Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-05-05
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
WILL ASSIST IN.
THE WORK
MEETING is HELD
ATTORNEY GRlGGS HAS BEEN
NAMED CHAIRMAN OF COMMIT.
TEE TO HELP IN WORk-l. L.
M'CORD TELLS OF PLANS.

That there is still a possibility of
the La Sale County Electric railway
now defunct. materializing into a real.
ty, is evidenced by renewed opera
tions instituted by promoters posses
sing enough financial backing, it is
said, to push to completion the line
connecting Ottawa with Mendoza. For
many months nothing of public char.
ter has been done to resurrect the
plan To give Ottawa a northern out
let Tor its passenger and freight bust.
ness, but quietly and unassumingly W
{. Vittum who has had charge of the
task of securing funds in sufficient
quantities to complete the line. has
been tireless in his efforts with the re-
suit he now believes prospects for
completion are better than they have
been at any time since the line began
to hit the financial shoals.
Mr.. w. &. Vittum and President /
L. McCord Of the Patapsco Engineer.
ing Co., met with the directors Of the
Chamber Of Commerce last night at
which time they discussed their plans
relative to building the road. A com
mittee was named with attorney Clar.
ence Griggs as the chairman that will
cooperate with Mr.. Vittum and lend
their assistance in the work.
Both Mr.. Vittum and Mr. McCord,
who is an authority on electric lines,
are firm in their believe that the task
can he completed
II has been ascertained that $145,-
600 worth of securities must be oh
tanned. the road bonded for 100000
and 100000 worth of stock subscrib.
ed for,
The PCtapsco Engineering Co. Is will
ing to go ahead with the work just
as soon as the new securities are turn
ed over and the preliminary matters,
pertaining to the right of way. prom
ised few years ago. are established
the routes proposed takes in the
village Of Prairie Center, Trilmph and
Earlville, with north terminus at
Mendoza. A spur of the line leaves
Prairie Center to Earlyille, a distance
of twelve miles.
The route passes thru the richest
farming lands in the state Of Illinois
and it Is estimated that thousands Of
tons OF grain and freight would be
hauled over the line each year. AT
Triumph IL touches the Northwestern
Railway, at Mendoza. the main line OF
the Burlington, Illinois Central and
G. NJ. g. st r. Ry. and at Ottawa 1t
finds an outlet to the Rock Island
and branch of the 90, which gives
1t important connections with several
railways in Streator
An efficiency engineer has estimat-
ed that the proposed line would be
tuc,t UeiSt PtyluS lAiiWuJ i'''N"th'NiN"
ever made in the United States.
The road will be built under the
guidance of the Public Utilities Com
mission, which must approve of all
stocks. contracts, etc, before the work
can be started,
Coming into Ottawa, it is proposed
to have the line connect with the in
terurban, near the Terra Gotta, for the
benefit of freight transfers, the route
to the city would come up First street
TO city limits Near the Keen Kleancr
factory 1t has been planned to estab
lish freight yard. The franchise in
To the city limits would have to be Sc:
cured by permission of the council.
Numerous elevators will be erected
along the right of way of the electric
line.r
Farmers Want Road.
oRealizing that the line would great
" add to the value TO their farms
and that IL would be a direct benefit
To them many farmers have already
promised me to help raise the fund to
finance the road" said Mr.. Vittsm in
nm interview given a Free Trader
journal reporter this morning
When the line is in operation we
will give hourly service from Ottawa
to MENDOZA"
At the present time there Is twenty
ninn miles of grading that has been
accomplished, at an expenditure ol
$l3GO0O.
rorty.two miles of rail must be laid
including side tracks, spurs, etc ir
the entire route there is only one
bridge that must be built, and this il
span OF only forty feet.
At the. Terra Gotta the grade mus
be cut to one and onehalf per cent
n preliminary details are arranged
the Patapseco Engineering Co., vii