which Mr.. Cherry of the Des Moines
* Southern will take bids this months.
The officials of the 80" make no
secret of the fact that the Rock Island
and the Burlington have come to a
tacit understanding that the territory
lying between their main lines, west of
the city, is so-caled Burlington and
Rock Island territory" and as such
must be protected by those roads. 1t
is for athis reason that the Greenfield
line is being protected. 1t is Thought
not to be incorrect ito say that the
Cherry plans have hastened the protec.
ton of the territory by the trunk lines.
This protection may include the COM
munity of interest as to the use of the
Rock Island tracks from Winterset to
Rock Island Crossing of the K. & w.
south of this city in the operation of
the Greenfield branch.
The 80" now passes through Green.
field from the south, turning straight
west and running to Cumberland in
Cass county. This line is headed direct
ly for Council BLUFFS and is midway be-
tween the 30" main line and the main
line Of the Rock Island. With the Des
Moines-Greenfield line completed there
is a possibility that the route may be
extended into Omaha from Cumberland,
direct, making a quick and direct con-
nection between Des Moines and Coun-
Gil Bluffs and Omaha. The latter ex-
tension is purely speculative, at the
present time.
The 80" line between Oskaloosa and
Tracey is now being built. This was
designed as means to give shorter
and quicker route from the main line to
Des M oines than is now possible by go.
ing around by Abba. This line is pro.
jected, now, from Tracey straight west
to Winterset and Greenfield, passing
throught St. Charles. Whether this
would pass to the north sufficient dis.
tance to reach Indianola is not now
considered. The extension of this line
from Tracey west will not interfere with
the arrangement for bringing the "Q''
from Winterset into Des Moines either
by way of the Rock Island junction and
thence over the X. d w. or from Win.
terset by new route to Norwalk and
thence into Des Moines over the K. &
w.
Between Tracey and Council Bluffs, g
distance of $50 miles, there are no eas,
and west railroads of any length be
tween the main lines of the 20" anc
the Rock Island. The distance aver
ages about forty miles between the two
trunk lines. There is no other sectior
of the state supplied SO poorly with
east and west lines.
The admitted plans of the 'Q' fo
building from Tracey, which really il
from Oskaloosa, for the cut off is no
yet constructed entirely, west to Green
field to join the line between that tow1
{ and Cumberland, lead railroad men tt
the belief that the 20" plans on ex
tending a main line clear across tn.
state, reaching Council Bluffs by ,
much more direct route from the east
ern part of the state now tapped by thu
old Burlington q Western and Burling
ton & North Western, by way Of Oska
loosa, to the Missouri river; and ais
afording an almost direct cir line from
Des Moines to Omaha in competition