The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1921-04-21
THAT NEW RAILROAD

"AOiC IOWH anu county were thunder
struck at the news in last weeks
FREE PRESS that the Interstate
Commission had rejected the appli-
cation to build the Golden Belt R. R.
from Great Bend TO Hays and on
north. Yet all decided the Commits
sion acted properly, as it had shown
another illustration of that old story
LET George Do IT. What was
everybody's business was no ones
business. All had just sat still to let
the other fellow put it over, forget
ting that every man in the city and
county was interested.
No one believes Hays didn't want
this new railroad with its division
point, at a cost of only $4,000, with
25 years to pay it. No one believes
that Hays didn't want that railroad
to come in here and spend its $500
on division point. Nor that any
township didn't want it with the
many advantages it promised to COM
plete before a bond should be issued
Nor that the City authorities didn't
believe it would be necessary to build
a track through the city from the
road coming from Munjor to the
Union Pacific track so the construc-
ton cars and material could be taken
to the new railroad track; nor that
the Fort Hays Normal wanted another
Normal School built in Western Kan
sas-at Dodge City, to divide up the
schools of Western Kansas; nor that
anyone in the county didn't want the
new road to put-on the tax-rolls over
100000 of taxable property, the
state and county getting their share
as well as the city or township it
happened to run through. Nor that
the laborers, teamsters, sand-haulers,
masons, carpenters, everybody, didn't
want that $500 brought into Hays
and along the line and paid to them
for labor-all money from outside
the static that couldn't get here any
other way; a clean pick up to US home
men. Nor that the merchants and
business houses didn't want this
money to come here and be spent
with them. Nor that the banks didn't
want the money brought here and
deposited in their banks. But the
trouble was it was no ones particular
businesses all left it to the other
fellow to do and it wasn't done, and
the Interstate Commission turned
down the proposition very properly.
But it woke them up. Every teach
er at the Normal and public school
will sign the petitions, in fact, every
body around town is demanding that
they be brought around, and a dozen
have offered to circulate them. Harry
Pestana got the signatures for the
Neiswanger road and can get these in
a day. A half dozen others are ready
to work, and new petitions are being
printed, so let all sign them as quick
as presented. Let's show the Wash
ington Bunch that Hays wants the
road and wants it bad. Out in the
country the petitions are being signed
in each township and will be ready
by this Saturday night to notify
Washington.
A letter from Director Moses on
Tuesday, tells "that they will be put
over with a rush in Barton county.
They got 440 new members last week
in their Commercial Club, all workers,
men and women; they had secured
and still held the ten acre tract for
the terminal grounds" 1t says, "We
hope your Ellis county people will
sustain the new railroad and give
whatever help needed to put it
through" ''That their Commercial
Club included all classes, so there
would be no knocking, and will vote
said on public questions for the good
of the city and county,
Every member of the City Commits
sloners are enthusiastic for it in
Hays; the City Manager says it must
come if Hays is to be THE town of
Western Kansas. Every county Of
fcer demands it and will sign the
petitions and get everybody else to
sign; dozen stores have asked that
the petitions be left there for sigma
ture, so that everyone who enters will
sign.
A visit to the Company's office on
East Normal avenue shows activity
to put it over. Maps, blank petitions,
railroad papers of all kinds scattered
around. Application for a new
HEARING has been made to Wash
ington, and Congressman White
writes he will go with the Company's
attorney to the Commission and ask
the new hearing. 1t looks as though
the people needed that rain of last
week to stir them up.
Even Banker Cochran is still ready
to give a small fortune to see the
road built, the more so as the Wash
ington papers show it may sometime
be built through his home town of