, 1886-05-13
Competitive Railway Construction
West 0ftae LI.s=o-u.

upon business enterprises resulting
from tho labor agitation. TIE great
railway companies in the west are
still pushing forward their competi
tive enterprises. each iucitel 10y the
ac.ual or expected movement Of its
rivals. and the present year Is certain
TO see Il large addition t. the mileage
of several Of the pTIncIpHI systems.
The Chicago Rock Island X Pacific
company. which h.s hitherto been
one of the most conservative Of the
great companies and done compare
lively little building. has at last de
tcrnnncd To push on from the Mis-
sour river into Kansas and Nebraska.
1t has recently effected I loan Of SO
OOO.0UU for western extensions and its
surveyors are RAPIDLY pushing new
lines from st. Joseph northwest and
southeast. 1t l. still asserted that
the Rock Island company mas secured
control Of the -. Joseph y " este.n
railway and that it viii extend that
line into northwestern Nebraska, in
to which region the burlington and
Union Pacific companies are both
pushing. y still more important
movement Is being made by the Rock
Island company toward central and
southern Kansas. apparently also
with intentions upon New Mexico
and Texas. Ii this aggressive move
ment Is carrcu out 1t viii very likely
result III forcing the Atchison Topek;.
X Santa Ee company to build its long
threatened line from Kansas city to
Chicago. The AtChisun company
now divides the immense traffic which
it pOurs into Kansas CITY impartiaIly
among the various Chicago and ST.
Louis lines. When the Burlington
company built from the Missouri
and 1t Is also pushing lines down in
to the latter cOmpany's Kansas terri
tory. If the Rock Island does the
same thing it will also conflict with
the AtchIson and make that company
still more determined to have its own
line from tho Missouri river east.
This 1t might virtually accomplish by
an arrangement with the Chicago Il
Alton which has excellent lines 10 St
Louis and Chicago, or either the Chi
cagO d Northwestern on the Chicago
Milwaukee * st. Paul, both of which
are determined to have Kansas city
line but which do not contemplate
agSressions west of the Missouri river
from that point. BY building from
Kansas city northwest tie Atchison
company can meet the proposed lines
of either of these companies, CT it can
build its line through to Chicago
IN n l.,
two years ago. The immense volume
of business which the Atchison com
pany could bring to such a line from
Its vast system extending to the Paci
tic ocean and TO the Gulf of Mexico,
would, it has been estimated, make
the line profitable without any local
business, and of course if built would
develop an increasing local traffic
The Chicago * Alton company
does not seem to contemplate any ex-
tension from Kansas city, doubtless
being well contented-a it has reason
to be-with Its magnificent local bust
ness, together with the share of the
through business which it still con-
trols, but this company evidently in
tends to have ine to Omaha in or.
der to secure : share cf the growing
business received T.'sm the west al
that point.
The Chicago Il Northwestern is re
ported to have authorized Il loun of
S20,UO0.G0O, and Is pushing forward
with great energy its extension across
Wyoming parallel to the Union Paci
iic, by which it will ere long have
direct connection with the Central
Pacific for California, while also
| pushing line due west toward the
Pacific coast in Oregon and mean
time completing an arm into the
Black Hill region. This company
and the Chicago Milwaukee & st,
Paul are both extending feeders in
Dakota, and these two companies will
soon completely cover the greater
part OF that vast territory south of
the Northern Pacific line. The Chi
caSo Burlington Il Quincy and ST.
/ Paul Minneapolis & Manitoba are
aggressively working In the north
west, and the Burlington's movement
through Nebraska and into Wyoming
Is especially significant. The re
markable activity of the Atchison To
peka " Santa Fe company in laying
out network of new lines in south
ern Kansas and in pushing through
Indian Territory into Texas, has al
ready been referred to in detail.
These are sCme OF the principal
movements Of the great companies
now under way, and which are sure
to be completed no matter what the
general business outlook during the
present year is. Ihese companies
are building for the future. not for
| today. They are temporarily bury
ing tens Of millions of dollars on lines
many OF which are not expected to
pay at present, but which are felt to
be necessary to the future strength
and security Of the parent companies.
Hence. the great and thinIy peopled
west Is receiving an immense forward
impulse from the enterprise and am
bition OF few great corporations.
and Is enjoying q growth for which
the people AID local governments are
not at all responsible. They are
compelled to grow by the energy of
railway competition.
These great enterprises and the
aiiIoSI l4uuhleIdBiS smaller railway
undertakings which are being pushed
forward III the country give assurance
OF much activity among the manu-
factories of railway supplies. The
| thousands of miles of new RAILWAYS
which will be added during 1886 will
mean employment TO tens OF thous-
ands of artisans and the distribution
of vast sum OF money into the var
lous channels OF Industry. The pres
! ent year seems certain TO be one of
/ progress and comparative prosperity
lor all interests connected with rail
way development, provided the folly
OF labor agitators does not precipitate
a conflict with capital which is utter
iiy unnecessary and unproyoked, and
IN which labor would be by far the