The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-01-31
FREE BELT LINE RAILROAD
is CAIRO'S COMMERCIAL NEED
Also Freight Traffic Bureau Says Large Shipper
Cairo & Thebes Railroad in PcsitionSS@to
Give Us Belt Line

line. ami steps ought 10 De taken 10
this end without delay by the people
interested in the land there, because
Il wo"ld mean much 10 them and to
this community in the way of indus,
trial development.
As :, the Cairo & Thebes.
Probably the Cairo & Thebes peo-
pie can do more to bring this about
than anybody else continued this
citizen. They have good facilities
for a start And with cooperation from
others vino own the land in that dis
trict, could establish Belt Line that
would serve nearly all the industries
now there or that are planning or
likely TO so there in the future; an.
il the original plans of the promoters
Of this road are carried out, viz. to
serve as a Cairo terminal railroad ior
any others that may wish to come
into the city, or now here. it viii
be the biggest thing that ever hap
pened TO Cairo. | am not in the con-
fidence of the men who are engi-
necring this project. but believe
that they are determined to carry
out the original plan End promise.
have no doubt the iron Mountain.
Cotton Belt and Illinois Central are
throwing every stumbling block pos
sible in the way of this road, for
reasons of their own The Illinois
Central has the strongest reason for
opposing it. because it so strongly
controls the bushes Of Cairo and is
jealous of any movement that is
aimed to give other railroads fair
chance That is natural. Railroad
companies are just like Individuals
they want all the business they can
get, aud I'm not crticising the Hi
nois Central people on that score
But Cairo's interest lies in having al
railroads come here that want to- and
giving all of them crance at the
business. Such competition is absc
lutely necessary in orGer 10 get good
service and fair rates
with the Cairo & Thebes complet.
ed as planned. the Iron Mountain
Cotton Belt. Frisco and any Others
that can reach it can get into Cairo
on equal terms, and get their share
CT the large volume or business that
develops here; and our shippers
would have easy access under far
conditions to the territory which they
need so much. with the result that
their business would grow immensely.
Il understand the only difficulty IN
the way of the Cairo & Thebes is get
ting to the Thebes bridge. 1t can get
across on the c. e. f. |. track which is
part Of the Frisco system and some
people might think this is just what
they want, because it would give us
! access to the Frisco territory. Eut
; ii stands to reason that the Frisco
iicould and probably would discrimi.
nate against Cairo just as it is doing
now, in favor of ST Louis on general
classified freight and in favor Of
Joppa on lumber. A similar objection
would hold good against the Could.
getting the road The Cairo &
Thebes mrst have Independent con
nection with the bridge if it is to
/ serve Cairo properly, 1t can gel
such connection under the ruling Of
the State Board Of Railroad AM
Warehouse Commissioners; but | ua
derstand that a proposition has beer
under consideration by the Iro-
Mountain and Cotton Belt officials for
lsome months. under which some o
the most serious objections of tot
proposed approach or crossing woui,
be eliminated
Whatever may have been the pun
pose of the men who have put up tht
mouey for the Cairo & Thebes, BE-
ieve their purpose now Is to make ;
Cairo Terminal line, as was promise,
} by the local promoters because tha
/, viii make it a good investment for al
concerned