The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1922-07-06
BEAVER AND HOOKER
PAPERS ROASTING LIBERAL
Polsing Fun at Capital City Of the
Southwest" Over Its Losing
Its Railroad

l
The Beaver Democrat and Hooker
Advance are having lot Of fun over
the plight of Liberal in the matter
Of getting railroad crossing the
Rock Island. The last issue Of the
Hooker Advance prints glaring
headline telling of Liberals position.
Meanwhile Liberal sits idly on her
dignity and watches another railroad
enter her trade territory and makes
no move to furnish this necessity to
the people who want connection with
i the Rock Island in the country south
Of us.
Byers has the most Of right-of-
way, he has most Of the grade, the
track already started at both Liber-
al and Forgan, and he has the per-
mission of the State Of Oklahoma
and of the United States Interstate
Commerce Commission to build the
road. In fact, he has everything but
the money, and Liberal can afford to
help Buyers, because Byers can build
this road cheaper than anyone else,
and he can do it more quickly.
To all appearances it seems that
the bunch planning on building from
Forgan to Hooker and on to Colo
RADIO are going to be able to finance
and build their road. The people
down that way want road. Beaver
they viii pay to get It. We are told
wants it, and Hooker wants it-and
that Forgan wants the Hooker road
built, and that the town will help in
the project.
Right now the life of Liberal is at
stake. With a railroad running on
the lines as surveyed, Liberal will
ship from one-third to one-half more
as soon as trains are running.
The Democrat is not saying this to
help Byers build the road-it is the
result of the best investigation we
could make. While we have more
faith in Mr.. Byers than lot of peo-
pie, we do not owe him anything
more than the courtesy due a man
who seeks to help the town, but II
we despised him we could not help
but boost his proposition for the sake
of Liberals future.
We have always believed in Liberal
and we do yet. We have always said
that the town in this section which
got the first cross-railroad would
make the big town, and folks, we
still believe it, despite the fact that
it looks like Hooker would be that
town. We cannot think for moment
that the live wires here will see this
other road built without an effort
to build better one.
The territory south of here would
be better served with the Byers road
than any other. Oklahoma people
had rather see it come to Liberal, but
they expect Liberal to do something
to get it.
It is going to take action and quick
action to stay in this game, and 1t is
going to cost some money. With the
road from Forgan to Hooker real
ity, half the business buildings in Lib
eral will be vacant in a years time'
and Liberals cherished ambition to
be the big town of the Southwest
will be challenged.
The Liberal Chamber of Commerce
has never taken sides in the railroad
proposition because the membership
was divided, and there should DE
some organization formed to back
this proposition. :,
Who is the man or men who VIII
take the lead, call meeting, get the
sentiment of the people OF Liperai
and see this deal through. Surely
there are dozen live boosters VINO
will take the responsibility OF should
.ering the task. Il
We want to hear from them-and
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