Adair County, Missouri - Chapter 15: Transportation Facilities, 1911

Chapter 15: Transportation Facilities

Prior to the building of railroads transportation to this county was /'>" horseback or by wagon. The Chariton docs not seem to have been made use of for such purposes. Freight was handled by wagon from i^uiney. Hannibal, Canton, Macon, and Huntsville. There are many houses still standing in Kirksviile which were built with lumber which had Ut'n hauled in wagons from one or the other of the above mentioned places. The transportation of passengers and the carrying of mails was by stage coaches. The stage coach of "modern style" does not seem t<j have come into use until near the close of the war. Prior to that time the vehicles were usually very indifferent affairs.

Owing to the fact that all transportation was by stage couch or on horseback, it was desirable that connections be made between lines operating between different points. In the early days of this county Bloomington, Macon County, was a kind of central terminus for many >tage lines. Coaches would arrive there from St. Joseph, Hannibal, Kirksviile, Paris, ami Glasgow, so that people found frequently that the most convenient thing to do to reach certain destinations was to go via Bloomington. There were lively times, it has been said, at this >tage coach center when all the coaches were in from their various T»laces of departure.

After the modern style of coach began to be used out of Kirksviile, -pecial negotiations regarding connections seem to have been carried <>n lx 'tween the men operating out of Kirksviile and those operating «mt of other places. By February, I860, we told, ( 'happel and Smith's o Miches which ran out of Kirksviile, were able to make good connection with Owens, Ransom & Company's coaches at other places.

Stage lines ran out in all directions from Kirksviile. In 1850 we hear of a mail route from Kirksviile to Sand Hill, twenty-five miles away, and another to Lancaster, same distance, and in 1808 a stage line was operating between Kirksviile and Atlanta. The building of the North Missouri Railroad, the present Wabash, through to Kirksviile in 1808, made the stage lines operating north and south out of Kirksviile unnecessary. But until the Q. M. & P. R. R. (the present O. K.) was built in 1871, the stage lines running east and west were very important means of communication. Memphis, Edina, and Milan were reached by separate stage lines. Some of the schedules as published in the papers in 1870 are very interesting. For example, the stage operating between Kirksville and Memphis was advertised to leave Kirksville on Mondays and Fridays at seven o'clock and to leave Memphis on Tuesdays and Saturdays at the same hour. The one between Kirksville and Edina was operated so that trips were made via Paulville each way daily. This was something unusual.

At Edina connections were made with coaches going to Canton. The line running between Kirksville and Milan alternated trips between the two places. The stage left Kirksville on Mondays, \Yednesduy> and Fridays at seven a. m., and reached Milan via Nineveh. Spring Valley, Oreencastle and Kiddville by seven that evening. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays the return trips were made. The fan to Oreencastle was §2; round trip, $3. The fare to Milan was S3: round trip, S5.

In the early days the means of transportation across streams were oftentimes very meagre. At first fords were the only means available, and naturally the first roads connecting distant points were run so as to pass through these fords. In the course of time bridges were built, but they were generally few and far between and not very substantial. The first bridge to be authorized by the county court was that over Shoal Creek in the summer of 1843. The settlers in that vicinity subscribed $181, while the county expended the immense sum of $17.

For a long time private ferries were licensed and a schedule of rate> authorized by the county court. For example, on Aug. 14, 1844 the Adair Countv court issued a license to D. A. Elv to maintain for twelve months a ferry across the Chariton and authorized the following rates: and authorizing it to build a bridge cross the Chariton. The tolls which it might levy were prescribed as follows: Horse and rider, 10 cents; footman, 5 cents; single horse, mule, jack or jennet, 5 cents; work ox, 2 cents; each head of other stock, 1 cent. No bridge or ferry was allowed to be built or operated within two miles of the bridge this company should erect. It is not known just when the company built its bridge, but it is evident it did not build it in Adair County.

Up to 1869 no bridge had been put across the Chariton in this county. This became a matter of interest to the business men of Kirksville and I 'ridge meetings were arranged for, at which persons interested could express themselves as to what should be done. The Journal for July IS. 1868 speaks of one bridge meeting as having gone by default because of lack of attendance. The matter was not dropped, however, and by December, 1869, the first Chariton bridge in the county was meted. The contract had been let in August for a truss bridge, 260 Jeet long with a main truss of 130 feet, at a cost of over $4,000. This appears to have been a free bridge.

The Wabash Railroad. - The North Missouri Railroad was in- (orjKjrated on March 3, 1851. According to the original charter the r< ad was to be built along the dividing ridge between the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers from St. Charles to the Iowa line. The incorporators -v,'re residents of the counties through which the proposed road was to run. In 1852 the charter was amended so as to allow the road to be to St. Louis. In 1853 the legislature extended the credit of tbe state to the amount of $2,000,000 to this company in order to ex- ;*ilite the construction of the road.

A survey was made in due time and the Board of Directors at the Hin ting in St. Louis early in 1854 accepted the route that had been survived through St. Charles, Warren, Montgomery, Audrain, Monroe, Macon, Adair, and Schuyler Counties. By 1855 the road had been "unpleted from St. Louis to Warrenton, and haste in completing it i" the Iowa line was urged so that the Iowa trade might be saved to St. bmis. By 1858 the road was completed to Mexico, and by February, it reached Macon, where connections were made with the Ilaniiihal and St. Joe Railroad. According to the charter ferriage across <h*> river was necessary at St. Charles. It was not until after the war that a bridge was built at this point.

tions to the capital stock of the company, and all of them voted boiul> liberally except Macon County. In 1856 or 1857 the Macon County court submitted a proposition to the people to subscribe to the capital stock, but it was voted down. The same thing was repeated in 1858.

In Adair County the history of the North Missouri bonds is a rather complicated one. The first action taken by the county court seems to have been in 1853, when that body ordered that a proposition to take stock in the North Missouri Railroad Company should lx* submitted to the people in May of that year. Evidently the proposition did not carry, as the same thing was submitted again in August, 18*>4. It evidentlv carried when submitted this last time, for in November of that year the county court appointed William P. Linder as the agent of the county to subscribe $25,000 capital stock, providing the road was built to the Iowa line. In the following December the county court authorized Linder to sell 25,000 acres of swamp land for 250 share* in the capital stock of this railroad. By this it seems that the county had made in all subscriptions amounting to $50,000.

It appears that the county court was subsequently displeased with the way in which Linder conducted the business he was appointed to transact. At the June term of 1855 he was called upon to give "a full report under oath of his doings in regard to the said road, what pay if any he had received of said company or its agent for having secured the stock thus subscribed by the county," and also to state 4,at what time and what amount the county was liable to be called upon for." He appeared to answer to this summons at this same term, but his report was rejected because it was not under oath and was not satisfactory. He was thereupon dismissed and the County Clerk was instructed to find out directly from the railroad what had been done.

It seems that Mr. Linder had unconditionally subscribed the ful amount ordered by the court. According to the records W. H. Parcell: took up the matter with the railroad directors himself, and though In had no authority to act for the county, he got them to agree not to cal for the subscription of the county until the railroad was put under con tract north of the Hannibal and St. Joe Railroad. At the March. 185V term of court the arrangements made by Parcells were ratified as thoug he had been the regularly appointed agent of the county. He ha meanwhile been appointed in February, 1850, to act as the agent of tl county in the next regular election of officers of the directory of th railroad.

tition among the people to ascertain whether it should subscribe $50,000 additional stock to the North Missouri Railroad. Later it was ordered that such a proposition should be submitted to the people in May, 1857, on condition that the bonds should not be issued until the work was commenced in the county. At the same time another proposition to subscribe $100,000 in the stock of the Keokuk Railroad was submitted. It seems that both proposition were defeated at the polls.

In 1859 the county began to fulfil its obligations to this railroad, though at that time the road had not been built any farther than Macon. Perhaps the county court thought it would be encouraging to the company to hurry on with its work if part at least of the bonds should be Lulled. In that year the county court paid over to the company $500 cash and $14,500 six per cent Ixmds. Whatever may have been the expectations, they were not realized. The road was not extended northward from Macon for nearly ten years after Adair County had begun to meet its promises. The county therefore refused to issue the rest of the Ixmds. After the road was extended through the county and beyond the state line, attempts were made to get the county court to issue the remaining bonds, but these efforts proved futile. It is not known whether the railroad got the 25,000 acres of swamp land which had been offered for 250 shares of capital stock.

The breaking out of the war undoubtedly had much to do with delaying the completion of the road. Shortly after the war closed the task of completing the main line up to the Iowa state line and the branch line to Kansas City was taken up and completed by 1868. Likewise the bridge across the Missouri at St. Charles was built at the same time.

During 1867 the grading of the road had been finished up to Kirksville. and on July 4, 1868, the work of laying the track to Kirksville was completed. By December it was completed to the Iowa line.

No event in the history of Kirksville had ever been looked forward to with so much interest as the "advent of the iron horse." In the Kirksville Journal for July 2, it was announced that the road would be finished by the "Fourth," and urged the people to be on hands in the following words: "Railroads, Brass Bands, Tournaments, Horse Fair, Free Rides, ain't that enough for one day's amusement9 Don't fail to be here."

The completion of the road to Kirksville was celebrated by the railroad by way of an excursion from Macon to Kirksville on July 18, 1868. According to the Macon Journal for July 23, the train left Macon at 9:30 a. m. with the band on board playing "Hail Columbia." All along the way people stood in their doorways waving greetings to the excur- sionists. The train stopped at each station to let the band play a tunc. It took two hours to make the trip. At Kirksville the train was met by a great crowd and a band. The excursionists were escorted to a nearby grove, where some felicitous speech making was indulged in The day was exceedingly hot, but every one seemed to enjoy the occasion. The Kirksville people who gathered at the depot when the train got ready to leave, were tendered by Supt. Crane a free ride to Macon and return that evening. Many accepted the invitation, going down on the excursion and returning on the evening train from St. Louis two or three hours later.

The trains according to the time tables of 1870 afforded fairly good service. There were two passenger trains each way each day besides a freight each way. The passenger trains going south left Kirksville at 12:45 p. m. and 8:00 p. m., and the trains going north at 11:05 a. m. and 8:00 p. m. But these accommodations were not permanent. In 1874 there was only one passenger a day each way, and the St. Louis papers did not reach Kirksville until the day after publication. It i> not known how long these poor accommodations lasted, but it is known that by 1882 at least the trains ran so that the St. Louis papers were brought at a satisfactory hour.

The name of the road was changed in February, 1872, to St. I/mis. Kansas City and Northern Railroad. It was subsequently acquired by the Wabash Railroad company, which had been buying up a number of roads east and west of the Mississippi. In 1879 these various roadwere consolidated under the name of Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific R.R. Later the system passed into the hands of a receiver. On October 21. 1889, it was sold to the present Wabash Company. In 1899 the Wabash system comprised 2,230 miles of road connecting St. Louis, Kansas City Chicago, Detroit, Toledo and Buffalo.

In July, 1894, there occurred one of the most extensive railroad strikes in the history of this country. It grew out of trouble between the Pullman Palace Car Company and its employees over the question of wages. The American Railway Union took up the causes of the Pullman employees, and in July. 1894, all railroads that handled the Pullman cars in the west were brought to a stand still for several days. The Wabash Railroad was one of the roads thus tied up. For days not a train passed over that road through Kirksville, and according to the Democrat for July 0, 1894, rust covered the track and the depot had a holiday air. Many people in Kirksville vividly remember the inconvenience caused by this suspension of train service.

and a little to the south of the present depot. It was partially destroyed by fire on June 1, 1895. It had been partly burned down in April. 1885, but had been repaired and made to do service for ten years more. 'Die citizens met in a couple of days after the fire in 1895, and petitioned the railroad to build a new depot. The railroad responded favorably to this request and built a new frame depot on the site of the present depot. There was some agitation in favor of compelling the two roads to maintain a union depot at the junction, but it never amounted to anything. The new depot was occupied in November, 1895. Thi> was burned to the ground on December 19, 1907, whereupon the railroad built t he present brick depot. There was again a good deal of agitation in favor of a union depot, but it failed again.

The "O. K." Railroad.- The North Missouri Railroad gave Kirk>- ville easy connection with St. Louis and Kansas City and points south. Rut as yet connections with Quincy and Chicago were difficult. It was quite natural that a railroad running east and west through the county should be desired. From the time the county was first settled Quincy had been one of the important trading points for the people of this region. Both Kirksville and Quincy saw the advantage a railroad would be in maintaining their long time connections. Kirksville seems to have taken the lead in the agitation. As early as 1807, before the North Missouri road was built to Kirksville, a railroad committer composed of fifteen of Adair County's prominent citizens, was at work.

A railroad convention was held in Quincy in May, 1869, to which delegates came from various sections interested. It was resolved to do everything possible towards getting a road from Quincy to Kirksville. On June 24, 1809 a big railroad convention was held in Kirksville, which resulted in the organization of a company with a capital of SO, 000.000.

No time seems to have been lost in preparing for the work of construction. A preliminary survey had been made in 1808 for the Quincv and Missouri Railroad from Quincy to Newark and Edina in Knox County, and in October, 1809, the line of the Quincy, Missouri and Pacific R. R. was surveyed to the Chariton River. Ground was broken west of Quincy for the new road on February 23, 1870 and actual construction was begun.

When it appeared that the road would be a reality, the people of Kirksville and Adair County redoubled their activity in the matter. The favorable attitude of the people towards the project is seen in tinvote that was cast on March 29, 1870, on the proposition to subseri!>e

$100,000 in county bonds to the capital stock of the new railroad. The vote stood 760 for and only 237 against. In Benton township the vote was 438 for and only 9 against. The proposition carried with the following conditions attached: $25,000 in bonds were to be issued when grading was completed from eastern line of county to Kirksville; $50,000 when iron is laid from West Quincy to Kirksville; $25,000 when the is completed through the county.

It was felt, however, that the prize was worth still greater effort. A meeting of Kirksville citizens was held in the office of De France & Hooper on December 14, 1870, to consider the advisability of additional subscriptions to the capital stock. C. A. Savage, President of the new road, made a speech telling what it was proposed to do. It was voted I y this meeting that it would be advisable for Benton township to issue M0.000 in bonds which should be subscribed to the capital stock of the fumpany. This proposition was put to a vote of the people of the town- >:iip in July, 1871 , but it was defeated by a vote of 233 for and 241 against. >trps were taken, however, for an immediate resubmission, and on August 10 it was carried by a vote of 487 to 111. The outcome was very pleasing. Bonfires, music, and speeches were indulged in on the night of the election.

Meanwhile, interest was quickened in Quincy. Influence had been bought to bear upon the Illinois legislature to pass a law to allow Quincy 'o issue city bonds to assist in the building of this railroad, but the ' 'overnor vetoed it. The legislature then passed a law over the Governor's veto in April, 1871, and Quincy proceeded to issue her bonds. IV vote in Quincy on the bonds was 1,940 for and only 185 against.

Adair County and Quincy were not the only communities that "tiered financial support. Practically every county along the proposed line from Quincy to Brownsville, Nebraska, made some sort of sub-

The work of construction proceeded slowly. It was December. 1871 before the road was finished to Lewiston. By January. 1S72. it was completed to La Belle, and by March it was at Edina.

Contracts were let for the grading, bridging and trestle work l«- tween Edina and Kirksvillc in October, 1871, with the condition that the work should be completed by April, 1872. Iron was laid to Lewiston by December, 1871, and iron was then on hand to complete tin road to Edina. Work was pushed on the extension west from Edina after that point was reached, and it was completed on August 27.

The completion of the road to Kirksvillc was made the occasion for a demonstration. The last section of the track to be completed between Kirksvillc and Edina lay six miles east of town. At about three o'clock on the afternoon of August 27, President Savage took with him ten or twelve prominent citizens of Kirksvillc on a conct ruction train down to the place where the crews were at work. The work \va> completed at about seven o'clock that evening, and the two construction trains and the special passenger train that had come from the eastern end of the line pulled into Kirksvillc. Their arrival had been awaited by a crowd of 500 Kirksvillians, and as the last train pulled in cheer after cheer went up, and three salutes were fired by De Kemp's artillery.

The railroad put in a turn table at Kirksvillc at once, and regular trains to and from Quincy were inaugurated by the first week in September.

On October 1, 1872, the completion of the road was formally celebrated by the company by way of a grand excursion from Kirksvill* and other points on the road to Quincy. Quincy made big preparations for the event. The train was met at the depot by an immense crowd, and artillery salutes were fired as the train pulled into the station. The Mayor of Quincy welcomed the guests of the day. and President Baldwin of the State Normal School of Kirksvillc, responded. The excursionists were invited to take carriages and they were taken over the city. The day was pleasantly spent and was long remembered by the people of Kirksvillc and Quincy alike.

In December. 1872. the present frame depot was built at Kirksvillc, and it proves somewhat a shock to one's feeling to find that tin newspapers of that time characterized it as a "handsome" building.

Tra Nsportation Faci Lit1 Es

In these later days a term quite the opposite has been the one used in describing it. This depot has proved to l>e "fire-proof" so far, much to the regret of the citizens of Kirksville. The Wabash depot burned twice, and a better depot was acquired each time. The O. K. depot won't t>um and it remains practically the same. In 1895 theO. K. promised a new depot, and has frequently renewed the promise. In 1896 it pro- !>o-*d the erection of an immense depot reaching from Franklin to Elson Greets, provided the latter street was closed up across its tracks, but this was declined by the city council.

After the road was completed to Kirksville special efforts were !iws>arv to get another depot between Kirksville and the eastern line "t the county. The history of these efforts is given in full in the diaper on Brashear. It is only necessary to note here that the people in tlie eastern part of Salt River township were exceedingly desirous of :i depot, and they arranged to vote bonds upon themselves to the amount >f $6,000. provided the road would build a depot in that part of the township. It seems as though the proposition to issue bonds for this purpose :iad failed to carry in the whole township, so it was granted by the county '"tirt that the eastern and western halves of the township should vote "ii the question separately. On September 2, 1871, the eastern half "! the township voted by a vote of 73 to 22 to issue $6,000 in bonds -r a depot, tracks and switch. At the same time the western half reused to issue $12,000 in bonds for the same purpose by a vote of 2 r" -»". In January, 1873, the company had complied with the propo- >.,fion by way of opening up a depot at Brashear and drew the $0,000 Ixmds for East Salt River bonds.

It was expected that the road would be extended west of Kirks- V-Ie at once, but this expectation was long unfulfilled. By 1876 the road had been extended to the Chariton bottoms and much coal was thus taken to market.

Quiney is largely responsible for the extension of the road from Kirksville to Trenton. In March, 1877, a meeting of the prominent niunufaeturers of that place occurred, and it was resolved to urge the 'tension of the road to at least Trenton. Iti a few months, Quiney, through her town council, voted to issue §250,000 in bonds for the completion of the road to Trenton. The U. S. Supreme Court decided Quiney could issue these bonds, and Quiney began to get them out. Ry August. 1878 the grading was completed to the Sullivan County line, and the laying of the track west of Kirksville had begun. In ( >et"l*T. 1878, the bridge over the Chariton River was completed and an s

The extension from Milan to Trenton was effected by the Wabash. St. Louis and Pacific R. R. Company, which had leased this road in 1879 for a term of ninety-nine years. Trenton took an active interest in securing this extention by way of raising $50,000 for that purpose

The passing of the Wabash system into the hands of a receiver during the eighties terminated the lease of the Q. M. & P. R. R.. whereupon the stockholders foreclosed the mortgage and took possession and reorganized it early in 1888, under the name of the Quincy, Omaha and Kansas City R. It. From this time the road has been known a* the "(). K.," or the Quincy Route, the latter being the official short name.

In 1897 the road was extended from Trenton to Pattonsburg, connecting there with the Omaha and St. Louis Railroad, which gave an extension to Omaha, and shortly after that the road was extended from Pattonsburg to Kansas City. The name was then changed to Omaha Kansas City and Eastern.

The San ta Fe Railroad. The third railroad to In* built through the county was the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe. This line originally operated only in Kansas, having been projected from Atchison by way of Topeka to the Arkansas Valley. In 1874 it entered Kansa- City over its own tracks, and by 1881 it was extended to Kl Paso. Ii soon began to plan for an extension from Kansas City to Chicago, and by April. 1888. completed the work. The survey .brought the road through the southeastern part of Adair County, and citizens of Kirk**- ville saw the advantage there would be in having it pass through t hiplace. In January. 1887, a citizens' meeting was called by Mayor Ii. W. Ross to consider the advisability of making an effort to seeur<- the building of the railroad through Kirksville. Subsequently a pro|>- osition was made to the company that if the road were built through Kirksville a liberal subsidy would be offered, but the company declined owing to the fact that an effort was being made to make the line U> Chicago as direct and short a one as possible, and to come to Kirksville would lengthen it more than was advisable. The original line as surveyed through the county was adhered to. A depot was established

The Iowa and St. Louis Railroad. - The building of the fourth railroad in the county, the Iowa and St. Louis Railroad, is closely connected with the coal industry of the county. For years coal has been mined at various places along the Chariton River, but with the exception of two or three places where the railroads crossed this river, the OOftl industry was not very extensively developed. It was all a (pies- tion of cheap and quick transportation. A mine located several miles from a railroad could not be operated on a largo scale. Many men who knew how rich the coal fields were along the Chariton saw the opportunity that lay awaiting some one who would construct a railroad up and down that river. All that was needed was the right man to take hold and push.

In the early part of May, 1901, \V. S. MeCaull, then claim agent for the Q. (). <fc K. C. R. R., while Bitting at a country hotel in Adair County, overheard a conversation between a railroad official and a coal operator about the possibility of building a railroad from Centerville,

Iowa, down the Chariton. This matter appealed to Mr. McCaull immediately. He knew personally of the eoal fields around Centerville and in Adair County. It oeeurred to him that he might try his hand at building a railroad. The next day he consulted with H. F. Reddig. then chief clerk to the General Manager of the 0. K. R. R., and H. H. Kendrick, then auditor for the same company. These three men thereupon organized a company, and on May 11, 1901. filed articles of incorporation for the Iowa. St. Louis Railway Company.

This company had an authorized capital stock of SoO.OOO.UO, ami was organized to build a railroad five miles in length from a point on the (). K. C. <fc E. R. R., at or near Novinger, northward to Shibley"> Point. The articles provided that when the capital stock should have been increased sufficiently the company would construct a railroad to Center ville, Iowa. H. F. Reddig was made President of the company; H. H. Kendrick, .Secretary and Auditor; W. S. McCaull, Yiee-PreHdent and General Attorney. The combined credit of these three men was not enough to have enabled them to buy one mile of right of way. but they set to work to procure mining leases upon several thousand acres of good coal land, and managed to build a track of four or five milenorth from a connection made with a mine track owned by the Kan>a> City Midland Coal Company, which was in time connected with the (). K. track at Novinger.

Before the end of the first year of the corporate existence of the company, a Chicago syndicate composed chiefly of Gates, Lambert and Keefe, became interested in this project and bought the road. They reorganized the company, retaining Reddig as President and Kendrick as Secretary and Auditor. Plans were made for constructing a road from Des Moines to Macon. Mo., and later on from Macon to St. Louis. In a short time the track was laid from Connelsvillc to (Vnterville.

Meanwhile, a very bitter controversy arose between the O. K. and the I. «fc St. L. over the Kansas City Midland track, which connected the two roads. Some time in March, .John W. Gates ordered Reddig r«> take possession of the Midland track. Thereupon Reddig proceeded t«» spike all the switches leading from the O. K. main line to the Midland track. As soon as the general officials of the O. K. heard what was ing on, some of them proceeded in person to Novinger, and about tivr o'clock one morning, after having had the spikes drawn from the swit cachet ween the Midland and the O. K.,they passed with an engine and calx*)- down the Midland and the I. & St. L. tracks to Connelsvillc, wherthey took up three car loads of coal from a mine there and returned t>»

Novinger. They then dumped a heavy box-car across the I. & St. L. right of way, and tore up the connection between that road and the Midland track. It seems that such a trick had been anticipated and a watchman had been placed at the connection between the I. & St. L. and the Midland. But he grew tired during his watch and went off to sleep, and while he slept the officials passed and repassed on their trip to Connelsvillc. Had he remained on duty he could have given the alarm and a force under the I. & St. L. could have torn up the track and bottled up an O. K. engine and caboose with officials on board. Before the (). K. officials could finish the work of tearing up the connection;? between the I. & St. L. and Midland tracks, the I. & St. L. officials had a force out to protect their property, but this force was not large enough to oppose effectively those working under orders from the (). K. officials. Excitement ran high, but only one altercation was reported, and tfiat was between a drunken miner and an O. K. section boss. Later in the day the I. <fe St. L. officials attempted to take up part of the Midland track, but the men who were doing the work were arrested and put under bond. The difficulty was settled in March, 1903, by the C. B. 4 buying all of the stock of the I. & St. L., and putting the management of the road in the hands of the O. K. officials.

The first work undertaken by the new management was the practical rebuilding of the road. All train service between Novinger and (entemlle was suspended until June, 1903, when regular train service *as installed from Novinger to Sedan, Iowa. Later the seven miles "f road from Sedan to Centerville were abandoned and the track taken UP During 1903 the road was extended from Xovinger to Mercyville 'now Elmer), but has never been built any farther, so that today the rtiad extends from Sedan to Elmer. At Sedan connection is made with K'K»kuk and Western Road. Most of the right of way has been secured t'» Macon, and it is planned to build to this point some time soon.

It has been said that the acquisition of this road by the (\ B. & Q. ta> checked the development of the coal industry as it had been planned *W the I. & St. L. was first inaugurated, owing to the interest of the ( B. <fc Q. in other coal fields.

Proposed Links. - There has been a good deal of agitation in the pa*t for a railroad passing through the county from the southeast to the northwest. Various lines under different names were projected. »uch as the Hannibal & Omaha R. R., St. Louis and Northwestern, or

St. Louis and Omaha R. R., Sioux City and St. Louis R. R. Thes^ railroad schemes were talked of between 1888 and 1892, and at times thenwas a good deal of excitement over what appeared to he good prospects over a short line from St. Louis to Omaha passing through Kirksville. In a special edition of the Democrat for March 29, 1888, a railroad map of the county was given in which not only the railroads in operation were shown, hut also two new projected roads. Up to the present nothing has ever come of these schemes.

For some years recently there has been some agitation in favur of trolley lines connecting Kirksville with towns in other counties. Among the routes proposed the one most talked about was to run from Hannibal to Kirksville. During the year 1910 the matter was talked of very extensively, but as yet nothing material has developed.

Railroad Wrecks. - Railroad wrecks have been neither numerous nor disastrous in the county. So far as an examination of the newspapers has been carried only two wrecks have been discovered to have occurred in the county which were accompanied by loss of life. One was on the Wabash on January 16, 1883. The morning train going south was wrecked near Millard, resulting in the killing of Dr. F. M. Nickell ami in the injury of a good number of people. The other was on the Santa Fe on August 12, 1894. Two vestibule passenger trains collided near Gibbs while going at full spped. The collision was due to one of the engineers failing to obey orders to stop at Gibbs. Two men were killed outright, an engineer and an express messenger, and eight injured, some very seriously.