Mexico weekly ledger., 1909-10-21

BOND issue OF $5U,OuO mile.
But the truth of the matter is, that
electric roads are used in preference
to steam roads, and develop an amaz-
ing amount of travel There is no
smoke or dust, but little noise or
danger, they can stop and start with
out difficulty, take on and let of
passengers and freight at every road
crossing and at every farm house
along the line.
Again, when once built, they can be
operated for much less expense than
steam roads, and when built on the
Burns plan, almost every patron of
the road has an interest in it and
wants to see 1t prosper. Everybody
will be helping instead Of trying to
beat the road.
If there Is any dependence to be
placed In Engineers reports, and all
bond houses call for them, there Is
no danger to the bond holder in this
case where the bond issue is to be
limited to $4,000 mile.
Railroad statistics show that there
is one mile of steam railroad In the
United States for every $50 people,
and that these railroads pay per
cent. on about 100000 per mile. On
this line there are over 800 people 10
the mile and there will be only a
bonded debt of $4,000 to the mile,
supposing that half of the people use
other roads exclusively. we still have
enough to support this road on an
equal footing with the average steam
roads. And, suppose the other half
only use this road half the time, we
still have enough to support road
with only $4,000 bond issue.
Coal Fields Tapped.
One of the most important advan-
tages derived from the electric road
is that 1t brings Mexico in close touch
with the best coal measures in the
West. Near Hereford and Stephens
Store in Galloway county and also in
Boone county. nearer Columbia, is a
vast deposit of coal of the finest quali-
ty.
The coal burns to white ash. 1t
is about 60 feet under ground, has a
perfect roof over 1t and no water in
the mines. The bed is three and a
half to four feet thick. 1t is superior
in quality to the vandalia coal and
the vein is nearly double the thick
ness, admitting of the use of coal min
| ing machines. There are three coal
mines in operation at Stephens Store
supplying the farmers with coal for
miles around and until the last year
the coal has been sold to farmers at s
cents bushel ON the bank. The de-
mand has become so great that the
operators have recently increased the
price to Z cents.
Farmers few miles south Of Mex
| leo who have used this stsDhnns Store
coal and also the Mt. Olive coal, the
best Illinois coal, pronounce the
Stephens Store coal superior in quail
ty to the Mt. Olive. These mines are
at least 10 miles from the nearest rail-
road station and rough road to haul
over, rendering it impossible to reach
a market except for the surrounding
trade.
The electric road runs through this
coal region and the haul to Mexico
will be about 20 miles, or about
cents bushel. With the interurbar
road built this coal can be delivered
i in Mexico profitably at 10 cents {
bushel. We pay IL cents for the MI
Olive coal.
Mexico ships annually from Illinoi
and further east about 500 carload
of coal or in the neighhorhood 0
100000 bushels and for that coal alon
our people pay about $4,000. A saw
, ing of three cents a bushel would b
! $4,000 which is good 6 per cent. in
terest on S150,0O0 Our saving In fue
alone will more than pay the lnteres
on all we are asked to subscribe TO
, the Interurban r. X.
ii The Interurban Line.
: The Railroad proposition now be
t Il fore Mexico gives promise of some
:, lthing enduring IL that Road is bull
D | 1t means a permanent enlargement
4 the sphere of Mexico's influence an
s field of activity. 1t makes of Mexic
! a natural distributing point, nature
Y Ieenter to which every activity
t northeast Missouri will tend, and frol
S which it will radiate. Mexico has
the past made many sacrifices fC
n lpublic enterprises that have been dij
G appointments, failures, but such cal
q not prove true in this case. A raj
il road built through rich, open teri
II tory like the proposed Interurban, b
a comes a permanent thing, and wi
e stand as an enduring monument
a. the enterprise of this generation. |
J. business will grow and Increase fro
e year to year, and not only be in itse
new business but will be stimuli
If and permanent feeder to every Ii
w. of activity that our people are e
e, gagged in.
e. It will be a new and permane
id artery added to our system that W
give new life and vlgor to every II
Sc of business, will make possible ma
rs new lines of business on a lare
is scale than heretofore attempted
Ii our people.
1d Mexico, by her public spirit, by !
DO splendid reputation for hospital
he and the, high social standing Of
rd men and women, has already fix
the attention of the county. I
ce time is propitious for her to take
as lead In Interurban building, and
as come the real inland center OF tri
ng and influence in Missouri. To fail
ly grasp this opportunity would be
cd calamity.