Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 161, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 July 1915 — CHANGE OF RAILROAD ROUTE IN RENSSELAER [ARTICLE]

CHANGE OF RAILROAD ROUTE IN RENSSELAER

Meeting at Court House Attended by Several and Pledge to Make Change Was Proposed. Citizens of the town attended a meeting of the Lafayette and Northwestern Railroad Co., which proposes a road through this city. Mr. Brown, who has been here for some time, had with him Patrick Hirsch, of the Talbot Construction Co., of New York. Mr. Brown made a few remarks stating that the company which Mr. Hirsch represents is heartily endorsed by two banking firms in letters to him. He stated that it had been definitely decided that the road would run past the college, across the river and down Cullen street. He said that before Monday a written contract would be made with the college that the road would run along College avenue and not between the college and the Indian School as originally planned. The former profiles

had been filed but a letter from the secretary of state stated that the rule of filing blue prints applied only to steam roads, and the road will not be built across the river as originally planned. Mr. Brown was accompanied here by Ed Collins, a Lafayette attorney; by Attorney M. B. Beard and A. W. Lux, of Wolcott; and by Patrick Hirsch, Paul Hirsch and George H. Lester, of New York. * The company which Mr. Hirch represents will buy 60 per cent of the bonds of the company and the railroad must provide the other forty per cent. Mr. Hirsch’s company has built about sixteen railroads as he says “on the ground.” They have recently finished an $8,000,000 job in New York and now have the contract for a road to run between Quincy and Peoria. The company has had 22 years’ experience and is willing to give bond of a considerable sum that the company will carry out their contract if the people do their part. The men representing the company seemed to make a favorable impression and encouragement was given by a number of prominent men of this city.