Description
The expansion of the Rock Island Railroad in 1887 had opened up large sections of land to eager settlers and speculators. Trains roared through towns without slowing down, and without realizing that the citizens of those towns had begun bringing crowbars to their angry meetings. As the conflict intensified, one man made a case for restraint. Jason Keeler’s testimony had helped convict a railroad official of assault on a local saloon. However, he also understood how disastrous it could be to wage war with a greedy and powerful company like the Rock Island…