Jasper County Democrat, Volume 16, Number 95, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 February 1914 — NEW TRACTION LINE PROPOSED [ARTICLE]

NEW TRACTION LINE PROPOSED

This One to Run Frem Kankakii to Logansport. NO SUBSIDIES ASKED FOR Line to Touch St. Anne, Hl., Morocco, Mt. Ayr, Rensselaer, Monon, Royal Center and Logansport.

M. A. Peoples and O. L. Brown, of Chicago, were in the caty on business connected with the proposed building of a traction line railroad starting at Kankakee, 111., and running thence to St. Anne, 111., and Morocco, Mt. Ayr, Rensselaer, Monon, Royal Center and Logansport, the latter place to be its terminal. This is nearly a direst east and wets line and will open a section of territory untouched by east and west rail facilities.

The gentlemen informed The Democrat that they did not expect to ask for any subsidies. They figure that the business, both freight passenger, will make the building of such a line a good paying proposition. They stated that they would handle freight, including corn, oats, cattle, etc., and the numerous north and south railroads their line would cross would bring much passenger business off those lines in addition to that secured locally. They stated that they intended to drive over the proposed line this week, but the drifted condition of the roads prevented this. While a north,and south roa dconnecting both the north and south ends of the county with Rensselaer is desireable, and we hope to see such a line some of these days, this east and west project looks mighty good to us and it is hoped that it will go through. Concerning the project, Saturday's Logansport Journal says: For some weeks past M. A. Peoples and O. L. Brown, traction line promoters, have been w’orking in the interest of an interurban line which the yseek to promote from this city west to Kentland. Yesterday the men returned to this city from Kentland, where they had been in conference with parties there and at other points along the proposed route. Peoples is an interurban man of experience, being at present associated with the Northern Illinois Electric Company. He built the Ft. Wayne & Northern Indiana line, then the Ft. Wayne & Wabash Valley line, from Wabash to Peru. Later he helped promote, and construct the St. Joseph Valley electric line from Elkhart to Angola and managed it for a time. Neither Peoples nor Brown would admit that there is anything definite as yet in their proposition.

“We believe it is a good proposition,” said Peoples, “but that does not necessaryily mean it can be built. If we could build this road under conditions that would make it a good investment we will built it. if not the time for it is not ripe.” Asked if he did not consider the territory a good one. Peoples »said: “It is. particularly for this city, but that does not indicate that it can be built on a bhsis making i a sound business enterprise at this time. However, the need of such a line, I believe, is greater in towns west of here than it.is here. There is a demand for such a line and has been. Whether or not this demand is great enough is what we are trying to discover.

Two possible routes are considered by the promoters. One route, the direct “state line” route through Monticello, Kentland and up to Watseka, and the other through Monon, Rensselaer, Morocco and up to Kankakee for Chicago connection. Peoples was informed that Logansport people had frequently been called upon to discuss paper railroads and such discussion always ended in bonus talk. He said: “Well, in times past that plan worked well often, but things have changed in the traction business. A bonus is a bad proposition for two reasons. If the road is a good thing and can be build from right-of-way to time table at the right figure a bonus is unnecessary. If there is no real field for the road the bonus is a bad thing for the ocmmunity giving it. If this proposed line on Which we are working materializes I assure you there wall be no such thing as a bonus figure in it.” Peoples declared the widespread opinion that steam roads are hostile to interurban lines is largely a mistaken one: that it was so when the traction business was new, but tbat now the business is developed to a point where steam lines have abandoned fighting opposition and concern themselves with promoting efficiency of their own ilhes..