The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-11-04
COMMERCIAL CLUB
HAS BUSY SESSION
Committee of centralia Business Men
Here to Cooperate With vinita
in Getting Road.

Mr.. George A. Masters, vice presi
dent of the Cherryvale, Oklahoma and
Texas, better known as the Porter
railroad" failed to appear at the meet
ing OF the Commercial club last night
No explanation of his absence was
forthcoming. Attempts were made to
locate him by long distance telephone
but in vain So it was not possible
to take any definite action on the rail-
road question; but the presence of a
committee of citizens from Centralia,
anxious to persuade the railroad COM
pany to locate the line through their
town, and to persuade Vinita to CO.
operate with them in securing this re-
suit, made the meeting very inter
esting one.
The route which Vinita has been
discussing with the railroad people
passes several miles from Centralia.
This. as Mr.. Graham of Centralia re-
marked, would practically amount to
wiping that town OF the map.
The CeItralia suggestion is that the
railroad locate through their town and
use, on approaching Vinita, the old
road-bed of the proposed and exploded
Vinita and Western.
The committee came prepared as
they frankly said, to offer anything in
reason to make this worth the rail-
roads while. The members of 1t were
Messrs. F. H. and e. E. Conkright, ].
W. Tolliver, o. H. Johnson, DR.. F. L.
Hughson, P. H. Graham and T. R. and
]. c. Montgomery, representing, as
Judge Parker remarked, "the financial
strength and political influence of the
northern part of Craig county. The
Messrs. Montgomery and Conkright
are bankers, DR.. Hughson physician
and the others are merchants.
Mr. Graham was the spokesman OF
the Centralia people at the club meet
ing. After Judge Parker had referred
in very pleasant terms to the meeting
between the Centralia people and the
clubs committee in the afternoon, Mr..
Graham said in substance:
1T is our common interest to do all
we can for Craig county. We must
all stand together. Centralia is ready
to go to the last inch in the fight for
her life. For the railroad to go with
in six miles of Centralia means the
elimination of Centralia.
II 1t is business the railroad people
want, we can furnish it. 1t will not
be a question of how many cars we
can fill, but how many the railroad
con furnish u.s. There are probably
5000 cars of hay rotting around Cen
tralia for want of transportation to
markets, where it can command from
eight TO ten dollars ton. Centralia
isn't going to stand this forever. If
we can't have steam railroad. we
will have an electric one.
we are living in new state There
are many institutions which are not
yet finally located. If Centralia can
not hope to secure any Of these for
herself she WILL when the question
If location comes up, stand by the pee
pie who stand by her.
Mr.. Crahan's speech was delivered
With good deal of vim, and several
lines drew rounds of applause. If there
lad been time. other members of the
would have been heard
rom, but they had to leave early to
set home last night. The club passed
vote of thanks to the committee for I
ioming down, and expressed its will II
ngness to cooperate with them. 1
About 40 people were present at the i
Meeting. Mr.. Dennis Wilson, the pres h
dent, called the club to order at S.15. d
The oily refinery proposition was first
discussed it being reported that the {
rices for eligible sites were suddenly b
DING up to an extravagant figure. Ii
Judge Farker suggested that COM G
littee should be appointed and pur- n
hase the land if necessary. Then. he a