The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-07
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TALK 1T ALL over
Lively Meeting Over the South
western Railroad.
III. NJ. Herbert Urges Necessity
for Acton.
READYTO BEGIN WORK
Waiting Only on the Right-of-
Way.
Congressman Miller Says COun.
r
READY TO BEGIN WORK
Congressman Miller Says COun.
Gil Grove Is Waiting.

About seventy-ive of the leadi1s
business men of this city assembled on
the roof garden of the National hotel
last night to consider the Topeka &
Southwestern railroad proposition.
They met there to either endorse the
plan and go ahead with the work or
back up and let this railroad go by
the board.
They were told that the construction
company was ready to begin work of
grading on the right of way within
forty-eight hours; that this construc-
ton company had qualified and was
prepared to build the grade lay the
steel. erect the depots and round house,
and place the rolling stock on the rails.
They were told further that the citi-
zens of Topeka must at once raise 800
900 and take this money and buy right
of way from the west city limits to
the west limits of Shawnee county.
They were told that condemnation
proceedings must at once be started
and options secured on Topeka proper
ty for right of way in the city and
depot site and yard terminals. The
cost of this land will be about $4,000,
but this sum will not have to be raised
In cash until after the grade has been
Quilt to Council Grove.
They were told that Morris and Wa
baunsee counties had already secured
the right of way demanded of them.
They were told that all these things
asked of from Topeka had been agreed
to by this city two years ago; that
the Lamprecht brothers, New York
bankers behind the project, were relia-
BILE beyond the shadow of a doubt; that
unless this right of way was secured
.4t,l IAx-A ct xx6nl
deal would be called off.
It is up TO Topeka.
When Robert Pierce called the meet
ing to order at least seventy business
men of the city were present on the
roof garden of the New National. An
organization was quickly effected by
the election of Charles X. Holiday as
permanent chairman and the appoint
ment of A. G. Goodwin to the office OF
secretary. Director NJ. C. Holman of
the Modoc club and a number of his
singers were present and gave three
fine musical numbers as a preliminary
to the business of the night.
Mr.. Holiday set forth the object of
the meeting in the following language:
Two weeks ago tonight the construc-
ton company of the proposed Topeka
& Southwestern informed us that they
were ready to begin the work of grad
ing on the right of way. Our part of
the contract is to furnish the right of
way to the west limit Of the county
and we have not yet done so. sThey
are waiting on us Morris and Wa
baunsee counties had also agreed to
furnish right of way for the road and
now they are ready and waiting. The
construction company has qualified for
the work, the contractor is ready and
it is now up to us. All that is neces-
sary to be done to raise this money is
for our people to understand the ques-
tion thoroughly. The money we put
mp for this right of way is i'm the shape
of stock or first mortgage bonds of
the proposed road. We take that risk
with the chance of making a good and
paying investment for ourselves indi-
vidually as we'll as for the good of the
city generally.
THE finance committee of this road
would have gone to work to raise this
money last week but we thought that
II would be better and easier to ex-
plain the proposition al meeting of
all our business men at one time than
to go over the ground again and again
to each other separately.
III NJ Herbert of Bound Brook n.
J., president of the Southwestern Con-
struction company, is here. and also
Mayor Shamleffer of Council Grove.
They have come to see what we are
going to do. The panic knocked our
plans of last year into a cooked hat
and the HOOD OF last mOntn delayed us
again, but there is no good reason at
this time why we should not at once
take action in this matter We cannot
afford to miss it. This proposed road
is the short line to Kansas City from
Council Grove via Topeka. The route
is along the line of the old Santa Fe
survey. 1t is a road of strategy
II. NJ Herbert: II met you here
two years ago at a large meeting. 1
believe it is up to you folks to do the
talking at this time. This is a
proposition in which Topeka looks
across a stretch of fifty miles of the
finest farming property in the west
and this country is stretching out its
hands to you and asking for direct
connection and communication with
your city. Under your contract with
my company you agreed to furnish
the right of way in Shawnee county.
A construction company cannot con-
denim land. We must wait until you
have secured this necessary right of
way before we can turn a shovel full
of dirt. Two months ago we told you
we were ready and asked for the right
of way as per contract We have
been ready and waiting all this time.
We can and will commence work of
construction within forty Eight hours,
but we must have this right of way
first. / understand that you have a
few miles of right of way in isolated