Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 November 1900 — About Gifford’s Road. [ARTICLE]

About Gifford’s Road.

The Republican succeeding in having telephonic communications Thursday morning, with Mr. Lewis chief engineer of the Chicago & Wabash Valley R. R. and the highest authority therein after Mr. Gifford. Mr. Lewis considers that there is no longer any doubt at all about the line from Gifford to Rensselaer being constructed, and that at an early date. In fact he thinks grading will be commenced this season yet, Unless the winter closes down, bard and strong. Great difficulty has been experienced in finding a feasible route over the “divide” in Barkley that would not be out of the question on account of the expense of grading* but the route last surveyed, considerably south and east, is practicable and will be used if still a better one can not be found. It will not affect the route from the river to Rensselaer, for like the other lines it will cross in the immediate neighborhood of Groom’s bridge; about midway between the old and the new bridges, to be more exact. The line is definitly located for some miles from Gifford, and the grade stakes set. On the line to McCoysburg the grading is all done and the steel laid to within three quarters of a mile of the Monon tracks and will be completed some time next week. On the line north towards Cedar Lake the grading is nearly all done clear to the Kankakee river. On the line into the oil fields good progress has been made, also, and especially good success has been had in getting the grade completed across some marshy places, where it had to be done with tho steam dredge. Another good locomotive has been added to the rolling stock and another train will be put on soon. If not this fall then early in that spring. In fact air things look propitious for the Gifford roads; and surely it is a special cause for Rensselaer people to be thankful that they now have a sure prospect of soon being connected with such a widespreading system of railroad tracks. It will be a wonderfully good for Rensselaer in any case, and if the road goes on south to the coal fields, the future continued prosperity of the town will be assured. It will be the making of Rensselaer, and the making of Remington, also, if it goes there.