Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 August 1879 — THE NARROW GAUGE RAILROAD. [ARTICLE]

THE NARROW GAUGE RAILROAD.

At the request of a majority of the stockholders of the Chicago & Ind. Southorn R. W. Co., I visited Rensselaer and Delphi last week, and opened negotiations with the I. D. & C. R. W. Co., commonly called the Narrow Gauge railroad. I drove through to Rensselner. Mr. Ball accompanied me that far. There we saw Mr. McCoy, the president, and Mr. Thompson, the banker and one ot the directors of the N. G. R. W. Co. We saw R. 8. Dwiggiiis, and Lawyer Thompson and several other gentlemen, citizens of Rensselaer who were not connected with the road. They were all very anxious to make connection with Chicago as soon as practicable, and seemed to think very favorable of our proposition, but referred us to Col. Yeoman, the president of the construction corps. The Col. wrote me he would meet us at Rensselaer Tuesday evening; but he had arranged for an excursion from Rensselaer to Delphi, for Wednesday, and had to work nearly all night to get his track ready, and trains in order, for the event; but he came to Rensselaer Wednesday morning, and came to my room about 5 A. M. and apologized for not coming the evening before, and informed us that he would be compelled to start back to Delphi at 7 o’ciock, and insisted that we should go with him: and that he would spend the day with us. Mr. Ball concluded to return here that morning, and I went on the excursion to Delphi. The distance from Rensselaer to Delphi is 40 miles ; but the train stopped at Pittsburg, on the west side of the Wabash. Thore Mr. Yeoman had carriages ready to take all his passengers across the river to Delphi, a distance of one mile from Pittsburg. The railroad would have been completed to Delphi, by that time, but before the bridge across the Wabash was completed it was resting partially on false supports, in its construction, the big rain in July sent the drift wood down tuia vanicu aivaj SiUOUt two-thirds of the bridge. It will take about all this month to build the bridge and get to Delphi. In September they have some elections, on the line towards Indianapolis. After these elections Mr. Yeoman and Mr McCoy will come here, and to Lowell, to look over the country, and especially our proposed line; and if they find matters as favorable as we represent them, will go at once to work.

At Delphi I had a rery pleasant and satisfactory consultation with Pres. McCoy and Col. Yeoman. They received the proposition with favor, and will go over our line before the 3d of October, and meet Mr. Young and M. M. Towle,at South Chicago, and will then come to some definite conclusion. If the N. G. should come to Lowell and Cedar Lake, Cedar Creek and West Creek townships will be required to vote a tax of one per cent, in addition to what they have voted. That will help the road out of the woods and over the hills of the lake. If it comes through Eagle Creek it will be less expensive, and the Eagle Creek folks can raise the required amount by subscription. The right of way on either of these lines, need not be more than GO feet. From Crowp Point to Hammond the right of way must be 100 feet and tlie Chicago & S. Ind. must get that, build a grade on it, and donate one half to McCoy and Yeoman’s Co., and the other half to Collet, of Terre Haute & Evansville standard gauge railroad Co. There are parties in Chicago, with Mr Young at the head, who will take the tax already voted in this township, and take the chances of raising enough more of parties on the line, and in Chicago and South Chicago, and get the right of way and build the grade, and do the work at once, and wait for the tax to come

I was surprised to find the same comfort and conveniences in the coaches of the N. G. E. B. that are found in the coaches of the standard gauge roads. The style, the build, and the arrangements ot the interior of the cars are the same as the S. G. cars, only in the N. G. cars the seats are not quite so long, the isle a little narrower. They will carry jurt as msiliy passengers, and just as comfortably. The track the whole distance, is in a very good condition for a new road, and in fact the cars run as smoothly as they do on any old road. It crosses the New Albany road at Bradford, and the Logansport & Peoria railroad at Monticello, and the Wabash & Western at Delphi. And everybody that I talked with, without an exception, spoke in favor of the N. G. for local business. At Delphi I met Dr. Charles Angell, the vice-president, and the following directors: Enoch Rinehart, paper manufacturer; Abner H. Brewer, banker; Vine Holt, dry goods merchant; S. B. Bushnel. and many other leading citizens. They all thought very favorably of our proposition, but universally said Col. Yeoman should say, and they would sanction him.- The Col. has a contract to build the road. The Co. give him sfi,ooo in first mortgage bonds and $6,000 capital stock, per mile, and the right to run the road in perpetuity. So the Col. is the man, but the Delphi people have $-">0,000 to bo expended, in iron,in Lake county, whenever the road bed is profiled’The road will strike, at Hammond and South Chicago, all the eastern lines of railroad, thus virtually making a cut-off for the Pittsburg & Ft. Wayne, B. & 0., L. S. & M. S. and M. C. We can pay as much for grain j here as they do on the Joliet Cut-off, hence ! if will compote with the Pan-Flandle for our j

Southern traffic.—[Elihu Griffiin, in Crown Point Cosmos. “Fred Hoover, recognized as the shrewdest democratic politician in our senatorial district, spent a friendly hour in The Union office Saturday afternoon. Mr. Hoover is flattered with the Idea that the democratic supreme court of Indiana will be compelled by partisan consideration, if all others fail, to render a decision in favor of himself and Mr. Lee in their contested case with the acting board of directors of the northern prison, which case fhey are to hear and decide in September.” etc. The consul assumes to state that Fred. Hoover “is flattered with the idea” he attributes to him. He is very careful not to say that Fred. Hoover so revealed hiuuelf unto him, for thut gentleman is “recognized as the shrewdest democratic politician in our senatorial district”—too shrewd by far to give himself away in that shape to the Turk Island diplomatist —and wtffild no doubt promptly give It the lie. The consul is only playing the diplomat, with a view, if possible, of prejudicing the case of Messrs Hoover and Lee, which is to be decided at the next term of the supreme court.