Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 November 1897 — The Railroad Meeting. [ARTICLE]

The Railroad Meeting.

Further Progress of the Eftbrt To Secure The Electric Rail Road. A public meeting was held m the’ court room Wednesday night for further action toward securing for Jasper county the proposed electric railroad. The attendance was not nearly what it should have been im such a supposed public spirited community as this, but. it was fairly good and showed that the interest in the movement is spreading. A. Leopold was chosen president and G. E. Marshall, secretary Messrs. Leopold and E. L r Hollingsworth made short reports of what they learned at the recent meeting at Winamac. Some of these facts have already been published in these columns. From what the above gentlemen saw and learned at Winamac they were strongly convinced that the road would be built, and that it would be a fine thing for the region it passes through, and that it could be brought through Rensselaer and Jasper County if the people worked hard enough for it. It is to be a standard guage road, and its cars will be the same as steam roads. The rails will be lighter, ties farther apart, and the road much cheaper to build than ordinary railroads It will be operated by trolleys and relay stations, or power houses, be about 25 miles apart. Stations will be frequent, and the trains will stop most any old place for passengers;It is supposed that passenger and freight rates will be much cheaper than on steam roads. It is proposed to run about two trains each way every day, at first, and increase the number as business requires. The road can be built and equipped for about 810,000 or $12,000 per. mile.

The cost of surveying the line,, making profiles etc., which must, be done at the expense of the people along the line, will not exceed $lO per mile. The right of way must also be given, and the following committees were appointed to investigate the probable cost of the right of way through this county. For Hanging Grove Tp , A. McCoy, J. C. Gwin, Austin Moore, Robt Drake, Edward Randle. Rensselaer and Marion: J. WCowden, Geo. Parkison, Wm. M. Hoover, Wallace Robinson, T. J. McCoy, J. F. Warren, G. E. Murray. For Jordan: Wm. Washburn, Robt. Michaels, M. G. Lewis, Walter Porter, Chris. Hensier. These committees are expected to ascertain the probable cost of of the right of way, and report at the next meeting, next Wednesday night. E. L. Hollingsworth was appointed to correspond with Col. Sears and to procure from him a more definite information as to what must be done to secure the road. Gn motion, Rensselaer newspapers were requested to publish the report of this meeting.