The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-02-29

could be intelligently presented to
capitalists; and secure the necessary
options on land that lay along the
proposed route through the city. In
the latter location has been executed
one of the smoothest of engineering
feats, giving to Richmond her
"other railroad through the cen
ter Of the city, with all its convent
ences, while eliminating to the great
est extent possible the dangerous
grade crossings and other objection
able features. Even that Main street
bridge ruction arises from subse-
quent causes.
Two separate routes were surveyed
by these gentlemen, with the plans
and estimates, and Mr. Weber I'M
dertook the task of financing the
proposition. To his untiring persist
ence is due the credit for the accom-
plishment of this purpose, and the
release of Richmond from the grasp
of monopoly which for years had
sucked her very life-blood He was
in touch with capitalists in various
localities, and largely on his repre-
sensations this project was taken up
by group of wealthy men under the
leadership of +. w. A. Bradford, Jr.,
of Boston, and Mr.. III. A. Christy of
Chicago. They recognized the value
Of the scheme. The scope of the
plan was enlarged and the financial
part arranged for a thorough line
from Chicago to Cincinnati, passing
through Richmond, Muncie, Marion,
Converse, Peru and various other
thriving towns, and rich farming
communities. Mr.. Bradford, espec-
tally. had built railroads In the wild
west and determined to introduce
western methods into the Feffete
east The manner in which he did
so is still charging the optical sys-
TENS of every magnate of Cincinnati.
Accordingly he called to his aid Mr..
II. L. jackson, a civil engineer of
ability with years OF experience to
his credit and with Mr. Weber as
consulting engineer and Mr.. Charles
as assistant, work was begun on the
first of May, 1900. Since that time
the road has located and constructed
its entire line from Chicago to Gin
cinnati, breaking all records In rail
road building in this part of the
world, overcoming the most stipend
Gus of obstacles, and causing old
! conservative arrangements to stare
with establishment. No railroad in
| the country has caused more wonder,
or been the subject of more newspa-
per comment than this. Press writ
ers have connected it with almost ev-
/ cry system in the country, from
/ the Pennsylvania and Big Four to
the Wabash and the Rock Island.
The fact remains that all bills have
| been paid promptly, all obligations
are met, no stock is for sale, and no
bonds on the market-in spite of the
immense cost of the undertaking. The
engineering and CONSTITUTIONAL fea-
lures are worthy of note; every thing
is the best that can be bought
heavy rails, steel bridges, concrete
masonary, handsome station build
ings, all evidences of a first class
road.
A trip down the line shows much
Of interest both to the professional
and the lover of the picturesque The
Tippecanoe and Eel rivers, the two
prettiest streams in Indiana, are
crossed by steel bridges. At Peru
we ran for miles on the thanks of
the Wabash, !" occupying the tow
path Of the old canal of past and
gone prominence and usefulness
and here are located the shops which
Richmond needed in her business and
should have had, had the Commercial