Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1907-11-20
A Public Obligation.

If two individuals had entered into a
business agreement under the same cir
cumstances and on the same basis as the
people Of Barber county did with the D.
E. & c., and later, the Santa Fe, Rail
way Company. and then, if one Of those
individuals had so far forgotten his obi
CATION to the other as the railway COM
pany has forgotten its obligation to the
people Of Barber county, the injured In
diMdual would not stand for such treat
ment any longer than it would require to
get the issues before competent tribunal.
The service that the Santa Fe is giving
the people of Barber county with its three
different lines Of road is absolutely with
out reason, business sense or justice. Two
years ago the people Of Barber county,
recognizing that railroad facilities were
wholly inadequate to the demands Of the
people and the material productiveness Of
the county, voted 100000 bonds to
secure approximately fifty miles Of rail-
road from the southeast to the northwest,
upon an explicit verbal guarantee that it
was to be part Of great trunk short
line system connecting Denver and the
Gulf. This aid was given because our
citizens desired to show to the railroads
that they were willing to do more than
their part to secure better railroad service,
but as soon as the road had been COM
pleted to the county line and the bonds
were secured the building stopped, and
instead Of the service being better than
before. it became worse. Instead Of two
trains day on the branch between At
tica and Medicine Lodge, as was former
/ ly the case,there is now only one land that
one never on time by from two to four
hours. The service on the new road ex-
tends only from kiowa to Medicine
Lodge and it is the most miserable thai
could be conceived. The train arrives
at about ! a. m. and leaves at $50 a.
m. 1t pretends to connect with the east
em mail at kiowa at night but misses Of
tener than it connects. The people north
west Of Medicine get one train in the
morning SIX days IN the week and even
at that, get the mail and freight that wa:
hauled as far as Medicine Lodge the pre-
vious day. Instead Of continuing the af
ternoon train up to BelMdere the same
day it arrives here, it ties up until nom
ing when it makes the run to Belvider,
and back before going east.
| Ever since this schedule was put on
the Index has protested that it was un.
fair to the people Of this county. 1t is al
intolerable abuse which can not be ex
cused. The people have paid their mon
ey for better service and every day tha
the Santa Fe refuses to grant it. the com
pany stands in the light Of receiving some
thing without giving anything in return
We made this protest, not because W
desired the Ill will Of the Santa Fe Raj
way Company, not to be bidding fc
notoriety, but because, In common wit
practically all the people Of Barber cour
ty, we felt that the county was being In
posed upon and with agitation the abuse
might be corrected. Through our pei
formance Of this unpleasant duty we hay
lost the Santa Fe's patronage; we are NJ
surpnsed.it is matter Of common know
edge that this great corporation neve
expends dollar but that it expects tw
IN return and so in contracting for adve
Using space it also expects to control tn
news columns Of paper. and whe
things are not colored to suit its ow
avarice, the contract is cancelled.
But this paper expects to continu
along in the even tenor Of its way poin
ing out the monstous abuses and breac
Of faith on the part Of this gigantic frau
In the hope that in time the compan
will be compelled under the pressure
public indignation. to grant this city an
county that which they paid for-decel
and substantial freight. mail and passer
ger service.