The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1905-09-14
Will THE FRISCO EXTEND z
ARaiirosd Sitssiioa Which May Mean Much
to Taney Cossty.

ARaiirosd Sitssiioa Which May Mean hlsci
to Tsney Cossty.
The report Of the meeting OF the di
rectors Of the ST. Louis and North Ar
kansas railway at Little Rock Is full o
interest 10 the citizens Of Springfield
Now that we have secured connection
with the White River branch Of the
Missouri Pacific, let US turn our atten
tion for little while 10 the strategy o.
railroad construction In the country
southeast Of here. A great change has
occurred In the situation, and as yet w
have scarcely noticed it. A charter has
been granted for the extension Of the
St Louis and North Arkansas from
Leslie, its present terminus In Searcy
county, TO Gardner, on the Iron Noun.
tain, In White county; and Little Rock,
il reached at all. is only 70 be reached
by branch from Gardner, via Lonoke.
The Ultimate design OF the owners Of
the ST Louis & North Arkansas railway
is 70 put IL through TO some point on the
Mississippi river. David T. Francis,
Mr.. Scullen and the other st. Louis
capitalists who own the road have sub
scribed $4,000 to carry out their
purpose. Considerable comment has
been caused by the fact that the report
OF the meeting says. that the extension
will not strike Searcy on the Rock Is
land, but instead strikes the Iron Noun
tain at Gardner. The Interpretation
put upon this set OF facts at Little Rock
is as follows:
This Is taken 70 indicate that the
new road will not be allied directly with
the Rock Island. It has been generally
believed that the North Arkansas was
controlled by the Frisco. and the fact
that the Frisco Is part OF the Rock Is-
land lent color TO the announcement
that the road would be extended To
Scarcy 10 connect with the Rock Island.
According TO the announcement now
made, however, the road will be an
independent line through to the MissiS-
sippi river and possibly TO the gulf"
But II the North Arkansas Is an inde-
pendent road and Is about TO become a
feeder 10 the Iron Mountain, then the
F:isco-Rock Island is In great and Inn
mediate need OF protecting itself In
northern Arkansas. The most obvious
remedy for the present condition Of af.
fairs is the extension Of the Chadwick
branch 10 Searcy, which Is the county
seat OF White county. Searcy has di.
rect connection with the Choctaw divis-
ion OF the Rock Island. From Searcy
TO DeVall's Bluff Is only thirty-nipe
miles, and from DeVall's Bluff 10 Little
Rock is but fOrty.seven miles. AT pres
ent the Rock Islands DeVall's Bluff
and Seacy branch Is very much In the
position u the Frisco's Chadwick
branch. The extension OF the Chad.
wick branch would do for she Frisco
what the construction Of the White
River division has done for the Missouri
Pacific. Chadwick and Searcy are the
two eastern points OF an extension al.
ready projected with the design OF se.
curing access 10 the great mineral and
timber belt Of north Arkansas.
All the Frisco-Rock Island has TO do
to meet competition and the invasion
Of the territory 10 10 connect Chadwick
and Searcy, the two outposts OF the twin
system.
In 1887 survey WAS made and d
feasible route found through Taneyville
TO crossing Of White river ut or near
Longs ferry, six or seven miles from
Lead Hill, Ark. IL has never been
plansibly asserted that the Frisco has
that plan Of entering south.
ern territory. An extension TO Searcy
would run through Boone. Marion,
Baxter, Stone, Cleburn and White
counties and would touch Mountain
View, the county seat OF Stone county,
and Heber, the county seat OF Cieburn
county. But Of course the route through
the White river valley Ia Arkansas
cannot be definitely outlined. This ex-
tension would certainly give Springfield
q fine lot Of new commercial territory
aud make Frisco-Rock Island through
lire from Kansas City To Little Rock.
There would be no more going around
10 Hoxie and it would all be under one
management, and above all things IL
would save the Frisco from being shut
out Of the territory that the Missouri
Pacific and the ST. Louis & North Ar
kansas are now monopolizing. When.
ever the gap between Chadwick and
searcy Is bridged Springfield will have
covered the whole field Of Ito railroad
necessities and will occupy an impreg-
nsbIe position
The new advance of the 81. Louis Il
North Arkansas railway and the fact