The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-02-01
THE new GULF ROAD
Midland Air Line Railway and Ndyi-
cation Co., File Articles of In
corporation.

|
| corporation.
For more than year a number Of De-
catur county men have been at work on
a new railway project, it being nothing
less than the building of new air line
road from Dcs Moines, Iowa, to Port
Arthur, Texas, and there to connect
with a line of ocean steamers.
| Last week the articles of incorpora-
tion We're filed with the secretary of
State at Des Moines. The company has
an authorized capital of 81 100000 being
incorporated in the territory of Arizona,
and the fee for fling the articles in the
state of Iowa alone was S1,016.50, and
they will be filed at once in every state
through which the road will pass A
number of we'll known citizens of Deca-
tur county are interested in the new
road, among them M. G. Belts who is
president, A. w. Davis, secretary, and
the board Of directors is composed Of j.
N. Brown, A. w. Davis. NJ. G. Belts, NJ
u. Temple, j. O. Blakesley and Mrs.
Harriet Sprague. The survey of the
road was commenced at Dcs Moines
May ., 1905, being in charge of former
civil engineer Of the Pennsylvania rail
road. The line surveyed passes through
the counties OF Polk, Warren, Clarke
and Decatur in Iowa. 1t was the plan
OF the company to get the survey made
and right OF way secured before placing
the project in the hands of the public
The surveyors reached Port Arthur on
Nov. %, 1905, and the right of way
agents had followed closely on their
tracks, and it is announced that tho
right OF way has been secured for 80
1 per cent OF the entire line. The line
as surveyed is something over 500 miles
in length, and passes through great
country, much of which has never been
developed. 1t is proposed to make it
an air line from Des Moines to the gulf
as nearly as the country will permit,
regardless Of whether the road strikes
cities or towns along the way, and new
towns will be laid out wherever town
is needed The projectors met with
great enthasiam along the line through
Missouri, Oklahoma, Indian Territory
and Texas, and at many towns meetings
were held and pledges of right OF way
and liberal purchases of bouds were
made. Commencing at Dcs Meines
with II railroads to connect with, the
line will cross 81 railroads in transit to
the gulf, making 7s feeders, the line
will pass through the rich agricultural
country OF the MissoCr ri valley, the
greatest producer OF beef, pork, corn,
wheat, oats and hay, then into the great
coal fields Of southern Iowa, Missouri
and Arkansas, the zinc, lead, copper and
other minerals, mosntains of marble.
slate, and cement fields, and touching
also the great oil fields Of Beaumont and
| other Texas points. Through Arkansas
the line touches the great pine and oak
forests which are only waiting for rail
road facilities to get the lumber to
market, and the resources of this road
are unbonnded.
A new plan OF financing the road will
be used. Instead OF issuing bonds aad
selling them to eastern companies which
eventually tiHd their way into the hands
of competing roads. it is proposed to
build the road by issuing shares of
| stock and selling it to the people along
the line of the road. The promoters
have met With most liberal promises by
the people everywhere, and they ex-
pect to be able to commence the actual
construction of the road in the near
future, the plan being to put three
corps Of builders at work at different
points and let them work toward each
other.
While the main Offices of the Midland
Air Line and Navigation Co., are located
at Phoenix, Arizona, a branch Office will
be opened at Leon, aud FROM this office
the preliminary work will be carried on.
10 build road of this size is gigantic
undertaking, but the men behind the
project are hustlers and the need Of
such road is apparent to avery think
ing man.
Meat Producers and Corn Club to
/ Meet.