The Phoenix herald., 1879-05-07
ON TO MEXICO.
Boston Wants the Trade From; Our
Southern Neighbor.
a History of the a. r. G. S.
F. r. R.

The Atchison, Topeka s. Santa F.
Railroad has become pretty wei
known by name to Boston people, dur
ing the past year, while its stock, up
on the brokers boards. which was a
first given to the purc hasers Of it
bUnds, has advanced from nine dol
lars to one hundred snd eight dollars
per share. The recent movement o
the managers of this road 70 secure )
Massachusetts, charter, under vhicl
a company might construct a railroad
into Mexico, has brought It still fur
ther into public notice of late, and 1
brief sketch of its history and pro
posed eAteaticn may not be unintcr
esting.
The Atchlson, Topeka & Santa Fc
Railroad, though nominany but All
miles in length, and by its charter
running from Atchison (near tie
eastern boundary Of Kansas and
Kansas city, Mo, across Kansas to
Colorado, nevertheless controls all
its connections west and its branches
and connections east to such an ex-
tent as TO double its actual length,
and make it the only railroad for
southern Kansas, southern Colorado
and northern Ne1, Mexico. Except
the Union Pacific, it is the principal
railroad between the Missouri River
and the Rocky Mountains, and if the
plans of the present managers are
successful, the time may como when
it will not be second in interest even
to the great Union Pacific.
The first company for the construc-
ton of this road was organized by
Kansas parties in 1853 under the
name OF the Atchison & Topeka
Railroad Company. Itwas reorgan-
lied under the present title March 3,
1868, but for some years it was little
more than railroad association. Mr..
William NJ. Gaylord was the mana
ger of enterprise and with him were
associated, at different times, Eastern
and New York capitalists. Little
progress was made until 1859, al
though Congress offered n grant of
about three million acres of Kansas
territory if the road were completed
before 1878. Gradually the interest
drifted toward Boston, and Mr. r. ].
Peter of Kansas, but formerly of Gin
cinnati, took hold of the affair and
enlisted the attention Of Mr.. Henry
Hayes, President Of the Passsumpic /
of Vermont, as well as of the !
brothers Charles w. and Carlos
Pierce In 1868 the Charter passed
entirely into the hands of Boston
parties. The first % miles of road
We're built in 1869. Soon after, Mr..
Alden Spear and Joseph and Thomas
Nickerson became interested in the
and sections Of thirty
our and seventy-five miles were con
irUcted in 1870 and 1871 respective
Y. Messrs. kiddcr, Peabody & Co
,uiit tie furty-fivc mile section from
1mporia to Florence, taking in pay
ncnt seven per cent. first mortgage
onds Of The company at about 8215
nd the accompanying amount OF
took. Yet three hundred and sixty
lilies remained to be constructed and
quipped in less than year in order
, save tie land grant The unccr- :
tinty of securing an eXtention OF
me from Con~ress determined the
irectors to proceed to the immediate :
instruction OF the line, and the three
undred and sixty miles were built :
! less than nine months, and cars
ere run across the state December ;,
;, 1872, just four days before the
nd grant time expired.
In the next three years tie road
as extended westward into talo :
do and the Pueblo & Arkansas :
alley rail- oad was constructed from
ueblo eastward TO meet II. The his 6
ry Of the Atchison, Topeka u 7
inta Fe has been one OF continued :,
ogress and extension. II has leased q
cry road connecting with in west OF !.
tnsas City, and practically the same ..
,slern capitalists hold the stock and f.,
ads of them all The following -
med are the lines leased, none OF ..
EN- for a term Of less than thirty /,
arS: The Kansas City, Topeka & -
estern, sixty-siX miles; the Pleasant =,
II s. De Soto. u torty-tive-mile az
anch connection Of the latter; tie i,
orence, FL Dorado & Walnut Val Y
,, branch road OF thirty =,
lies: the Wichita & South =.
stem, another branch of twenty -,
zen miles; The Pueblo s. Arkansas -,
Hey, 245 miles the Denver s Rio .
ande. a narrow gauge road of 337 =
Zoe. ar.T fl,c E,-4 y -, & cOT1tb