Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 April 1905 — More About the Traction Line [ARTICLE]

More About the Traction Line

The FranoeEville Tribune has a very comprehensive article regarding the electric road, and from which the following paragraphs are extracted: The oompany will take up only fifty feet of right-oi WBy and will fence it at the time they make the grade with an eleven wire Page fence, They will also put in crossings and gates for the farmers, and cattle guards at all cross roads. Platforms will be put in at all road crossings through the country, at which all local trains will stop, for the accommodation of the farmers. The fare will be cents per mile and freight rates will be about twoj fifths less than steam roads are now charging.

The road will be built with ninety pound steel rails, standard gauge, and will interchange oars with steam roads. The power house, whioh will oost in the neighborhood of $200,000, will likely be located at either Buffalo or Idaville. The sub-power stations, costing about $25,000 each, will be looated 16 miles apart, with one of them at Francesville. It was at first the intention to oross the “3 I.” road at either Stoutsburg or Wheaffield but later developements have oaused it to be changed to Kersey, the crossing of the Ohicßgo & Wabash Valley Ry. and -3 I ”

The traction people are negotiating for the purohase of the completed portion of the Chicago & Wabash Valley road from B. J. Gifford and prospeots for the early oonsnmation of the deal are exceedingly bright. If tlipse negotiations are fruitful the new o wnera will extend the Gifford road from MoOoysburg. the present southern terminal to Lafayette, and will put the roadbed of the portion from MoOoysburg to Kersey in firstjolass condition, at which latter place it will join the main line. This would give Lafayette a direot electric line to Indiana Harbor. Wolcott people, we understand, have offered to donate 20 miles of grading, if the project is oarried out.