Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/568

 508 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI link in a new north and south system, prob- ably extending from the bridge at Thebes, into Arkansas. Plans are already on foot for immediately inci-easing its mileage to eighty, and the probabilities are that actual work on the construction will soon be begun. The Paragould Southeastern is a line of railroad extending from Paragould, Arkan- sas, to the southeast, crossing the St. Fran- cois river near Cardwell, in Dunklin county. It is built across the south end of Dvmklin county, reaching Little river at Hornersville. A few miles east of Hornersville it turns to the south and enters Arkansas and has its eastern terminus at Blytheville, near the Mis- sissippi. This road opens up immense tracts of farming and timber land in Dunklin county and has been a prime factor in the building up of Cardwell and Hornersville. It was built and originally owned by local capitalists under leadership of E. S. Mc- Carthy. It is now owned by the Gould sys- tem and is operated by the St. Louis South- western. About 1905 the Illinois Soathern, an Illi- nois road with headquarters at Chicago, entered this territory. It was built from Salem to a point opposite Ste. Genevieve. It was constructed through Ste. Genevieve and St. Francois comities to Bismarck, in the lat- ter county, on the main line of the Iron Mountain. The road passes through the richest mineral section of the state. One of its important stations is Flat River, in the very center of the lead belt. The road is well built and operated after the beet methods. It imites the great system of the Iron Moun- tain and 'Frisco; serves a rich county and offers an outlet to Chicago. It is destined to be an important link in an east and west line, and will be of great benefit to the section which it serves. The Missouri Southern, which extends from Deeper, in Wayne county, on the main line of the Iron Moimtain, nearly through Reynolds county to Bunker, was built by a saw-mill company having large timber in- terests in the territory traversed by the road. A large steel bridge across Black river was built at Leeper and the road was well con- structed. Its present terminus is Bunker, in Rej'nolds county. Plans have been formed for its extension to the 'Frisco at Salem, in Dent county, but it is probable that it will become a branch of the Iron Mountain. The Paragould & Memphis Railroad, ex- tending from Paragould, Arkansas, through the south part of Dunklin county to Manila, Arkansas, is 118 miles long. It was developed from a tram road built to facilitate the hand- ling of timber by the Decatur Egg Case Com- pany, a large corporation with headquarters at Cardwell. Out of this tram road has grown the Paragould & Memphis. The presi- dent of the road is John W. Vail, of Card- well, Mo., and most of the other officers are residents of the same town. Although its line is principally in Arkansas, it is distinctly a Missouri enterprise. Its successful develop- ment has been due in part to the energy and ability of the men who built it and in part to the fact that it opened up immense tracts of valuable timber and farming land pre- viously without railroad facilities. The Biitler Coimty Railroad Company operates a short line in Butler county, Mis- souri, and Arkansas. It extends from Lin- stead and LoweU Junction, on the Iron Mountain, to Arkansas points and is operated as a timber road in large part. The present president of the road is R. M. Parker.