Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-11-13
WICHITA WAGING WEST
WARD.
The Colorado Railway Under
Contract.
Work to Commence This Week, and the
First Section of Twenty Three Miles
to be Completed in January.

The EAGLE is more than ordinarily hap
Nv this morning in announcing to Its many
reader, that one Of the three lines which we
commenced the advocacy of this spring is
under contract. The papers were signed in
New York within day or two after the
return of the gentlemen who went from this
city 10 Chicago and the announcement only
has been withheld pending the settlement
Of some important preliminaries. Immedi-
ate and active operations will now take the
place of negotiations. Our local directors
only made the single mistake OF limiting
the time of the aid voted, which necessitated
rapid and expensive negotiations. But it
turns out all right. Within three weeks al
most unsurmountable difficulties have been
overcome, during which time many Others
were avoided only by the coolest judgment
and keen foresight. While it is not expected
that the EAGLE will give the inside history
Of the lively ups and downs Of
this enterprise during the past three
months, we presume that there can be no
harm in saying that negotiations were en-
tered into with three distinct corporations.
As one of these was concluded to be dan
gerous 70 the best interests of Wicbits's
coming greatness, and, as another, while Of
fering great inducements, was suspected of
being complicated with an interes. consider
ed inimical to Wichita. bargain was final
" closed with parties, which makes the line
virtually q branch of the Missouri Pacific
system. With the Anthony branch extend
ed on southwest into the indian Territory,
and the Wichita & Colorado no to the coal
fields of :he west, and both converging from
this city, il was deemed that Wichita would
thus. logically gain largely of the benefits of
the Gould system, so much SO that any ex-
trA offers would be, and were. wisely ig-
nored.
The EAGLE desires in this connection to
award high praise to Supt. J. w. Miller,
Chief Engineer n. S.Wood, NJ. w. Levy,N.
F. Neiderlander, Kos. Harris and A. w.
Oliver. From the start they have faithfully
kept the interests of Wichita in view and no
promise of personal profit could shake them
in their purpose to put the line in the in
terest of the system that guaranteed the
most to Wichita-present and future. They
acted not only wisely and shrewdly from
the beginning. but nobly and unselfsbly.
And right here the EAGLE desires to say
and we have been on the inside of every
movement from The time that this paper
first came out in advocacy the building of
such road that when it was first brought
out, this line had no more, greater or better
promise of being built than either the Fl.
Smith extension or the Omaha connection.
Those who, therefore, pretended to support
the one as against the other because of its
better chances, did so blindly and not from
any superior knowledge which they pretend
ed to possess.
On the importance Of this northwestern
line to Wichita there is no particular use Of
dwelling. Everybody understands that it
reaches and makes tributary one of the fin
est, riches and most highly cultivated Sec
tiops in the entire state. From here to
Larned is not only magnifcently devel-
oped section, but a country whose vast
products have NIL been carried of BY the
Santa Fe TO Kansas City. Not only will
these products be now able TO reach nearer
competing lines at Wichita, but all the peo-
Piles ard interests Of that section for one
hundred miles west viii only have local
rates 10 pay from Wichita on all goods Ell
,her TO or from Chicago. Kansas City or St.
Louis. Not only this, but beyond LsrDed
is another great and rapidly developing re-
gion, consisting of the counties of Scott,
Ness, Lane, Wichita and Greedy. Beyond
those but short distance comes To- great
coal fields Of Colorado.
The EAGLE line. All Hail