The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1910-12-22
THE PLUM HILL
RAILROAD
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1910, by Associated Lit
erary Press.

SlLuateO fourteen miles from the near.
est railroad. To reach it you have to
drive the fourteen miles in wagon.
You have to drive over three noun
tains and two rivers, and the ascent
from the outside world Is 600 feet.
On certain day not many years ago
Plum Hill was quiet. 1t was serene.
There was an OK team standing In
front of the only store in the village,
and there were two men sitting on the
postofice steps. Nobody apprehended
a great excitement-One that was to
upset the place and make things bub-
BILE. 1t was tin peddler who brought
the news. He came from the town Of
Grow Valley, village just about as
big and ten miles away. Grow Valley
was the rival of Plum Hill. It had
two stores to one, but its altitude was
only S9S feet.
The news brought by the peddler
was that Crow Valley was moving for
a branch line out to the railroad. If
she got it-and she was determined
to have it-then goodby to the prestige
Of Plum Hill.
There was hurrying to and fro, and
there WAS public speaking. A branch
railroad had been the dream Of Plum
Hill for years, and now Crow Valley
was to step In and steal the reality
away.
Squar' Latham, the village justice Of
the peace, nominated himself COM
mi nf f0 To nrk
also to head a subscription list and
pass it around. Money would induce
the railroad company to construct 4
branch to Plum Hill, and money 1t
should have. Every Plum Hitler was
u patriot to the core.
The Plum Hill Banner took up the
matter and printed a double loaded
editorial. An old picture Of a fiat car
was used to arouse enthusiasm and
inflame the public mind. Plum Hill
was called upon to defend the breast
works to the last drop Of blood. If
they stood back and played second i'd
die to Grow Valley, then could it be
said of them that they were no longer
the sons of Bunker Hill.
The day Of the mass meeting came.
There was an outpouring Of the pa
triots. Flags waved and men cheered.
Squar' Latham was ready with his
figures. He had spent week figur-
Ing. He had got things down pat. A
part of the work and the glory must
be given to the tin peddler. He had
toiled like a hero. In addition they
had driven over to the railroad; and
consulted with the freight agent, two
trackwalkers and boarding house
keeper. The men had given their opin-
ions and estimates on the enterprise.
1t had been asserted and generally be-
lieved that branch line to Plum Hill,
owing to the mountains, would be i'm
possible on account Of the cost.
The squar' had started out expect
ing to run up against this objection,
but he had some news to commune
cate-some news to delight. He had
figured and figured and figured, and he
could not make the cost Of the line
over $1,000 to bring the iron horse
snorting and putting into Plum Hill.
That sum could be raised in fifteen
minutes. 1t could be raised then and
there-aye, ten times that amount-but
he would move among the patriots
with a subscription paper and give all
chance. In years to come he wanted
every Plum Hitler to have the priv
lege of pointing to the snorting, putting
locomotive and rolling palace cars and
be privileged to say:
Look at 'em, gentlemen! l helped
to do itv'
The meeting adjourned to meet one
week later to hear the squar's final re- I.
port The boom was on almost before
the motion was put and carried. The
merchant began marking up his goods
10 per cent. Various citizens who had
been holding the value of their houses
and lots at 5000 added on $500 and
walked around with serene counte-
nances. A site for the new depot was
selected, and it was generally conceded
that Squar' Latham would be selected
as boss Of the new line. Butter went
up 2 cents pound at sunset, but the
boom was too sudden, and at midnight
there was a drop back to old figures.
The price Of eggs also wabbled and
was unsettled. ea
For week the squar' canvassed.
He made no reports Of progress, but It
was generally understood that he was
being offered millions. It was week
of tension. Even the ROSTERS Of Plum
Hill crowed softly. Then. there was
another coming together Of the patri-
OTIS, larger gathering than before.
Crow Valley was to be wiped of the
map of the United States. Squar La-
than stood up at the proper moment.
and when the hush came he began:
.'Feller citizens, I was appointed %
Agger on the cost Of this branch line. =
Eyes! Yes" 4.
II did fgger." All
''Bully fog you!"
II figgered and figgered and figgered. !"
''Hurrah for the SQUARE" 7s MI
II fggered her at $1,000"
"Whoop!'