The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1872-06-07
THE A. r. & s. r. RAILROAD.
Its Leading Observation-Disclosures

THE A. r. q s. F. RAILROAD
Its Leading Spirit -Distineuishe
Visitors.
On last Friday Wichita was honore,
with visit from the directors of tn
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail
road, consisting of Emmons RAYMOND
Z. X. Holiday, d. l.. Lekin, ]. I. Burr
&C. W. Pierce, T. Nickcr.on, C.. NJ
Pratt, p. Moore, w. Huntxman, +. w
Harvey, I. \. Norris. The director.
were accompanied by T. j. Peter, gen
eral manager: G. ii. Nettleton, super
intchdcnt; W. w. Fagin, assistant SUI
perintendcnt; n. J. Chaplin, road mas
ter y. ID. Groat, general passenger
agent Of Hannibal and St Joseph rail.
road, and A. Il. Tousalain, general
passenger agent of Kansas City. St.
Joseph aud Burlington railroad. The
directors. like everybody else in paw.
ing their first visit to this valley, were
astonishcd at the country. its settle
lncnts and general prosperity. Many
of them showed no reserve in declar.
ing the Little river valley the finest
that they had ever seen in any country.
or its future we did not hear doubt
expressed.
As we, personally, have been ac-
qnainted with the great railroad enter
prise that is now stretching itself
across the western portion of our con-
tinent and into national Importance as
highway. from its first incipicncy to
the present hour, a few words edito-
rally might not prove uninteresting
TO those who take an interest i'm these
matters.
The road wa~ first properly incor-
pOrated by territorial act in 1859. and
approved, with land grant by congress,
in 1863. The first work was done in
September, 1868, in which year the
franchise passed to the present organi-
zation. The first portion of the road
built was from Topeka TO Burlingamc,
twcnty-sevcn miles; then TO Emporia,
sixty-two miles, by August LIST. 1870.
or nearly two pears. From Emporia
to INSTRUMENTATION milcs-thc
road was built i'm little over eleven
months. During the past winter and
spring the twenty-five miles from
Wichita to Newton has been built: as
also fifty miles between Topeka and
Atchison. And to-day it is striking
out i'm the direction of Albuquerque
and the Pacific coast at the rate Of two
miles per day on an average.
When We consider that iron is worth
eighty dollars per ton; bolts, straps
and spikes eight cents per pound; ties
delivered at the track about ninety
cents each, and that ii costs UNI
der contract five hundred dollars per
mile to got il laid down after the grad
ing is all done and everything furnish
ed-or in round figures an average
of four dollars for every foot Of COM
plcted road, to say nothing of the roll
ing stock, depots and the thousand
and one things necessary to the opera
tion of a railrOad-somc idea NAV be
gained of the faith Of THE men who are
furnishing the money in the comc-out
of this country.
Passing over the efforts of c. X. Hol- !
iday, ID. l.. Lakin, and others who !
were the principals in bringing the |
enterprise to the attention of the |
present company, we desire to say
on the part of the roads |
present general manager. Some time
in the spring or summer of 1868 Col. |
'rhos. J. Peter, as a practical civil ell
ginecr and experienced railroad man,
by one or two others, |
ramc out to Kansas to look over the |
proposed route of the A.. T. & S. r.
X. r., from Topeka south. to look into
the ability of the several counties to
promptly meet their proffcrcd aid;
but above all to set an estimate upon
the future value and development of
Kansas. During this
trip he carefully and patiently searched
the records of Shawnee, Usage and
Lyon, inquired into the trade of the
Towns, examined the soil and crops of
these counties for miles i'm every direc-
ion, talked with the people of their
success in farming and stock growing,
rtc., and when all was done, said he
was willing to take hold of the gigan-
tic enterprise. The first twcnty-scvcn
miles was at last graded and furnished
with q light common I rail and
ronplo Of engines. one secondhand
affair, aud secondhand coach off the
|. Il E.. railroad. The coal fields were
bnt to Mr.. Peters logical and
mind there was no big
hing in such railroad. Again and
again he induced these monied men of
Boston. Cincinnati aud other points to
,ome out and look the ground over.
Each time he would lead them a little
further into the unbroken wilds of the
so-callcd plains. and by talk and fig-
ircs cndcavor to Undue them with his
aith ia the lauds of western Kansas.
With each successive trip the money
lords would bring along some new
men, and each time as the backbone of
heir financial faith was strokcd by
he Jealous aud enthusiastic hand of
Col. Peter. down deeper would go
heir hands iuto thcii money bags aud
more iron would be bought, and forces
doubled, and farther west would
stretch the guiding rails Of the A, 7. &
5. +. r. II. Even the Kansas men who
irst talked southwestern railroad
he loudcst, hauled back u little when
Peter began to talk Of the Big Arkan- {
.as valley. its capabilities Of soil. eli
nate, etc. For several years We had