Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-01-29
REMARKABLE LINE
Forest City & Gettysburg Rail-
road Has Number of
Pecuiarities.
JUST SOLD ON A MORTGAGE
One Man Acted in All Various Ca
pacities-M May be Made
TO Pay.

Hc FpTeSJ Alth q bclt SSDuiS i"i4
road, perhaps the most remarkable
system in the country, has been sold
10 satisfy mortgage held by the New
York Security & Trust company. The
property was purchased i'll the name
Of James Dodd on behalf of the New
York bOndholders.
The road. which j. of narrow gauge.
extends from point about mile
west If Gettysburg. :. d.. to Forest
City, on the Missouri river opposite
the Cheyenne River Indian reserva-
ton, Il distance of about twenty miles.
1t has had checkered career and for
years has been an object of ridicule.
Needless to say. trains have never run
regularly over it.
One of the standing jokes is that in
its palmiest days, when a wheeZy To-
connective occasionally pulled itself
and car or two over the two streaks
of rust which repres ented the track.
the general manager of the road acted
as engineer. fireman. switchman.
train dispatcher and brakeman. as
well as filed other official and subOr-
dinate positions. 1t was further said
that when the locomotive WAS in mo-
tion the engineer was always requir-
ed To exercise the utmost caution
about blowing the whistle. for if the
whistle were blown when the engine
was running the waste of steam was
sufficient to stop the engine.
One night. so goes another story,
the Toundhousc at Forest City col
Iapsed and damaged the locomotive to
q hnt all fra n
he suspended until bIacksmiths hired
for the occasion had made the neces-
saTy repairs.
Patrons Use Mul. =.
When the locomotive was not avail
able contractors who wished to trans
port supplies to Forest City for trans
fer across the Missouri river to Chey-
cnne agency were accustomed To hitch
mules to the ears and haul them by
mule power the 20 miles to the west
end of the road.
Practically all the troubles of the
road have been due to lack of suiii-
cient capital to operate it properly.
IF one of the great railroad corpora
tions whose lines now extend to that
part of the state should ultimately Sc
cure possession of the road it might
he placed ON Il paying basis. as CheyI
enpe river agency is one Of the largest
in the west and a vast amount of
freight is hauled to and from it each |
year. and this little railroad is the |
direct connecting link between the
agency and the outside world.
Agr.e on st. Louis Rates.
The Association of General Passen- |
ger and Ticket Agents. i'm session at |
81. Louis. has decided to recommend |
10 their respective traffic orGaniZa- |
tions reduced rates To the worlds |
fair from all parts of the United |
States. Specifically they agreed to
work for:
/. \ season excursion rate to st.
Louis, beginning April - and continu-
ing until Nov. l, selling tickets during.
that period at 50 per cent of double
the one-way fare.
,. Excursion rate with final return
limit of Go days at a rate of one and
one-third fare.
,. Excursion tickets of 10 days
limit in territory 200 miles distant
from st. Louis AT rate of one fare.
plus 81.
1. That coach excursions b" run
not oftcner than one day in each
week by each line. at rates and with
limits and other conditions as may
be agreed upon by interested lines.
These propositions will he formally
considered at the meeting of the rep
of the trunk lines. New
England Passenger association and
Central Passenger association. which
will convene in New York Feb. ;.
Not Afraid of HoodOo.
President Loree and Vice President
Winchell. of the Rock Island. are not /
afraid of "hoodoo" engines. During1
their trip over the Eastern Illinois
this week their special was hauled by
engine 100. known "a Bloody 100"
In 1898 this engine ran into = round
house ana killed several persons and
it, record since has been bad one.
Philip HuweS. Il Well-known railroad
engineer. i dead. aged ~. at Clinton.
Iowa. He took the first Northwest
cru train across the Mississippi river
in 1859. ON Il track laid on the ice.
Train to New shops.
Official notification has been receiv-
ed by the local employees of the Rock
] Island thar. beginning next Monday. ]
an accommodation train will he put
un between Davenport and New Shops
for the benefit of the men employed ,
at the latter place. The train viii .
consist Of four coaches and 4 cOmbin-
alton car. and will leave early enough &;
to reach lis destination AT each
morning. Ii Will stop at Rock Island I
Moline and East Moline. The return
will be made after working hours.
Z