Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-01-23
as TO RAILROAD PROSPECTS

as TO RAILROAD PROSPECTS,,
Our Galveston special says that the di-
rectory of the Santa Fe road regard the
extension of the st. Louis & San Francis
co westward from Tulsa through the In
dian Territory as much nearer accomplish
ment than Its southwark extension, from
Fort Smith to Paris or some point on the
Red river, The Santa Fe people doubtless
have good grounds for this view. The
original charter of the Atlantic & Pacific
railway, OF which the ST. Louis and San
Francisco Is the successor, contemplated
a line from st. Louis TO the Pacific ocean,
through the Indian Territory. This plan
was defeated by the building Of the Mis-
souri,, Kansas and Texas through the Ter
ritory, cutting off the Atlantic & Pacific
from right of way. BY congressional en-
actment, only one railway was to be al
lowed through the Indian Territory. The
NJ, X g. T. and the A. 4 r. both coveted
the valuable privilege, and it was granted
to the company whose road should be FIRST
to reach the Territory, The NJ, X. & 7.
beat its rival in the race by but few
hours, and gained the monopoly. The
Atlantic and Pacific then turned slightly
northward and carried its line west
wardly through Southern Kansas. The
company was reorganized as the st. Louis
& San Francisco, aud has steadily pushed
its western extension, keeping ever in view
its original design of gaining a foothold on
the Pacific coast. BY n junction with the
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe at Halstead,
in Southern Kansas, IL has obtained a
connection over that line with the Allan
tic & Pacific at Albuquerque, N. NJ, to
which point the latter is completed from
San Francisco But the st. Louis & San
Francisco is not satisfied with this ar
rangement, 1t keeps that road dependent
upon the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
from lIalstead to Albuquerque, u distance
of several hundred miles; and as the two
roads parallel each other for long dis
lance aud are rivals in he Kansas trade,
they are not ON the best OF terms and sew
eral times have fallen out. The Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe has been able to die
tate its own conditions and the st. Louis
road Is compelled to submit TO them as
long as it remains In the attitude of a de-
pendent, Naturally that road is very anx-
ious to become Independent of its Kansas
competitor by securing road OF its own
to Albuquerque. The obtaining of that
advantage will be its first care.
Having been frustrated In its first at
tempt TO obtain right Of way through the
Indian Territory, by the monopoly given
to the NJ, X. & L. road, the st. Louis &
San Francisco went to congress for an
other right OF way, After several years
OF persistent effort, the congressional
prejudice against railroads through the
Territory was removed, and the right OF
way was given, The road was then, in
| pursuance of the unalterod design Of It's
projectors, extended from Seneca, where
It had stopped on the line between Mis-.
| souri, and the Indian Territory, TO Vanim
whore construction was for awhile sus,
pended. After an interval, the road was
again pushed to the ultimate objective
I point, but building was again stopped al
Rcd Rock ON the Arkansas river, where
the road at present terminates. It was
recently reported IN the 81, Louis Globe.
Democrat that surveying corps had
been put in the field to complete the sur
/ vey FROM Red Rock through the Territory
and the Panhandle OF Texas TO Albu-
querque, and that active preparations
were making for the completion of this
/ line,
About i've years ago this company
turned It's attention to the development
OF Northwestern Arkansas and built a
branch from Plymouth, near PIERCE City,
Mo, ON the main line, enthusiastically
through Arkansas, which reached Fort
Smith two years ago aud there stopped.
This line also has right of way
through the Indian Territory from Fort
Smith 10 the Red river near Paris, in
Texas
From this brief relation of the history
and present status of the st. Louis San
Francisco road, It is seen that the opln-
ion OF the directors OF the Gull, Colorado
s Santa Ee that theS Louis & san Fran
cisco viii be more likely TO complete
Il their road from Tulsa, Or lied Rock,
westward, than from Fort Smith south
ward Is well founded, by bridging the