The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1879-10-09

truth or OtncTWlsc Oh inc et1tctnent'
But I'm the next day Judge Baker, Vice
President of the road, announced that
the vinta extension would be immedi-
atcly pushed forward to some point in
New Mexico. at least six hundred miles,
looking to a connection with the Cali
fornia Southern, which has already 800
miles of track. This practically settled
the question. But the Globe Democrat
of Saturday, under the head Of "a Ru-
NOR Routed" gives full explanation
Of the whole matter in the following ar
ticlc which we quote in full:
For some DAYS past stock jobbers or
others have circulated a rumOr that the
St. Louis & San Francisco had been
leased to the Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fe. Men with myteriOus manners were
giving reporters to understand that the
lease had been signed and sealed. Such
however. is not the case, and James Ba-
kcr, Vice President of the San Francis
co, stated Yesterday that the idea was a
crazy one. and even if it were true it
would be bad day for St. Louis the
day the lease was signed. Mr.. Baker
puts the whole story, or all that could
have started the story. in the following
words:
That part of the Atlantic L. Pacific
living in the State of Missouri was sold
under foreclosure in 1876, the st. Louis
& San Francisco buying il in. That part
of the A. L. T.. within the Indian Terri
tory remained nnsold. II is now pro-
posed tnat the unsold portion lying west
of the western line Of the State of Mis-
souri, shall be sold under another and
entirely distinct mortgage at trustees
sale. and that II be purchased by the St.
Louis a. San Francisco. Immediately
after the sale the road is to be extended
wcstwardly to a junction with the South
ern Pacific Of California. II will take
600 miles more railroad to make this
junction, and probably more. However,
the San Francisco will push on to june
ton with the Southern Pacific.
1t is worthy Of mention, that IA the
San Francisco now stands il owns and
controls, or at least will in short time.
653 miles Of road distributed as follows:
Ni1ss.
ST Louis 10 yinta :. $50
Pierce City to OswegO .....--.. ... $3.50. 81
Joplin to Girard ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 10
Osweg0 to Wichita (under construction IA
Total. GI3
Ii might not be amiss in this conncc-
ton to say that Scdgwick county in
good faith voted to aid the st. Louis IL
San Francisco in an extension to this
valley rs an independent line. Liberal
as the taxpayers of this valley are and
enterprising TO fault, they would not
have voted one single cent for another
branch of the A. L. 4 :. F.. Or for an
extension of any road controlled by that
management. As Il county we agreed
to pay our money for the benefits to be
derived from direct competition and
not for an extra track of a monopoly.
The 4. Z. a. $. +. is a splendid railway
and literally, we might say magnificent
~, managed. but the desire OF our peO
ple was wholesome and honorable COM
petition, and should an effort be made
to deprive them Of that they viii not
only fall back upon their right, but ex-
haust every means to preserve them
selves. The purchase of the east and
west road by the \. T., Il ). +. would
leave the field open for the Missouri Pa
cific or L., l.. 4 g., either of which
could in such an event afford to pull inn
mediately for Wichita, nevertheless our
people desired above all things else in
the way of railroads, direct. indcpcn-
dent and competing outlet to the Mis-
sissippi river and the east and we don't
propose to be cuchered nor TO pay for
something that we never bargained for.