Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 205, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 August 1915 — RAILROAD BUILT BY MRS MAY GO TO JUNK PILE [ARTICLE]

RAILROAD BUILT BY MRS MAY GO TO JUNK PILE

Atlantio & Southern Has Not Turned a Wheel Since January 1. IS ONLY 35 MILES LONG Strikers Once Ran It Till They Got Their “Back Pay”—Leslie M. Shaw Wanted It Once, But Changed Hla Mind. Atlantic, la. —The last chapter in the spectacular history of the Atlantic, ft Southern railroad is about to be written; the line is about to be sold for junk. The rails and ties will probably be taken up and carried to Arkansas, and they will be used in building k little railroad in that state. The stations be sold to anyone who will buy them and the right of way will rerert to the farmers along the way who originally donated most of it to the railroad that was to bring competition and a reduction in freight and passenger rates. Not a wheel has been turned on any portion of the road since January 1, and the owners are now negotiating for the sale of the property to W. Harding Davis of St. Louis, a dealer in second-hand railroad materials, for use of the line that is being built in Arkansas. The Atlantic ft Southern was unique among railroads. It is thirty-' five miles long and was completed on January 1, 1911, after a spectacular building race foK a price of $50,000 which was to be paid conditional upon the completion of the road upon that date. During the last month of building the work was carried on day and night, electric lights being strung along thq, line and double shifts, both as to men and horses, employed. The Job was completed with only a..few hours to spare and the first train to pass from end to end arrived at the terminal within less than one hour of the last moment possible for it to do so and yet win the prize. Built by Farmers. The little railroad was built in large part by farmers. Not only did the farmers finance the deal, but they performed most of the work. Whenever a farmer had nothing else to do, he hitched up his team, drove over ‘to the line and put in a day's work on the grade. Sometimes he was paid-' in actual cash; at other times he was given credit on his stock subscription, and at still others he was paid in stock of the road. Much of the right of way was donated by the farmers and some of the cross ties were cut by them and delivered free. The building of the Atlantic ft Southern followed closely upon the completion of the Atlantic ft Northern, a road about eighteen miles long, running northward from this town. But whereas the northern road was a success from the beginning, the Southern never paid operating expenses, much less a dividend. Operated by Strikers. At one tifte there was a strike on the road, the section men and the five trainmen quitting work because they had not been paid. They barricaded the line and for almost a month not a train was operated in either direction. Finally the strikers took possession, ran trains, took the money and- paid themselves off and then surrendered the property to the owners. The little road was expected to prove that a farming qpmmunity could finance and build its own transportation systems. Every farmer along the right of way took stock and gave donations; townß voted bonds to aid in

its construction. Then they got down to work and built the road. Although only thirty-five miles in length, the road had more directors than the Pennsylvania, New York Central, Union Pacific and a dozen other big systems -combined. At one meeting 300 of the directors were on hand —and they were not all there at that time, either. But the Atlantic ft Southern was not without prospects—and big ones, too. The late Edwin Hawley at one time had his eye on the property, and at the time of his death was preparing to purchase it and make it a connecting link between the Minneapolis & St. Louis, lowa Central, Chicago & Alton, Missouri, Kansas & Texas, Clover Leaf and Chesapeake ft Ohio roads. It waß his intention to extend the little line southward to Kansas City, northeastward to Des Moines and westward to Omaha. Leslie M. Shaw Wanted It. And after_Mr. Hawley's death Leslie M. Shaw, formerly secretary of the treasury, tried to buy the property at receiver’s sale. Mr. Shaw deposited $40,000 when the line was knocked down to him at auction, but failed to come forward with the remainder at the proper time and his deposit was confiscated. He is still fighting in the courts to get his money back. Two years ago, after passing through receivership, the line was sold at auction and was purchased by the firm which had furnished the cross Jies, the bid being the amount still due it. This firm operated the road for eighteen months, lost money every month and finally, on January 1, closed it down entirely. But the Atlantic ft Southern promises to live long in law and to furnish a precedent of vast importance. There is pending before the lowa state railroad commission Jesuit brought by the commerce counsel of the state to force the owners of the Southern to operate the road, whether expenses are being earned or not. This is the first case of this kind in any state in the Union and the decision will be fought through the highest federal courts, regardless of the side that wins before the commission. lowa is’ represented by J. H. Henderson, commerce counsel for the state, who contends that the builders of the road, took upon themselves an obligation to furnish transportation to the people -along the right of way and that they must fulfill this obligation regardless of their personal loss.