The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-07-24
TIE NEW SANTA Fs BUILDING

required for the business of its various
braches. Only q few years ego its
departments were carried on In small
temporary quarters. For two or
three years the company has been erect
ing It's own buildings, and they are not
only large and commodIous, but are
built IN the most substantial and tasteful
manner. The impression one feels In
looking 1t these structures is that the
Santa Fe has come 70 stay. Every eItl.
zen Of the state feels just pride in the
great work the Santa Fe railroad is do
ing for the permanent improvement of
the state.
While In Topeka yesterday we made
Q hastY tour through the large
and magnificent building which
has lately been completed
and occupied by the general Offices Of
the read. The building reminded Us
very much Of some ofthe great depart
ments IN Washington. not only in Its
general arrangement, but IN the perfect
order which prevails on all hands.
As no general description OF the struc-
ture has appeared in our columns, we
give the result OF our observations, VIII Ich
will undoubtedly prove Of interest to our
readers.
The building stands nesr the State
Capitol. The material used IL its con-
stTuction Is red tara Gotta Lath and
plastering upon studding Is not used
even IN partition walls, and the whole
structure is as nearly fire-prOot as cir
cumstances admit OF. It's solid plain
ness, Its entire lack Of expenslve and
useless ffummery, its spiness for the
everyday uses for which it was erected,
are things apparent at g casual glance.
This building Is 181 feet IN length, 50
feet in width, and 70 feet high. The
corridors or halls run straight through
the structure on every floor, and each is
eleven feet wide. On either side of these
halls the Offices, or series OF offices, open.
each door being lettered, guide to the
whole hiYe Of business being painted on
the panels Of hard wood, which flank the
main entrance.
Something striking In this country of
pine lumber structures, is the finishing
Of the whole building IN beautiful oiled
ash. Doors, door-frames. window-frames
and sashes, and hundreds OF square yards
Of wainscoting, are all OF this material.
The floors are all OF maple. and through
out the whole structure there is no Wis
tble paint.
Nearly all the windows are at least
six feet IN width and OF corresponding
height, each sash being one large sheet
of plate glass. Light and air are there
fore plentiful, and one Of the most strik-
ing pastoral landscapes in the world il
visible from every side.
1t is surprising TO note how many de-
paFtments, each with its corps Of clerks,
IL requires to do the home business of a
great railroad. A list. doubtless more
or less incomplete, follows, beginning
at the half-stoIy called the basement
In this are the engines, pumps, and
boilers for steam power and heating
also, Q storage.room for the immense
| quantity of stationery used by the road
and for material, advertising matter, and
building and furniture repairs. Here
also, may be seen the bottom Of the dou
BILE hydraulic elevator well, with it
mysterious pipes.
The first floor is occupied on the Who'll,
OF the lett Of the corridor by the treas
uTy, and the first office OF its series con
siderablY resembles a bank. Beside
the chief there are here tWenty-one me-
and two ladies. On the right of Lh,
hall Is the purchasing agent, employin
six men; the fuel department, with eigh
men. and the claims department, wit
eleven men.
On the second floor on the eight is Ii
office of the general manager and assis
ant, where, besides these two, there al
thirteen men at work. Immediately b.
yond this comes the law department
with seven men. On the left is the trait
manager and general freight agent, III
two offices taking the time Of som
twenty men. E
/. On the third floor are to be found, @
the left, the offices Of tho general passeI
|. ger and ticket agent, with Q force {
, nineteen men and lady, and beyond
the commissioner Of immigration, vii
ten employees. On the right is the Ian
department with its chief and twelv
men, and the Office of car recorder wit
eight men and four young ladies.
On the fourth floor the visitor eI
|. counters q small army. Here the aud
, tor has the direction Of the Isbors
eighty-six employees, AL on one fio'
and all busy. At the rear OF this bata
lion Is encountered the corner for Il
= chief engineer, with its drafting-boar
, and estimates and accurats plans, an
on the opposIte side the wires and clio
ing instruments, Itch-boards an
mysterious paraphernalia of the superiI
0 tendent OF telegraph and telephone
{ Sandwltched In between is room whel
: . row Of messengers sit on q bench an
. await some mysterious electric cal
{ You encounter them also in the hal
{ and stairways, going pell-mell.
. The machinery for running this estaI
8 ishment, in which the motive power
Q chiefly human brains, is very complies
s Bells, wires, and anunciators save tim
Elevator cars glide continually up an
: down. Steam Will perform its siler
: office among endless pipes in white
> There are no questions, no delays, n
: loAhng, no noise, and there Is no SINE
8 OF smoke, no sense of th
. friction Of ill-directed effor
= Everything is plain, clean, substantial
I IL is q good place to 60 to learn the us,
{ OF forethought, system and perfect O
D der. Altogether the payroll of this singl
' building includes about 315 peOpl
+ while the noiseless coming and goin
{ the entire understanding Of everybOc
I Of just what he IL to do. would indica
r only the presence of some dozen or
l. Of well dressed young men to the casu