Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 December 1897 — Astor Is Behind It. [ARTICLE]

Astor Is Behind It.

It Looks Like The Findlay Fort Wayne & Western, Would 80011 Cross Jasper County. ——— 1 Findlay, Ohio, Nov. 29.-~“At a meeting here to-day of directors of the Findlay, Fort Wayne anc Western Kailway Company plans were made for important extensions both eastward and westward. It is believed this is the forerunner of a plan to make it the eastern outlet for the Illinois Central.

Among those who attended the meeting were John Jacob Astor of New York, President or the road, and Vice President Hanrahan, Director Chapman, Traffic Manager Hudson and Chief Engineer Sloan of the Illinois Central. A survey of the line from Fort Wayne to Kankakee. 111., has been made, forming an east and west line. At Kankakee the road will make its connections with the Illinois Central for the west, south and Chicago. From Findlay eastward a survey has been made to Lester Junction, Ohio, where connections will be made for Cleveland over the Cleveland, Lorain and Wheeling, and also for eastern trunk lines. From one terminus to the other the line will be as straight as the crow flies, and the grade will be confined to fifteen feet to the mile, making it the straightest and levelest railroad in the country. It developed here to-night that work has also been commenced on they survey for a line from Lester Junction to Newcastle, Pa.

Mr. Astor is a heavy stockholder and a director in the Illinois Central, and is understood heartily to favor the policy of 'extention.” To the above we may add that this is the proposed road which was surveyed through this county last spring. The survey passed through Winamac, about two miles south of Medaryviile and struck the east line of Jasper county, on the penter of Gillam Tp. It runs through Gillam, Barkley aud Union Tps., crossing the Monon road almost exactly mid-way between Parr and Fair Oaks. If the road is built, and from the above account it looks like a sure thing, it will, of course be a good thing for the county in general, although running as it does, it can hardly fail to work some injury to Rensselaer, by cutting off trade.