The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1922-01-26
THAT GOLDEN BELT RAILROAD

and Greenleaf, with Traffic Manager
Conway and Stenographer Grice. |
came here last Thursday, and had
hearing on the question if a per
NIT should be granted to the Golden
Belt Railroad to build from Great
Bend northwest.
The meeting was held in the K. of
c. Hall; big crowd of visitors. farm
ers, railroad men and ladies were
present at both the morning and
afternoon meetings. Secretary Freese
presented the financial statement
showing the cost of the building and
| where the money was expected to
come from, the estimated receipts a
year and the expenses to run it for a
year. Mr.. Cochran, O'Loughlin, Pal
mer and number of farmers from
t~all along the line, were put on the
stand to tell why the road should be
| built and its necessity and conven-
| ience.
Director Moses and Lfschesky and
three car loads Of interested parties
| drove over from Great Bend, sixty
! miles, a drive of over 12O miles, to
| show they were interested in its being
/ built. Director Moses on the witness
stand, told the Commissioners that the
! city of Great Bend and all of the
= townships of Barton count wanted
the road built, had to have a north
west road, and would support it and
vote the asked for bonds, and advised
the people of Hays to get behind it
and carry it through, as the only road
in sight, as it would be a great thing
! for both Ellis and Barton counties.
Mr.. Freese told of the Elevator
company which would be chartered
as soon as permission was given to
the railroad to be built, which would
build over a dozen elevators, and
would have representatives
from both the gulf ports of Galveston,
New Orleans, as also the lumber and
coal fields represented at Memphis, as
we'll as the grain shippers of Hutchin-
son and Wichita.
Mr.. Palmer told them of the grain
lHEGIGSGS
more income from the mixed farm
ing, cream, eggs, and other crops
than from the wheat. Mr.. Burnham
Of the Pfeifer section, told of the
need in shipping cream, cattle and
hogs, and more important than all,
corn from the cheap fields of Phillips
! county and Nebraska. The Pfeifer
and Munjor and Loretta people of
! their hauling their store purchases
! fifteen miles to a raiload, and haul
back the merchandise for their store
trade, the past thirty years. Gosser
of Buckeye told of he and others haul
! ing wheat the past thirty years over
twelve miles to Hays-and this would
give them an elevator within couple
| of miles. Mr. Replogle filed his brief
! showing that these closer elevators
meant more education to the children,
who are now required to be kept from
school to help haul the wheat to town,
and that education is the paramount
question in America. The Great Bend
Tribune tells that the room was full
of railroad attorneys watching
WHO'S Who"
None of he railroad or other inter
ests made the least objection to the
building of the road, and the Board
took the papers and evidence with
them to Topeka that evening for care
full consideration and report to the
Interstate Commerce Commission at
Washington, whether or not they
should grant the permission to the
| Directors to build the road, and an
answer will come in few weeks, yes
or no.
Now that the Interstate Commits
sion have turned down the Byers road
coming to Lacrosse, and later to
Hays, as it had failed to carry out its
| promises to the Commission when it
was granted their permission to build,
the decision of the Utility Board will
settle the question whether or not
! Hays is to have anoher railroad or
plod along another thirty years, as we
have since we lost the Santa Fe in
! 1897. Whether Hays shall be a One
/ railroad town like Russell and Wa
Keeney, or a Division point. Whether
another Western Kansas State Nor
NAL school is to be built at Dodge City
/ or the one at Hays be the whole thing
the next twenty-five years. Whether
Hays shall jump to five thousand or
ten thousand population the next few
J years, or just continue small growth
!. ae ntlner. towns in this WeSfern Kan