The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-05-03
E4roRIA.s SEW RArLRoAns-
Col n. c. Gross IntervIewed Rsrsrainx
Them az Karaaa CITY.

Col a. c. Cross Interviewed Reeardfnx /
Them ct Kansas City.
Kansas City Times: AFr. II. G. Cross.
president OF the Kansas City and EN-
peria Railroad company, arrived in the
city from his home in Emporla Thurs
day, and to a Times representative he
gave some very interesting information |
about the Kansas City and EmPoria |
road, and also concerning the status and |
plans of the proposed road to run from
Emporia TO st. Louis, Mr. Gross being
also president of the Kansas branch of
this road. This Is the rosd Of which the
St. Louis papers have recently been pub
fishing conjectures and statements, and
is to run on almost direct line from
i Emporia east TO st. Louis, passing
/ through Bates county coal fields, and
running almost parallel with the Mis-
souri, river roads, but some distance to
the south.
ALL A MISTAKE.
In reference TO the recently published
report that work was about to be srs.
pended on the Kansas City and Emporia
road, Mr.. Cross vas asked If seine out
side influence had been brought to bear
on the project, it having been Fumored
Jay Gould had checkmated the move OF
) the Santa Fe road In the construction Of
this line.
lit is q mistake to suppose work has
been or will be stopped on this line I'm.
i til the track has been laid and the cars
running" Mr.. Cross replied. "Grading
| is being done constantly and rapidly,
and will probably be entirely finished
! ward, and track laying will then be
commenced"
r well, arc you still of the opinion
/, that the line viii be completed TO this
city by the first of June?''
mo, that will be impossible. You
z see there were about 100000 of bonds
/ voted IN aid of the road by townships
| aud counties along the line, and in order
) to secure these we were obliged to CON-
! plete the road by June 1. The Santa
{ Fe company had been negotiating with
, our company for the purchase of the
} road, and at the directory meeting in
Topeka last week the sale was consum-
| | mated. 1t was then concluded by the
3 Santa Fe company that it would be
best to lay iron rails until the road bed
/ had settled, and, as the bonds called for
. steel rails, it was further decided not to
s attempt to secure the bonds at all. Con-
{ sequently there is no special occasion
? for rushing the work, and it Is pFoba-
: BILE that the line Will hardly be opened
before the middle of July, or the list OF
August"
THE OFFICERS.
! "Well. are you still connected with
: the enterprise?p
!. yes, am still president of the road,
and the board of directors are Major
Z Calvin Hood, VIM. Martindale, O. c.
Wheeler, George r. Peck, A. S. John
: son, J. F. Goddard, G. N. Sterry and E
: wilder. Major Hood, Mr.. MartindaIe
4 and myself are the members of the old
G company, and the others are of the
Santa Fe road, as you know"
: allow long will this board of direct
ors continue in charge of the road ?"
"Oh, that has not been settled. You
? might presume, however, that as soon as
y the road is completed the Santa Fe peo-
pie will take control and oeperate it."
"What are the intentions of the Santa
: Fe company in reference to the opera
o ton of the road ?"
81 can't say, and don't want to be
quoted as making any statements about
/ the matter. 1t looks reasonable to sup
c pose, however, that the passenger bust
e ness will remain as it is. The offices o.
a the road are at Topeka, and the Atchi
son branch joins the road there. AS far
u as the freight business is concerned it ii
very reasonable to suppose the through
freight will be run over the Kansas City
It & Emporia road, its grades being very
easy and the distance between Kansa.
o City and EmpOrla being some twenty
: five miles shorter than by the main line
q THE ST. LOUIS AND EMPoRIA.
8Wlat information can give ahOn
8 the st. Louis s. Emporia railroad, a pro
It ject concerning which the St. Louis pa
t pers arc now saying great deal?"
= "Well, the road will be built"
as it true that the Atchison, Topek;
i & Santa Fe company is at the back o
l. the enterprise ?''
# mo; it is entirely independent of tn,
q Santa Fe, and although the incorpOra
tors of the road are the same as those
II of the Kansas City 81 Emporia road, ye
r, the Santa Fe has nothing to do with thi
project"
~ us it not possible, however, that til,
Santa Fe company may become the op
ST orators of the road when constructed q
&c well, it Is of course hard to tel
D what may happen, but so far as I know
j the Santa Fe company has given tn
matter no attention, and there is no rea
L son for the belief that they intend pun
9 chasing the road"
"When will work begin on the 81
: Louis & Emporla? ''
/ 1--WE are running lines and working
) up franchises already. We have $114,
I, 600 in franchises secured, with the RICH
! OF wey for twenty miles, and as soon a
4 the Kansas City & Emporia road is com
4 pleted We will begin on the work o
4 grading"
a THE SCOPE OF THE SCHEME.
. ''What is the scope of your scheme 90
"The st. Louis q Emporia road wa
y organized in Kansas year or two ago
The incorporates are Senator Plumb
. VIM. Martlndale, Major Hood, mysel
. and others. Our plans are to build from
Emporia to the rich coal fields of Bate
! county, Missouri; where we own 200
. acres of coal fields. The route Is from
Emporia southeast to Burlington, COTE
y county; thence almost due east through
4 Cofey, Anderson and Linn counties
;, striking Mound City and Pleasantou
where it will cross the Fort Scott
), Gulf road, and thence east to the Mis-
h souri, line, where we strike the Goa
= fields, at point about six miles east @
. Pleasanton."
a "What connection does the Kansas
Missouri construction company have
with your enterprise?''
well, it may be said to be ia sympa