Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1907-06-13
Still Another
Railroad Scheme
Ex-Sheriff Tom Leisure Figures That
a Competing Line to Omaha
Will be an Easy Stunt
MONEY ALL THAT is NECESSARY

of Broken Bow and vicinity have
worked their think-tanks over
time in an effort to evolve some
plan of connecting Omaha with
this city by rail in more direct
line than the Burlington and in
competition thereto, but for one
reason or another the plan was
not feasible enough to rally
sufficient strength to award it
more than passing thought.
The proposed plan to build
road from Broken Bow to Loup
City seems to have come nearer
solution as to how it can be done
and Tom Leisure, in order to
penetrate Omaha, goes into the
details 10 certain extent, pub
lished in. the Omaha World
Herald. as follows:
"a railroad ow ned and operat-
ed by the farms, for the people,
running from Broken Bow to
Omaha, distance of about 200
miles-;hat is the unique idea of
L. A. Leisure, one of the leading
farmers of Custer county aud a
former sheriff, residing at Broken
Bow.
The striking feature of Mr..
Leisure's plan is the manner in
which the road would be financed.
His idea is to secure from all the
farmers between Broken Bow and
Omaha owning farms on either
side of the road for a distance Of
thirteen miles, each way, stock
subscriptions of ST. an acre. This
would amount to $640 for every
section of land in the twenty-six
mile wide strip, or $1,000 per
mile.
County Surveyor VanAnt-
werp, of Custer county, has done
considerable surveying in our
section of the country" says Mr.,
Leisure, "and he states that
there is no question that the
road can be built and equipped
for $4,000 or $4,000 per mile,
so that the sum of $16, 400 per
mile which would be realized
would leave a wide margin to 60
on. The road would follow Clear
creek and Platte VALLEYS down to
Omaha, and there would be little
grading necessary"
An important feature of Mr..
Leisure's plan is the provision for
preventing the road from being
exploited and sold out to one Of
the big railroad systems.
All of the farms in the pre-
scribed twenty-six-mile wide strip
would be incorporated in the
project and the shares of stock
would 60 with each farm.
When the farm is sold, the
shares of stock would go with
it. Furthermore, it would be
provided that only bona fide
settlers along the road could &C
quire stock. A speculator or any
person other than a resident Of
the territory along the railroad
would not be allowed to own
stock. In this manner, the far
mer would retain absolute con-
troll of the road.
"Such a road" said Mr.. Lei
sure, "could be run at cost. The
farmers would not need to have
dividends declared. The in
creased value of their property
would more than pay handsome
interest on their investment.
Here we would have a road
which would not owe a cent,
with no bonded indebtedness and
not drop of water IN the stock.
81 have talked to number OF
competent men and no one has
yet offered any reason why such
project would not be successful
1.-The farmers in Custer county
are almost unanimous for it, and
am sure that the same senti.
ment would be found all along
the proposed line.
Omaha is our natural market
for our hogs, our grain and oul
cattle. If we could get a direct
line to Omaha to market our pro
ducts at low rates we would be
immensely benefited.
Omaha would be a gamer
In fact it has been stated to me
by one Omaha man that the sun
of $l5O,000 could probably be
raised in this city as a donation
to further such project.
IF any man can show why
such plan is not feasible
would like to hear from him."