Lafayette County, Missouri - Chapter 12: Railroading, Transportation and Steamboating, 1910

Chapter 12: Railroading, Transportation and Steamboating

The first river navigation on the Missouri was effected by keel boats - long, narrow boats propelled by many oarsmen - and it was in this type of boats that the first traders and emigrants made their way up the waters of the great river as far as Lafayette county. The first merchandise was also brought up the river in the same way. The next step in river transportation was the introduction of steamboats. The first steamboat that ever glided up to the Missouri was the "General Pike," from Louisville, Kentucky, landing at St. Louis, August 2, 18 17. The first steamer to enter and come up the Missouri was the "Independence," that left the wharf at St. Louis May 15, 1 8 19. The next steamboat to ply the waters of the Missouri river was the one belonging to Major S. H. Long's United States exploring expedition. This passed up the stream in the month of June, 18 19, and was a part of a fleet, the balance being made up of nine keel boats. It was this fleet that was first witnessed by the few pioneers who were then living in Lafayette county, and from then on steamboats soon became the common carriers for produce and passengers along this river, and frequently landed at the various wharves of this section of the state.

The next great change was effected by the building of railroads, and it was when the first bridge was sought to be chartered over the Mississippi river, at Rock Island, Illinois, that the railroad interests met with bitter opposition from the river men and the steamboating industry. Congress was asked to thwart the railroad plans, and it was made to appear that building of railroad bridges across the great navigable water courses of the country would so obstruct and impede water navigation as to render it useless. It was only after a long contest that Congress finally granted the charter for constructing the bridge just named. But it was only ten years after the building of the Mississippi railroad bridge at Rock Island, before the same men in Congress, especially the representatives from Missouri, were pleading with their colleagues to grant a charter for the building of the bridge at St. Louis. Draw bridges or bridges high enough to admit the free passage of boats up and down the river were provided, so that both steamboating and rail transportation could operate at will.

As time went on and railroads became a power and demanded too high freight rates, the tables turned again, and about 1880 a gigantic barge system was instituted by business interests and shippers of the middle West. The first aid toward this innovation in transportation was the construction of the jetties at the mouth of the Mississippi river, by Capt. James B. Eads, of St. Louis. This was authorized by Congress in 1875, and cost five million dollars. Then came the great barge system for carrying cargoes of heavy, rough freight, such as iron, salt, brick, grain and lumber. Direct water communication was at once established between St. Louis and Europe by this water route. A report made in the St. Louis Republican in April, 1881, stated that: "There were started from St. Louis yesterday eighty trains of grain to New Orleans, the same being made up of three barge company's boats filled with more than a half-million bushels of grain. This amount would have filled one thousand, two hundred railway cars and equaled sixty ordinary railway trains of twenty cars each. All this wheat was put in fifteen barges. These barges were piloted down the Mississippi by three tow-boats and reached New Orleans in about nine days."

During the months of February, March and April, 1881, there was shipped by these barges from St. Louis wheat amounting to one million, eight hundred and forty thousand bushels, corn to the amount of three million bushels, oats amounting to fifty thousand bushels and rye amounting to twenty-two thousand bushels. Hence it will be discovered that the shipping interests of the middle West were suddenly changed, and this brought about a great revolution in railroading.

No important change marks the history of transportation since then until the present decade, during which time another change has been inaugurated, that of United States river and harbor improvement by Congress. This was brought about by the aid and suggestion of Theodore Roosevelt, while President. Deep waterway conventions were held at various points, and public attention called toward the great advantages to be had by so improving the channels of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, with other waterways of the country, that water routes to the seaboard might be more effective and complete. Just now these streams are being surveyed and funds being appropriated for the extensive river channel improvements, even as far north on the Missouri as Kansas City and Sioux City. The business men of these upper Missouri cities have subscribed liberally, and the general government had appropriated such amounts as will bring about another state of improved water transportation within a few years, at longest. To be able to send grain, stock and other products of the Northwest down the great rivers to the seaboard and thence on to foreign countries will indeed go far toward truly developing this section of the country, and at the same time be a check on railroad monopoly on certain commodities, thus proving a benefit to the common people and producers. This legislation has not been of the ordinary partisan type, but espoused by both of the great political parties of the country.

Concerning the early-day steamboat landings in this county, and other things connected with river freighting, we draw from old files and publications printed in the forties and fifties :

In 1843 tne Lexington Express stated that "The distance from Fine's Landing, near Waverly, to St. Louis is three hundred and twenty-nine miles ; Dover Landing, near Berlin, three hundred and thirty- four miles; Lexington Landing, three hundred and forty- four miles; Wellington Landing, two hundred and fifty miles ; Wolf's Landing, three hundred and fifty-nine miles ; Napoleon Landing, three hundred and seventy-five miles."

From the same paper files it is learned that in February, 1844, notice was published to the citizens living on the north side of the river that the proprietors of the ferryboat, Messrs. Pomeroys, would, for the ensuing twelve months, carry all traders, together with their produce and teams, across the Missouri free of charge. This did not include firewood, rails and loose cattle.

In May, 1844, appeared the following : "The steamer 'Western Belle' lay at this landing all day, receiving freight, including one hundred and thirty tons of hemp, which was to be shipped to St. Louis by one house."

About the same date : "The steamer 'Western Belle' will take the Lafayette county delegation to St. Louis for six dollars each for the round trip, and while on board and at St. Louis board them, the boat to be furnished with good music, and a gun."

From another Missouri newspaper is copied the following : "The United States snagboat 'Sampson' has passed up the Missouri, drawing out many snags on its route. It is a magnificent sight to see this great monster take hold of large walnut trees six feet in diameter and more than a hundred feet long, fifty feet of which have been imbedded in the mud for five hundred years (possibly), and draw it out with the ease of a dentist extracting a tooth. The largest sycamore, walnut and cottonwood trees are pulled out, sawed and set afloat in the stream. Many trees imbedded in the river more than a

September 26, 1843 - "The clerks of the steamers 'Lexington,' 'Jonn Anil' and Tone' are each entitled to our thanks for late papers and other favors."

October 3, 1843 - "The new steamer 'Lexington' arrived at our landing on the 24th ult. She was detained several weeks on her way from Pittsburg (Pennsylvania) by the extreme low stage of water in the Ohio for the last two months. At last she was released and made her escape and made westward in good plight. May success attend the 'Lexington of Missouri.' :

These scenes of a half-century ago may be revived in the near future, if the deep waterway scheme is made a success. But the boats and general operations will be of a new and modern plan. The old-time warehouse system and busy scenes about the wharves of this county may again be brought back to our people, who have long ago abandoned the steamboat and barge for the passenger and freight trains. It should not be expected that there will ever come a time when the old means of river transportation will materially affect passenger traffic, for we live in too fast an age for doing away with the rapidlymoving express train, but that our freight will be conveyed to and from the seaboard by such facilities, can be counted on as certain.

The first steam railroad constructed in the United States was the Baltimore & Susquehanna line, in 1830, though horse railroads had been in use in coal mines and quarries several years prior to that time, and in three cases engines had been used on such roads.

The earliest movement for railroads in Missouri was the call for a convention at St. Louis, April 20, 1835, and that body resolved to build two lines in this state - one from St. Louis to Fayette, Howard county, and the other southward to Pilot Knob. The St. Louis & Iron Mountain line made its survey in 1840. The Missouri Pacific was the first road to be completed in Missouri. It was incorporated in 1849 an<^ cost fourteen million dollars. Ground was first broken on this line July 4, 1851 ; it reached Sedalia in the spring of 1861, and that was the terminus until 1863. On September 19, 1865, tne last rail was laid and the line from Kansas City was connected with that from St. Louis, and train service commenced between the two cities. By 1880 - thirty years ago - the state had fifty main line and branch roads and over three thousand, six hundred miles of railroads, with not a single county north of the Missouri river that did not have one or more roads. These lines were operated by twenty-five separate corporations. At this date, 1910, there are eight thousand, one hundred and two miles of railroads within the state.

The first public meeting in Lafayette county looking toward the construction of a railroad was a mass meeting held on Monday, October 11, 1859, at which time resolutions were passed and were published. From such publications we extract the following :

"That Jackson county, Kansas City and other influences west will be amply sufficient to insure the completion of said contemplated road from Lexington to Kansas City, and therefore it behooves us in Lafayette county more especially to look to the completion of said beginning point to the city of Lexington.

"Therefore, be it resolved, to wit : That we ask the honorable county court of Lafayette county to subscribe half a million dollars for the purpose of building a road from said place of beginning (a point between Georgetown and Knob Noster) to Kansas City, by the way of Lexington, and to be applied toward the construction of that part of said road between the city of Lexington and place of beginning, to be paid in five equal installments (annually), the first beginning in 1861. The county in her corporate capacity not to retain any stock after all the subscriptions shall have been paid up ; but to remain a stockholder to the extent of a half-million dollars until the first installment shall have been paid, and certificates of stock issued to the taxpayers, then to be reduced one-fifth, and in the like ratio each year until all the stock is paid up.

"Second, that in order to test the voice of the people of the county upon this proposition, a poll be opened at the respective places of voting in said county, on the 14th day of November, 1859, and that each voter of the county be requested to vote for or against the proposition.

"Third, that we desire our county court to reserve a controlling and protecting influence in said subscription, and guard our interests from fraud and misapplication of our means, and to see that our money shall not be spent without a certainty of procuring the road.

An election followed this, the same being held November 14, 1859, and it was the first of many railroad votes cast in Lafayette county. The votes stood as follows :

Under the old state constitution the county court had unlimited power to make its appropriations, but not so under the later constitution. However, the county court at that day acted wisely, as they asked the people to show their desire by casting the above mentioned vote, which was carried in favor of the appropriation of half a million dollars, by a majority of nine hundred and eleven votes.

The county judges at that date were T. G. Smith, Richard Carr and Charles S. Tarleton. It was the latter gentleman who was appointed by his colleagues to act for the court, and he took full charge of the matter of subscriptions, etc. The project went forward for a time, but in 186 1 the company not having started its eastern terminus as agreed upon by the terms of contract, the county court, by a majority, refused to pay over the money subscribed. The case went to the supreme court, and, the Civil war coming on, nothing more was done by either side until 1866. when the county court was duly released from its former contract with the company, and the case was finally dismissed.

In January and February, 1868, meetings were held at twenty different points within Lafayette county, with a view of voting five hundred thousand dollars to any railroad company that would build a line entirely across the county. The list of speakers, as printed in the papers of that date, show the following: Judge Norman Lackland, Judge William T. Wood, Judge William Walker, Col. John Reid, Dr. J. G. Russell, E.Winsor, Esq., and M. F. Gordon, Esq. The result of these mass meetings was a petition to the county court, which acted upon the same and ordered an election March 7, 1868. The conditions specified were that the road should run through the county so as to accom- modate the largest farming interests and the greatest number of citizens, and should establish a depot at the city of Lexington. Also that no bonds should be issued until enough had been subscribed along the line to grade and tie from Louisiana, Missouri, to the west line of the county of Lafayette, and all of this county's subscription should be used for work within this county. The result of the vote was :

The majority of the four hundred and forty votes on the proposition thus being given to the Louisiana & Missouri River railroad, it was supposed that Lafayette county was soon to see the iron horse steaming over its fair and fertile soil, but alas, such was not the case. The case was intermixed with the old company's affairs, the bonds were never issued and the road never materialized. The company to whom the first bonds had been voted in 1859 now again attacked the court and demanded the payment of the bonds. The case had fourteen several hearings before the court, then styled the "common pleas," and in July, 1868, a writ of mandamus was issued requiring the county court to issue to the Lexington & St. Louis Railroad Company bonds to the amount of almost a half million dollars.

About the tirne the Civil war broke out all railroad matters were left in abeyance and remained so till its close. It will be remembered that just after the close of the war the Southern sympathizers were disfranchised, and they constituted a large majority of the population of this county. Soon after the war a great spirit of public improvement suddenly developed all over Missouri, and Lafayette county especially seemed possessed. The government was in unaccustomed hands. The carpet-baggers were in evidence, though not to the extent that they abounded in the more Southern states. They were just as numerous, perhaps, but were not allowed such absolute and long-continued control. However, there were enough for acquaintance's sake. Lafayette county's share was not confined to one political party, but both parties furnished their quota. There were both Republican and Democratic carpet-baggers. The "promoter" was in the land. The country was full of "prominent gentlemen" from the East, each with a scheme to make a whole community rich. It was only necessary to issue a few bonds and tax yourself a little, invest the proceeds in the stock of corporations represented by them and they would do the rest. Immigrants would flock to your section, manufactories would spring up, property increase in value and you would find yourself in affluence.

The railroad project was the principal game. Railroads to St. Louis, railroads to Kansas City, railroads east, west, north and south. Every community was besieged by the promoters of two or three separate railroads. Every municipal township was canvassed (in its own interest, of course) by these "philanthropists." There were wealthy corporations just anxious to build a railroad through every town, township, village and hamlet in the county. All that was needed was that the people should vote a bond issue (just a trifle of fifty or a hundred thousand dollars - a mere drop in the bucket to the real cost of the road) as an evidence of interest in the matter more than for any other purpose. The money and much more would be spent right in the neighborhood and employment given to everybody at the highest wages. Gentlemen of influence in every locality were induced to join in these schemes - some out of public spirit and others for what there was in it. All who were opposed to them and all who insisted on proceeding according to business methods and advised a strict inquiry into the matters, were vilified and abused and denounced on the stump and in the local papers. The mildest epithets applied to them were "mossbacks" and "obstructionists." There were many instances where it was dangerous to oppose these projects publicly, and there were men who by opposing their rascality carried their lives in their own hands. The bigger the fraud, and consequently the greater the call to expose it, the more dangerous was the task of so doing.

Lafayette county and six of her townships voted subscriptions and issued bonds for which they never received any returns and for the payment of which they are yet being taxed and will be for many years to come. As soon as the people who really owned and made the county came into their own again, they immediately put a stop to these proceedings and the great (16) game of railroad promoting came to an end, there being no longer a prostrate people to plunder. The promoter vanished and with him vanished the power that made him possible. The determined disposition of Missourians to manage the affairs of their own state for their own benefit was the occasion of raising the cry of "poor old Missouri" by the baffled adventurers from other states, in which they were joined by a few natives who had been willing to allow themselves to be taken hold of and managed as a province of another section, if by so doing they could have a hand in the plunder. The outcome of all this wild railroad projecting and the reckless extravagance in the management of the county's finances was a debt aggregating nearly a million and a half dollars, as follows :

In addition to the above, large sums were due as interest on the bonds and the county had besides this a floating debt in county warrants of nearly fifty thousand dollars. The first issue of bonds was about to become due. Suits had already been instituted against the county in the federal courts on interest coupons on which default had been made. Writs of mandamus compelling the county court to levy taxes to pay off judgments of the federal courts were daily expected to be issued. The people were sullen and dissatified. Great numbers of them refused to pay any taxes, and the delinquent list reached enormous proportions and a large and growing party calling aloud for outright repudiation of the bonded debt.

When all the circumstances are considered, these people were not so much to blame. It is hard to find a parallel to the reckless extravagance and foolish investments and downright stealing which had brought about this exciting state of affairs. Two hundred and forty thousand dollars of the county's railroad debt consisted of bonds which had been surreptitiously issued in the night by two members of the county court, without the knowledge of the other associate. It is but fair to say that one of these was a Democrat and one a Republican, and that the third, from whom the matter was kept a secret, was a Republican and would have opposed the whole scheme. Judge George H. Ambrose, presiding justice of the court, and also president of the railroad company to whom the bonds were issued, signed the bonds at night in the clerk's office, packed them in his grip and carried them away. This but illustrates the character of the men and the methods used by them in fastening this enormous bnrden of debt upon this county.

Proposed Railroads

In September, 1869, Dover township voted a tax of twenty-five thousand dollars to aid the proposed Louisiana & Missouri River road. These bonds were never issued, however, and ten thousand dollars in these bonds issued by the county were declared void by the United States court in 1875.

In October, 1869, twenty-five freeholders of Sniabar township petitioned for an election to vote thirty-five thousand dollars of township bonds to aid in the construction of the Lexington, Chillicothe & Gulf railroad. The election was ordered for November 13, 1869. The court records show that on December 6, 1869, the following townships voted by more than a two-thirds majority bonds to aid in the last-mentioned proposed railroad : Lexington township, $75,000; Sniabar township, $35,000; Washington township, $75,- 000.

On April 7, i860, Dover and Middleton townships held elections to vote fifty thousand dollars of their township bonds to aid the Louisiana & Missouri River railroad. The law disfranchising partisans of the Rebellion was still in force, but to meet this obnoxious condition both registered and unregistered men were called upon to vote, and the result was :

The great mass of unqualified voters resented the proposition and made a remonstrance at a meeting held at the Oakland church in Dover township in April following the election. They desired, however, to aid the railroad project by giving one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre on all lands they possessed. The road was never constructed as the bond issue was declared illegal.

In July, 1870, the county court was petitioned by about two dozen citizens to authorize an election on a proposition to vote seventy-five thousand dollars of bonds to aid in building the Northwestern branch of the Tebo & Neosha railroad. The election was ordered for August 20th, that year. The plan was to build from Waverly southward through Davis, Middleton and Freedom townships, to a junction with the grade of the Lexington & St. Louis line. J. D. Miller, L. L. Johnson and Paul Boob were the judges of this bond election. The result was : For bonds, seventy-six ; against bonds, two. The record shows that sixteen of the votes cast were by colored men, and the disfranchising clause of the constitution of 1865 was still in force.

Gen. J. O. Shelby had the contract to build this road. Work was commenced and enough done to require the issue of seventeen thousand dollars out of the seventy-five thousand dollars authorized, then work stopped and was never resumed. But the taxpayers were compelled to pay the seventeen thousand dollars. Neosha is the county seat of Newton county, in the southwest corner of Missouri, and the road as originally proposed was to run from there to Warsaw, on the Osage river, near the mouth of the Tebo creek, in Benton county, hence the name "Tebo" and this had no reference fas has been supposed by some) to Tabo creek, in Lafayette county.

Convention Of Taxpayers

Growing out of the burdensome railroad tax question, the schemes promoted, the frauds practiced and the general desire of all good citizens to have the advantages of a railroad system, and not have to pay such great taxes in order to secure the same, there was held a convention of the taxpayers of the county in 1874. The following has been gleaned from a report of this great meeting, as published in the Intelligencer of Lexington on February 10, 1875:

Seventy-five thousand dollars of bonds charged to the township of Lexington had been issued to the St. Louis & St. Joseph Railroad Company, in Ray county, which never built a dollar's worth of anything in Lafayette county. It was proved in court that they had been fraudulently delivered by the county judge, for a bribe of two hundred dollars. Thirty-five thousand dol- lars of bonds charged to Sniabar township, for the Lexington, Chillicothe & Gulf Railroad, had been issued on a vote of forty-one persons, mostly nontaxpayers, at a time when one hundred and seventy-five of the property owners were disfranchised. Seventy-five thousand dollars of similar bonds charged to Washington township had been issued in the same way. Four hundred and ninety-eight thousand dollars of county bonds had been issued by the county court under mandamus from the court of common pleas, but under protest from the county court and the people. Some of the bonds had been issued clandestinely by one of the judges, who afterward secured the signature of another one. Some of them had been issued by a judge who was president of the county court, and also at the same time president of the railroad receiving the bonds. Five hundred thousand dollars of bonds for the Louisiana & Missouri River Railroad Company were afterward declared void by the courts. Indeed, the facts brought out showed that there was a perfect conspiracy in Lafayette county and other Missouri counties, under the evil eye of what might well be called a "railroad ring."

Bonded Railroad Debt Compromise

Time went on and things looked worse for the honest taxpayers of Lafayette county than ever before. A series of taxpayers' conventions were held in various sections of the county. It was shown that both the township and county railroad bonds had been in many instances voted and issued under plain, high-handed fraud upon the part of designing men. Yet, they had been so ingeniously issued that innocent purchasers had bought of them freely and the higher courts held, in cases, that they were valid. So, in order to not engage in an endless litigation in contesting their payment, a compromise was thought the wisest thing to do. The final compromise terms suggested by the taxpayers' convention of November 29, 1875, was: To reduce the interest on all bonds from ten to eight per cent per annum and to pay from forty to eighty per cent of the face of the bonds ; all bonds to run twenty-five years, interest payable semi-annually. At this convention were representatives from among the best citizens in each of the eight townships. The officers of this last convention were: Charles L. Ewing, president; W. T. Gammon, vice-president; X. Ryland, secretary.

ness of two hundred thirty-eight thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars for the Lexington, Chillicothe & Gulf railroad alone. Let it be stated here that not a mile of road had been completed within the county.

When this vote was taken all voters were legally qualified, the disfranchising clause having been removed, hence there is no question but that this was the true sentiment of the people, legally expressed at the polls.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the taxpayers' convention was a great moving power in the settlement of the financial difficulties of the county. They met in December, 1874, as a convention fully representing every township and interest in the county. During its long-continued existence there were many schemes and projects proposed and much difference of opinion existed among the delegates. The county court, a majority of which had been elected in the fall of 1874, was called upon to take action, involving great personal sacrifice without much promise of relief. The difference of opinion caused the county court to resign in a body, thus leaving the taxpayers in full possession of the situation. On its petition to Governor Hardin it appointed a court of its choosing. The men appointed were John A. Prather, Amos Graves and William Young, the latter himself having written the call in the first instance which brought the convention together and was also a strong advocate of the compromise as finally submitted to the people and adopted by them, after the compromise had been approved by the people as hereinbefore stated. The county court was left in entire management of the whole matter of the county's finances. By rigid economy and by a firm, unflinching adherence to the determination to pay no bonded debt otherwise than was offered in the compromise, they gradually brought order out of chaos. The floating debt of the county was paid off in full, and county warrants were as good as greenbacks and, we may remark, have been kept so ever since. Ample preparations were made for the payment of the interest on the new compromise bonds and the practice has been strictly adhered to to this day, there never having been an hour's default in paying interest on the compromise bonds. Lafayette county's credit consequently has always stood at the highest and in 1901 the whole debt was refunded at three and a half per cent interest and the same policy of economy and honesty pursued.

The bonds of Freedom, Davis and Middleton townships have long since been paid. The complete history of public proceedings with reference to the county and township debts would make a volume of itself.

It will be seen that the work of the taxpayers' convention has been of incalculable value to the county. It furnishes a splendid illustration of the capacity of her citizens for managing her own affairs and their genius for self-government.

Dates Of Constructing Railroads In This Vicinity

In 1870-71 the Lexington Lake and Gulf line was completed from Lexington southward through the county, but the company failed and no ties were ever laid on the grade.

In 1878 the Chicago, Alton & St. Louis railroad was completed across the county from east to west. Bonds were then unlawful for railroad building, but donations, subscriptions and rights-of-way were given in aid of the line.

In 1910 every mile of railroad within Lafayette county is under the immediate control of the two corporations - the Alton and Missouri Pacific systems.

A Train Of Cars Seized For Taxes

Lafayette county has the honor of setting the pace for all other counties in Missouri in the matter of practically showing how railroad taxes may be collected. The tax on the property of the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad Company, which had bought out the old Lexington & St. Louis railroad, in July, 1875, amounted to six thousand two hundred and seventy-seven dollars, and Dr. William A. Gordon, a county tax collector, and William B. Steele, county clerk, sought to compel the payment of the same. Prior to this, counties having railroad taxes had much trouble in making collections. But the officers of this county "took the bull by the horns" and soon collected what the company owed them. One locomotive, nine box cars, three stock cars and one passenger coach at Lexington were attached and chained fast, under guard, and held as security. Suit was instituted, claiming a damage on the part of the company of twenty thousand dollars. The case went to the United States district court in 1876. The legal point raised was that the taxes were due in Lexington, Missouri, while the offices of the company were in another state, New York ; also that the railroad then in question had been transferred to another corporation, the Atlantic & Pacific, and not the one taxed, known then as the Lexington & St. Louis railroad.

"The claim was settled by compromise, and judgment allowed and rendered in favor of Lafayette county, State of Missouri, for the sum of eighteen thousand dollars, against the Lexington & St. Louis Railroad Company, bankrupt, on the 9th day of May, 1877, in the United States district court for the western district of Missouri, at Jefferson City."

The total cost to Lafayette county was three thousand eight hundred and fifteen dollars. Thus, the county won out in a long legal battle and also settled a question for all future railroad tax collections in Missouri.

Proposed Electric Line

The county is now the scene of preliminary work in the construction of a section of the great electric trolley system of rail highway being built from Kansas City to St. Louis. The survey has been about completed and the capital already raised. The conditions by which the right-of-way through this county was obtained provided that the following points, at least, should be touched : Bates City, Clay township ; Odessa, Sniabar township ; Mayview, Washington township; Higginsville, Davis township; Corder, Dover township, and Alma, in Middleton township. The corporation heading this road owns more than ten thousand acres of excellent coal land along its line and the design is to build immense power plants at the mines, use slack for fuel and save all transportation of coal in the production of electricity for lighting Kansas City and for power in that city, as well as to run its own line of passenger cars across the state to St. Louis.