Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 January 1898 — Once More the Electric Road. [ARTICLE]

Once More the Electric Road.

An Authoritative Statement of Those Alleged Unreasonable Demands. Once more, and once for all, The Republican wants to say that while it has no positive assurances that the Michigan, Indiana & St. Louis electric railroad will ever be built, it believes now’ as it has all along that there is a reasonable probability that it will, and it believes furthermore that that probability is sufficiently strong to justify and more than justify our people in' meeting the very moderate requirements of the projectors, required of communities which desire to be considered as candidates for the road. Wo have believed all the while that it was our duty to urge upon our people the advisabilty of meeting these moderate requirements, and in this we have persisted in the face of most discouraging apathy upon the part of the people, and to which has lately been added the hostility of a part of our press. Dr. A. C. Matchette, the secretary and only authorized spokesman for the company, has, in answer to questions, written a second letter here in regard to the requirements of the company. ’ That part of the letter is as follows. “Our company proposes nothing but the most liberal and honorable for country and company. All communications have expressly explained that but 50 feet of right, of way should be required, except through very blutfy lauds, and that tho 66 feet in tho blanks should be corrected to so comply. That deeds were to be placed in bank and escrow until the several township committees were satisfied the deal was closed as stipulated. And if tho road was not built at the expiration of two years at the furthest, the deeds should lapse and the land revert to the owners. The surveys were to be made under the special direction and pilotage of the local committees, along such lines as woukl be most satisfactory to the community, if it did not lengthen the line too much, nor cause too many bridges and expensive grading. Where elevators or power houses were to be located, only such additional lands as were actually necessary were to bo furnished. That the road will be most certainly built, admits of no question at all, but it is not to bo forced on any community that objects to the road or the conditions of construction; so no one need fear there is any possible swindle in the case, for where could any swindle be concealed by thecompany? Every thing is in tho hands of the committees until the road is located and built. The terjns are surely most liberal, far more liberal than are usually exacted for the construction of railroads. The greater part of the right of way has been freely donated, so great is the- anxiety of the people interested in securing the road, as all acknowledge the great benefits that will be conferred by its construction. A. C. Matohette.