South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-01-15
VEST POCKET ROAD
ON VERGE OF RUIN
Only $3.50 is Needed for
Little Railroad In Penn
sylvania Hills.

SNETHPORT, Pa, Jan. 14.-The
''Kushequa Route" railroad is badly
N need Of S2,25o, and unless it gets
ii pretty soon this midget line Is
liable 20 close up shop At least
| that is what PreS't Elisha K Kane
says.
This little railroad. which few
previously ever knew existed, be-
came famous last summer through
a dispatch Of the International News
Service, when Pres't Kane issued his
/ celebrated time table announcing
that it would operate on only
moist Mondays Wednesdays and
| Saturdays during summer months,
when engine sparks might cause Sc
rious forest fires along the noun
/ tainsides-
The "Kushequa Route" Is q queer
/ little railroad a score or more miles
long. Smethport, nine miles back
from rowhere. in the wilds Of Nc
kean county, is the county seat. The
"Kushequa Route" is the only
means Of communication with the
outside world. At Backus, a little
flag stop, II connects with the Buff
falo. Rochester and Pittsburg rail-
road.
During sessions Of county court
the little railroad Is indispensable
n getting 10 and from court
Road Losing Money.
For several years the road has
been losing money. Kane, who is
Z a hrr
not feel like Smelling out" perpetu-
ally for the other fellows benefit
so he has appealed to the Conopus
club OF this town-sort Of cham
Der Of commerce-to dig up S2,25O,
II the road is to be kept in opera
ton.
Kane IS perfectly frank about f..
He says. The members OF the
Conopus club are doubtless aware
Of the shortcomings OF the 'Kush-
equa Route in it's attempts 10 per
form a public service. Several
times, for a period OF a month or
more, the gross earnings from its
passenger service have been insult
cient to pay for the coal consumed
In the passenger runs"
So Kane has doped Il out that n
locomotive is too expensive 10 op-
crate IN the hills. AS a substitute
he wants 10 buy what he calls a mo-
tOrbus car. This viii be a combina-
ton baggage and day coach II will
carry II passengers, If there are no
big, fat ones. and they squeeze in
gcod and tight. Il will also carry
I T.
this notorious can be operated by
one man. In other words. Kane
hopes to keep the "Kushequa
Route" I'm business even If It does
become a one-man railroad. Still
another advantage. he says, is the
fact that whereas his locomotive
hauIs two trains a day each way.
the notorious can make four trips
a day.
That's putting Henry Ford's rail-
reading into practical use-cutting
down the operating force and dou-
bling up the size Of the service.
Buy Car on Payments.
Again. Pres't Kane is quite en-
certainly frank. In his appeal TO
the ConopUs club he says: we
have tried in vain 10 secure one or
I these cars on the lEstaIlmen- plan,
without down payment The near
est we can come TO it IS one-fOurth
down and the balance in p monthly
instaliments. Even the most rudi.
montary hgurinS Will show anyone
that. even with the present small
amount Of passenger travel, the
railway notorious cold save tho
amount Of the deferred payments"
Kane is practical. Some say he's
a millionaire. At any rate. IF you
look him up IN Dun or Bradstreet's
you will find he has a healthy rat
ing. But E. X. Kane. plain citizen,