The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-03-31
INTO THEIR
OWN POCKETS
People in Oklahoma as a Rule
Vote Bonds.
BUT THEY AID RAILROADS
Induce New Lines by Liberal
Personal Donations.

Guthrie, o. T., March 3o-People in
some of the eastern states will doubtless
wonder how the people of Oklahoma Sc
cured the building of so many railroads
in so short time after the territory was
opened to white settlement. In these
latter times the railroads are in the habit
of asking some aid from the people of
cities through which they build roads,
and the inability to many Of the cities to
vote bonds causes people to wonder how
they secured the roads.
The fact of the matter is that Okla
homa people go down into their pockets
for the cash TO accomplish some wonder
full feats. They raise the cash TO aid in
the building of the railroads. They have
gone on the principle of the traditional
teamster of whipping the horse that will
pull when they get into a hard place,
and the result is that some of the liberal
men have been pretty severely bled. The
following from the Shawnee Herald will
illustrate the condition in more than one
city in Oklahoma:
"A majority of the signers OF the Mis-
souri,, Kansas and Texas bond held a
touching seance at the rooms OF the
Chamber of Commerce last evening and
indulged in some heart to heart talks
over the apparer deficit of $4,000 In the
amount of bonus which that soulless
corporation has the unkindness to ask
from our enterprising citizens.
''The total cost of the right of way
which our citizens agreed to buy foots
up something over $4,000 and the amount
collected and paid out amounts to about
$40, ,000 leaving the guarantors on the
bond fully $4,000 to raise, unless the rail-
road company, like the Santa Fe, is will
ing to be generous.
There was no complaint against the
Katy people, for they asked as condi-
ton of coming here that they be given
the right of way from river to river,
and that is what it cost; but there was
a. general feeling of disgust over the ac-
ton Of some Of our citizens. who have
forced the enterprising few to pay for
all the big things that have made Shaw
nee the most prosperous town in the
territory, while these rooters exacted out
rageous prices for their property, which,
but for the new railroads, would have
been almost valueless.
"The meeting organized by the election
Of F. B. Reed as chairman. and j. II.
Maxey, Jr., read the items and amounts
which the railroad company claimed as
necessary to reimburse them for their
additional outlay on the right Of way to
be purchased by the citizens.
THE sums aggregated $1,000. and after
a general discussion committee consist
ing of ]. NJ Aydelotte, c. J. Benson, c.
Lytal, C. RI Cade and Frank Stearns was
appointed to settle with the Missouri.
Kansas and Texas people on the best
basis possible to obtain.
"a committee was asked for by the
assistant secretary to check up the notes
and accounts placed in his hands for col
lection. w. ]. Riggs. Russell Johnson
and W. F. Keller were named as such
committee.
Shawnee pays her obligations, and her
business men never seek to evade the
payment of a debt justly due for any
purpose and il did not take much discus
sion to secure unanimous approval of
motion appointing a committee to exam
inc the list of bond signers and levy
sufficient assessment to raise the funds
necessary to effect a settlement with the
company George Kerfoot. J. NJ. Rem
ington. w. ]. Riggs. Frank Stearns and
S. T. Pierson were named on this COM
mittee and they were instructed to go
over the list and assess the signers for
enough to make up the balance of money
needed Their report will be made at
once. and as soon as the other committees
report the moaey will be collected and
the matter will be credibly settled"