The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-05-04
A BIG ExrERPRIsE
Santa Fe scheme for EStabIishIn=
Line OF Steamers from Guaymas to
Australia and Eastern ASH
attic Porfa

attic Ports.
Commonwealth: The Aiehison, To-
peka q Santa Fe rnad will he com
plettd aud opened for business Ia Guhy-
mas, ON the Gulf Of California, October
next As soun "a this rad is completed
IL IL proposed &" establish line s'f
steamers from GUAM 10 Australia
and eastern Asistie ports, iur il will IL.
the shortest route Ia these countria s,
either from London or from New York.
This important movement was first
incorporated by Mr.. Thomas Nickerson,
formerly president of the Atchison, To
peka Il Santa Fe road, some years ago;
and while very many of the large stock
holders Of this line doubted IT'S expedi-
ency or practIcability, Dir. Nickesonr
and associates have steadily adhered
to the original proposition. In truth it
might be said that the opposition 10
this and other plans of the Nickeison
interest became SO formidable that
Thomas Nickerson declined To serve
longer as president Of the road. How.
ever, he continued 10 carry on his az
rangements to build the line norIhward
from Guyamas, finding abundant capital
in Boston TO support his enterprise.
1t was thought at one time that San
Diego would be the terminus Of the
Santa Fee, but il now seems TO he other
wise ordered.
A few weeks ago it was given out that
the Santa Fe had purchased the Sonora
Valley (Guaymas) road, and it was then
believed that Mr.. Nickerson's original
plans had again come into popular
favor with the Boston stockholders; and
when the old president was unanimously
elected q director of the Santa Fe board,
last week in this city, that belief became
a certainty. The Chicago Inter Ocean,
in speaking of this proposed Few route,
says: when the Sonora line is com
pleted, it is proposed to establish line
of steamers from Guaymas to Australia
and the eastern Asiatic ports, for it will
be much the shortest route from London
OF New York. The railroad company
is preparing Its track from Kansas City
to Guaymas to maintain high rate Of
speed, and the fact that the southern line
is devoid of those grades which inter-
fere with rapid travel on the northern
routes. makes it possible TO shorten the
trip by many hours as we'll as many
miles. The fast train for Australia will
leave New York, for example. Sunday
night by the Pennsylvania line, reach
ing Chicago so as to leave Monday night
and arrive ut Kansas City Tuesday
noon. Here the passengers will be
to Guaymas, and reach the steamer
which sails for Sidney Friday morning,
saving twenty-four hours or more in
railway travel and four or five days by
sea. The quick time that is now being
made by the transatlantic steamers
will give this route an overwhelming
precedence for Australian passengers
from London, Paris and other European
cities. Mr.. Archibald Forbes, the ia
nous correspondent of the London
News, who knows the highways and by
ways of the globe as well as any man,
and who has given this route = great
deal of study, predicts that this line
will receive the almost exclusive passen-
ger and fastfreight patronage of Aus
tralia and Eastern Asia. The shortest
route fromOLondon TO Sidney is now by
the Sucz canal, and has been reduced TO
the minimum of time, fortY-four
days On this line the trains
do not stop except to change engines,
and they run at the maximum
speed. By the proposed line the time
from London, via Chicago and Guaymas,
to Sydney will be thirty-seven or thirty
eight days. There will be a correspond.
ing reduction in the time to Japan,
China, and the other Asiatic ports.
Sir Henry Parkes, prime minister OF
New South Wales, who was recently in
the United States, agrees with the
views of Mr.. Forbes, and has offered
the most flattering inducements to the
projectors of this route to inaugurate it
at once, promising that the South Paci
fic colonies will grant liberal subsidies
to the proposed steamship line for carry
ing the London mails.
1t will be observed, that if this pro-
ject is carried out, as originally contem-
plated by Mr.. Nickerson and associates,
which now seems to have become part
of the policy of the Santa Fe road, our
state will enjoy whatever of benefit that
may derive from being on the great
short line from London to Australia.