Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-12-15

rhis had the effect OF reducing our
traffic, nrst, by depriving US OF the ship.
ment Of stock catrie from the breeding
pasture Of the South, and second de-
priyina us Of the usual shipments OF fat
cattle. The settlers who had located on
the line 10 large numbers, were unsuccess.
ful In their crops, and this fact deferred
others for the tlme-heing, so that our
passenger traffic suffered 10 some ex-
tent. The rains In the fsll, however,
we're abundant, and the settlers, encour-
aged by this, have soYn a fery large
quantity OF wheat. We carried many
thousands OF bushels of iseed-wheat free
a charge 70 these settlers, our manage
ment thinRing that our company would
soon be amply repaid by the increased
prosperity Of the country. The crop Is all
up and promises buuntiful harvest
Land seekers begin again to ihrong our
trains, and business generally assumes a
bright aud encouraging look
We felt very materially the effects OF
tho strike upon the Southwest system In
the fact that while IL decreased our gross
earnings very much, with the expectation
that the strike would only last q few days
the force upon the road could not be re-
dnced, no economies being introduced In
the OltihNlIlk tAISDhtd VI AllO Ahhh BiNRVAT
tionate 70 the loss in gross receipts,
therefore, It increased our yearly per-
centage Of operating expenses materially;
whereas, II II had not happened they
would have been considerably decreased
The rolling stock has been kept 10
tho ough repair and is now In splendid
condition. We added 100 stock cars to
our equipment by changing fifty fat cars
into stock care, and by purchasing tfty
from the Pullman Car company. In our
report last year we noted the purchase OF
two new large and heavy freight engines,
this year we have added two more OF the
same kind, giving us very efficient mo-
tive power for our business The condl-
tlon of our road is fully up TO previous
years, having put Ia over 10000 new ties
between Hodge and Wichita Falls.
Forty-hye miles of the extension rec
omended in our report of last year is al
most completed, and fifteen miles Of 1t Ia
operation to Vernon, in VIII anger coun-
ty. The grading for the whole distance
Is done, the track IS laid TO Cnillocothe,
1870 miles from Fort Worth, we are build
ing a very good road, are laying fifty
eight pound steel rail, and ell material
used Is flrst.class. We have kept down
our maximum grade to per cent.
The cost of this extension will not exceed
S13, 900 per mile--this will reduce our
bonded Indebtedness to less that $4,000
per mile on the whole line. The building
OF the A Gibson, Topeka & Santa Fe from
Kiowa southwest along the line OF the
Canadian river, crossing us in the vicinity
uf Carson county, and of the Missouri
Pacific through KingmIn and aka, Kan,
thence southwesterly toward the b aver
and connee ing near our crossing Of the
Canadian river; the extension of the II lck
Island to the southwest In the direction
If Topeka ard Hutchison, indicating a
crossing Of our line near our crossing OF
the Canadian en- route TO I'll Paso, and the
development OF the Northern portion OF
the Panhandle, due to the great iutlux of
immigration following the progress OF the
lines from Kansas has made II nrct ssary
for as to extend our line to the Canadian
The company has, therefore, made con-
tract with the Panhandle Construction
company for the building of this portion
of the road. The tendencies of
the railroads in Texas through.
cut the settled counties to
push out feeders, no doubt will force
them into our country south OF wichita,
aud this makes 1t necessary that We
should extend our line n rth ~ counec
tion in the Northwest with the Denver,
Texas & Gull, which we are informed
wilt be extended 70 connection with us
at the Canadian river during the coming
year. With this and the Kansas
connection complete, 1t makes the Fort
Worth & Denver trunk line to Denver
and the East, and gives all the country
west Of the longitude OF Denver a direct
Go h.. Of - Nd -.
Orleans for the transportation Of the
ores and products Of that country a
least a 1000 miles nearer than their way
Of seeking tide water at preJent,
The company has also considered thu
question of the bonded debt, aud have
found that the extension could be bull
| for much less bonded debt than hereto
fore. They have therefore concluded L
limit the mortgage from Quanah to thu
| Canadian liver, and for an.
branches II may build, to $1,000
per mite. This will be done by tn
supplemental mortgage, a copy of which
Is submitted for your action.
On such bonded debt the securities o
the company viii be sought by Investor
and will give them much better stand
ing with the commercial centers OF tn
world
! During the past year the drive OF stocl
cattle from Southern Kansas toward tn
state If Colorado and the territories q
Wyoming, Idaho aud Montana, has eS
ceeded 100000 head, These cattle hay
been driven north In the general drectio
OF our line OF road, and had our line bee
completed to Denver, the whole OF thi
drive would have been transported owe
1t, The difficulty of loading them !
Southern Texas and carrying them owe
only portion OF the distance, unloadin
them at Harold, aud then driving ther
north until they strike the Atchisor
Topeka s Santa Fe was so great, aud tn
time saved so comparatively short, tina
they drove all the way from Souther
Texas to the Atcheson, Topeka & SAINT
Fe, where they took cars passing throug
TO Denver, thence over the Union PaclG
railroad to reach their destination
With the contemplated completion Of th
road flom Pueblo south to the Canada
river, to connection with our line, thi
trade would be steady one ana niue
more reliable than the present catt