Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-08-27
.|NTERURbAN CHIEF
DENIES HIS COMPANY
DELAYED V|ADUC1
r. E. FISHER, m LETrERETo
FREE, TRADERJouRNAL. TAKES
EXCEPTIONS TO RECENT Epl
ToRIAL TAKING OFFICIALS. TO
TASK FOR olLAToRlnEss. 4

f. +. Fisher. general manager OF
the g., o, ,& p. railway, in . letter to
the Free iTrader-J Journal. takes excep-
tons to an editorial appearing in this
paper last Monday Mr. Fisher says:
Joliet, H., Aug, %, 1921.
Free Trader7Journal,
Ottawa, Ill,
Gentlemen:
Referring to the editorial in your
paper on Monday, the END, relative
to the recent most unfortunate acci'
dent that occurred at the Moriarity
Hill crossing, and also relative to
proposed new concrete bridge over
the Fox river, in ottawa:
The writer of this editorial neg
lected to inform himself on both Of
these matters, for he has knowingly
or unknowingly done this company u
great injustice, intimating as he
does that the delay for the proposed
improvement at Moriarity Hill, which
provides for separating the gradL
crossing of the highway of both steam.
road and the electric railroads tracks.
is caused by dilatory tactics on the
part of this company.
The original plan provided for a
viaduct over the canal and the Rock
Island road only This made it nee
iessary to raise the present CANA
bridge some ten feet, which necessi-
'tated much sleeper grade between
the end of the bridge and where the
highway crossed the c., o. & p.
tracks. If the highway was to remain
in its present location. To avoid this
steep grade they changed the align.
bridge, turning it to the east with a
long angle crossing over our tracks
We made objection to this plan, be.
lieying that in providing an abso-
lutely safe crossing over the Rock
Island tracks they had increased the
hazard or danger in crossing the c.,
O. & p. tracks. The proposition was
then made that the viaduct or new
bridge be extended the necessary dis
lance further south so as to allow the
changing in location of our tracks to
the north and passing under the south
end of this viaduct, and the c., o. &
agreed to go into this kind of an
agreement, providing the expense to
the company was not prohibitive, and
the hearing was held by the state
utilities commission for the purpose
of dividing said expense, and not fol
the purpose of forcing the c., 0. & p
into the arrangement The c., o.
p. abided fully by the decision of the
utilities commission and promptly in
dictated their willingness to go ahead
with the improvement. and any delay
that has occurred is by reason Of the
county and township officials secur-
ing tn necessary additional property
for this improvement, and not by any
reason of the c., 0. & p. railroad.
Relative to the new bridge over the
Fox river: This company had no
knowledge or advice of this proposed
Improvement until the writer was in
vited to attend a conference at the
mayors office on July o. for tn J
purpose, as he understood it, of ar
ranging for the planking over of the
c., 0. & p. bridge, making it avail =
able for vehicle and pedestrian tral-
fC during the period necessary for
constructing a new city bridge; but
at this meeting plans were produced
by the state and city engineers which
provided for new concrete bridge
would include the space occupied by
the present c., o. & P. bridge; the
cost for construction of same exceed