Double Death

Two U. S. railroads went last week not into receivership or reorganization but into the grave. One died as a cattle-killer; the other was murdered by the motorcar.

Cattle-road was Bellevue & Cascade of Iowa which operated, intermittently, 35.7 miles of track. Bellevue & Cascade had only one locomotive, a 50-year-oldster whose axle broke in 1934. Since that accident, claimed angry farmers, the train jumped the track so often and killed so many cattle that no farmer would ship livestock on it. The Interstate Commerce Commission gave permission for the mileage to be abandoned.

No. 2 victim, also an lowan, was Atlantic Northern, with 17 miles of track. Only farmer-owned railroad in the country, it was built in 1907, thrifty Danes of Elk Horn and Kimballton, Iowa putting up $350,000. Then came the truck which hauled cattle for less money, convinced farmers that even a farm-owned road was not worth keeping. Atlantic Northern had no bonds. Its property was appraised at $117,000. Its farmer-directorate will sell to anyone for 15% of that sum.

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