The Cairo bulletin., 1911-03-17

Cay council 10 fcQea. lac lfant II Sc
Mr.. Middleton of the Iron Mona
tain who was present to profess
against the aGclIson Of the "
rance and make pledges for tina
road, was in no position to make
any promises that would bind his
CON Yany. The Iron Mountain com
Ecny was merely a tenant Of the
taA{g 6 ThtiLes railroad and under
COZ 10 talk like landlord. 1t could
rot make any promises that would
he binding upon the property, 1t was
net the only company to be consld
cred in the matter If the de,a,
asked for were granted ana a co
ference We're held, it would have tc
he held with the boards of directors
Of the Iron Mountain Co., the Cairo
& Thefbes CO., the l.. & N Co.. and
the Columbia Trust Co.. of Louisville
witch held the bonds and a mortgage
en- the G, & 4. property. There was
no telling how long ii would take tc
gft an agreement with all those
boards. If the ordinance now pend
ing We're adopted, the city council
wouh} have to do only with the Cairo
& Thehes to which the original fran
chise grant was made. A new o~d
na,ace could be framed embodying
tie oLen door policy under the city's
ccr'lal, net under the control OF the
Iron Mountain CT any one else. Tt
Iron Mountain could not plead ignol
ance c. the contract with the l.. (
n. to maintain the Cairo & Thebes
as an q en- door. 1t had been notl
nel Of this by the five protesting
directors, who. had written to Vice
President Clarke, asking that the
"cren door" clause be incorporate
in the lease The letter was reptile (
to by Mr.. Middleton himself who sal
Il would be submitted to Presideit
G. lrke on his return to ST. Louis, an
would be given, due considerable
Whether it had been considered or
not Is not known, but the writer's
the lesser certainly had not,been co
,.deyed fer they had never. receive
any further reply and their reques
had been ignored. The Iron Moor
tain was therefore as culpable as tho
l.. q N. and as the four c. 4 T
directors who endorsed the lease
Any IGomises it might make nov
could not be relied upon.
No violence was contemplated, sale
Nh. Lansden, There was no talk OF
tearing rIp tracks, etc The Iron
Mountain Co., was safer in the
hands CO the protesting direct, s
than ii was in the hands of those VIII
stood BIZ the l.. & n. We want The
read 20 come into Cairo, and ON
purpose OF the proposed proceeding
is TO give ii right to come int
iTalo over the C. & T. road, which i
,loes not now pssess under the law
Under the cutract between tn
Cairo & Thebes and the L. & N. the
iron Mountain could come into CaiG
W paying 21a per cent on the COST
IF the road, under It's contract wit
he +. & N. 1t agreed to pay 4 per
cent. Why? Because 1t wanted tot
be boss, with the right to say what
ether reads should come unto Cairo
over this roaL if any, and on wha
terms.
The promises by Mr. Smith to
MAKE the Caao & Thebes an open
door for railroad into Cairo was no
the only gold brick handed to thu
people. In one letter to the cit
council. Mr. Smith had stated tina
the company would fill 140 acres and
five Locks. This promist had no
heen kept the people had bee
fooled Another gold brick" was
Mr.. Smiths promise, when he sought
to get a right-ofway across W1alnn
sneet, that, if possible, the freight
d0ppt and passenger station wonle
be set hack from Washington avenu'
to The middle of the block, and
beautiful park could be made and
maintained in front of them, whic
would be an ornament in connectio
with the public library. True there
had been a string to this promise, an
it seemed there had been a string
the other promises also.
S. far as the filling that had bee
Zone was concerned. It had cost Ger
sain citizens Of Cairo $4,000; they
wished 10 learn something about
cheap filing fer Cairo and they has
learned it, but Dad TO pay dearly TO-
1t, while the C. n r. officials got uhf
benefit
Mr.. Lansden closed with an eIo
quent appeal TO the city council Z
stand by the citizens who were try
Ing to protect the city's interest "
mater that was Of vital import
ance to their future commercial de
velcpment.
Judge Dewey protested against the
adct ion If the ordinance; declaring
that all trat was wanted was time
in which 10 ho'd conference be
tween all parties concerned and
csme 10 aEanAcable understanding
a Gx9 afAC II a