The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1921-04-14

HlOIorS 70 go on When only SlZU,OO
/ of the $59o,0O0 bonds asked had been
assured. No showing could be made
| to the Commissioners of any desire,
! NECESSITY or even the people con-
sidered it would be convenience, or
/ that they were willing to pay part of
the cost of building, after it WAS
BUILT, and they have REFUSED
| permission, and for another genera
ton the people will have to be con-
| tent with the service they have and
will receive. from the present rail-
roads.
There can be no appeal, but RE-
HEARING can be had, should the
people get the petitions signed within
the next ten days if the Promoters
feel like taking up the subject again.
The Anthony and Northern, now
the Wichita, viii not build to HAYS
for Years as it has troubles of its own
elsewhere, so the people must be con-
tent with what they have had in the
past.
Great Bend stood pat; they didn't
need the road, it would have been
convenience for them to get north
west, to have had the Division point.
west, to have had the division point;
had connection with the State Nor
NAL and Experiment Station. Their
representative voted against put
ting new Normal at Dodge
until it was seen if the Golden
Belt was built, but Hays did
not reciprocate, and now Great
Bend, Rush, Ness, and all the
counties south of Ellis county will be
free to help the Dodge City school as
they will have direct connection by
railroad to THAT city.
The Promoters selected the very
best men in Hays and Great Bend as
Directors who had the time, to build
the road, who would have made every
contract, handled every dollar of the
money, hired every employee to build
it, turned down every application of
| outside Railroad builders with gangs
to come here to build, but ordered it
all done by home men; everything
possible would have been purchased
through home dealers, giving them a
little profit for ordering, instead of
buying from the wholesalers direct,
they didn't ask to own or control a
dollar of the stock, letting the cities
| and townships own every dollar to
control for all time; all they asked
was that the wheat should be shipped
to the Gulf ports and they would
furnish half the cost of the road, and
buy the city and township bonds as
issued and furnish the money to build
in advance.
The $4,000 of stock certificates
were here ready for the Directors to
issue as fast as earned according to
the petition contracts; the 100000
of Mortgage bonds were here ready
for the signature. and seal as quick as
the Commission and State gave per-
mission, while the money, about one
third of the total, enough to build
from Great Bend to Olmitz; from
Hays to Pfeifer, was ready to pay to
the Treasurer of the Company so the
work could proceed at once and con-
tracts given out for materials needed,
and Mr.. Jacobs got ready his part of
the work, the deeds for terminal
grounds and right of way in Hays and
Ellis county, amounting to over $42,-
900 were ready for signature, over
SAT- 900 in Great Bend and Barton
county, as also the Rush Co. Deeds.
The laborers and mechanics would
have been paid in Golden Belt Gold
Checks, good at any store or bank,
$50, 900 for each of Barton and Ellis
counties, the first thousand already
here to use if the commission had
said YES, which meant thousands of
these dollars spent in the stores along
the route, as the grading and build
ing work proceeded. Everything was
ready to move quickly had the favor
able word came instead of the
DENIAL.
The most serious question to Hays
in this railroad not building is the
future of the Fort Hays State Nor
NAL School There has been no way
for the students from the south and
southwest to get to Hays except by
auto. 1t has been the subject of dis
cussion for years. Had it been built
the question would have been settled
for all time. In the Legislature just
adjourned the members from the 18th
district introduced a bill to locate a
State Normal at Dodge City, their
principal and winning argument was
that the students from that territory
could not get over to the Hays State
Normal, and the bill went through the
House by an overwhelming majority,
only the Representative from Barton
county and the nineteen members
from the 9th District voting against
it. In the Senate it had a majority
but enough Senators were prevailed
on to lay it over until the next ses-