The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-01
iELKINS BACKER
OF COLE YOUNGER
Gratitude to Bandit for Saving
His Life Prompts Senator to
Build Railroad.

Build Railroad.
special to The Journal.
Kansas City, Sept. 90.-After having
launched number OF enterprises with
greater or less success since his pardon
from the Saltwater prison in 1901, Cole
Younger, the former bandit, has at last
become capitalist. He is building a
railroad, the first cost Of which will be
in the neighborhood Of 100000.
Just where the money is coming from
is something Of mystery, altho it is
currently reported that Senator Steve
Elkins Of West Virginia is backing
Younger in an effort to pay a debt Of
raids in Jackson county, Missouri.
However, Younger will neither affirm
nor deny the statement. He merely says,
when asked where his money is coming
from, that eastern capitalists are fur
Inishing it.
Has Plenty Of Cash.
But, whatever the source of revenue,
lit has already become evident that the
promoter has plenty Of available cash.
ALREADY surveying parties are in the
field, machinery for grading has been
placed at Lees Summit, one Of the
points where the line is to touch, and
hundreds of dollars have been spent in
other preparatory steps.
Younger's road is to run, first from
Kansas City to Lone Jack, Younger's
old home, thirty miles southeast of here,
and finally to Warrensburg, making the
entire distance nearly one hundred miles.
1t is to be an electric road with a half
hour service between Kansas City and
Lone Jack, the schedule from the latter
place to Warrensburg to be decided
upon after construction is completed.
The new road is to be known as the
Kansas City, Lees Summit and East
crn. The charter calls for it's extension
Ionly to Lone Jack, and this end will
probably be completed before the ex-
tension to Warrensburg is begun. Two
Ipowerhouses are to be constructed, one
near Kansas City and the other at Lone
Jack. Including the powerhouses the
line will cost, It is estimated by the
land The chief promoter, about $4,000
IA mile, or 100000 for the road only to
Lone Jack.
Younger Pays the Men.
Right of way from Lone Jack to Kan
!sas City is being secured, the survey
ors having decided upon the route, with
the exception of thessentrance to this
city, and cut between Lee 8 Summit
|and Lone Jack Younger has esta b.
Ilished headquarters at Lee s Summit,
which is midway between his old home
land Kansas City, and it is there every
Saturday night that the foremen get
the checks with which to pay their men;
Yes, m going to make success OF
this road,'' said Younger yesterday to
la correspondent for T he Journ a l.
Where am I getting the money! Now
don It let that bother you. My men are
being paid, aren It they7"
!! It is said that Senator Elkins is fur
Inishing the money" was suggested.
~ know" replied the ex-bandit with
Ia broad smile. ''People about here are
)Steve-l mean Senator Elkins, and are
likely to imagine most anything.''
"But they re right in this, are they
not9'
GAS I said before, I'm getting the
money, have got all at my command
that I shall need, but I am not ready
Just yet to- reveal the real source. Some
day you shall know all about it, but
not just yet.'
Saved Elkins' Life.
And this is as much as Younger has
how he saved Senator Elkins' life, and
they know that Elkins has always been
grateful for that fact. The story is
this:
Stephen Elkins enlisted in the fedora.
army. At that time the Younger boys
and Frank and Jesse James were mem
bers of Quantrell' raiders, and they
were friends of the Elkins boys.
Stephen Elklns was, captured in G
guerrilla raid just few miles from
Lone Jack and at a point crossed by
EiLins to the 1arear, - Which always
meant death. While Eilkins' custodians
were taking the young man to the
"rear,' Cole Younger and Jesse Jane.
stopped the party and asked that the
request was finally complied with.
Younger and James had just fin
ishedl telling Elkins what it meant t.
q prisoner to be ordered to the rear
when bugle call sounded.
"What $ that?' asked Elkins. =:
Told Elkins to Escape.
cit means that we are going into
fight, Steve" said Cole Younger, " an,
now is your chance to escape. Abou
half a mile further we will come t,
the forks of the road. Our party vii
Z ItocsIA0 w VIC 1iSAoi JOu PuO VIZ oPOi
to your horse and take the lefthant
road. It will lead you to safety, bu
Jesse and / shall have to answer TO
you.
Elkins did as was suggested, and i
is said that Quantrell thought the pris
oner had been killed in the skirmis
which followed.
Il remember that day as well as
remember things that happened wee
ago, +" said Cole Younger, yesterday
'Senator Elkins was a mere boy ther
but he had grit. When we reached tn
forks of the road he lay down flat upo
his horse and rode for dear life. Quan
trell did not inquire for him until til
next day, and the men in whose charg
Elkins was first left, luckily for III
perhaps, were killed in the skirmisl
too. So there was no one to tell tina
the prisoner had escaped.
t'But this IS not saying that Elkin
is building my railroad" said Younge1
cautiously, when he finished talking
81 went into this enterprise because
had chance and thought it would pa
and, perhaps because I saw chang
to do something worth while that woul
benefit my old home country.