Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 57, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 October 1909 — MORE ABOUT THAT NEW RAILROAD. [ARTICLE]

MORE ABOUT THAT NEW RAILROAD.

The sentiment in Rensselaer is unanimous, so far as we can learn, for a north and south railroad, but there has been so much talk on this proposition in the last dozen years, and so little done, that it is not wise to Jump at the conclusion that the latest proposition means such a road right away quick. So faT as we can learn the “Indiana Northwestern Traction Com-

pany” haß no one behind it of very much wealth, some Monticello people probably being the most well-to-do in the bunch. Eugene Purtelle, who seeme-to be the principal man behind the move, is referred to as a Chicago board of trade man, yet we -are unable to find that he has any sort of rating whatever in Dunn’s or Bradstreet’s reports. He is a very young man, probably under 30 years, and 1b understood to have some ten or twelve “board of trade” agencies—commonly called bucketshops—in different places in Indiana besides the bucket-shop here. He has such offices at Monticello and Delphi, we understand, and several other places. The fact that the recognized reports of financial ratings do not mention his name at all, indicates that he has little more than fresh air behind him.

Ths company has asked for franchises in other towns, and is about to ask for one in Hammond, and Wednesday’s Hammond Times makes, mention of the matter as follows: The Indiana Northwestern fraction company 1b the name of an interurban street railway to run from Chicago Heights to Hammond, via Dyer, and for which the promoters may soon ask a franchise ia-Ham-mond.

Eugene Purtelle, a Chicago board of trade man, is the man who has addressed himself to the Hammond Business Men’s association for the company, asking that body to arrange the preliminaries in order that it may be filed with the board of public works. One conference between Mr. Purtelle and members of the Hammond Business Men’s association and business men from Dyer has already been held, this having been done last week in the office of Attorney J. K. Stinson. The Hammond franchise, as the company has outlined it, now confines itself to the Hammond city limits and provides for an entrance at the south city limits on Calument avenue. The proposed route then lies on Calument avenue to State street and thence over the H. W. & E. C. railway tracks to the business district. At the meeting held last week the company’* representative expressed the hope of ultimately building out of Hammond again In a southwesterly direction, mentioning Logansport as a junction point for the road in the great Indiana network of lnterurbans. A~£ursory glance at the franchise shows that the company is hopeful oT getting right of way over street car lines now in Hammond, or such as may come, and there are also a number of features which will be materially altered before it will be acceptable. Principal among these are a request for a fifty year franchise. From the above it would seem that the plans only contemplate, for the present, a line from Hammond to Chicago Heights, but “ultimately” they expect to build on south, etc. It would also seem that objections will be made to granting a franchise for so long a time as 50 years, and yet the company ask Rensselaer for 25 years more, or 75 years^ The Democrat does /lot believe our city council should grant any such long time franchise here for any purpose, and 25 to 30 years ought to be ample. Thirty-five, or 40 years, should be the extreme limit, however. The company can present no reasonable argument why they should have 75 years in Rensselaer and only 50 years in Hammond—the latter figure being all that is asked for there.

The people here are perfectly willing anyone should build this road, but railroads are not built on wind alone. The proposed Lafayette-Chi-cago electric railroad company, for which subsidies of upwards of $50,000 have been voted in this county, have been trying for three years to interest capital in their project, but unsuccessfully thus far, and these people had something tangible to offer, too, and on the most logical route that cbuld be selected, with a complete survey and drawings of the proposed road. If the Indiana Northwestern Traction Co., or a dozen other companies want a reasonable time franchise to come into Rensselaer, conditlonel that they get to work on the line within say two years or forfeit their franchise, let them have it, so the city is to no expense whatever in granting same, but this thing of calling an election at great expense and voting subsidies for every railroad proposition that comes along ought to be stopped. There is no sense in putting the people to such needless expense, and, In fact, the subsidy proposition is altogether wrong in principle anyhow.