Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-09-17
ANOTHER RAILWAY LINE
Prospect of n New Railroad From
chicago 10 ON aha-ls it the Santa

| chicago 10 ON al a-Isit the Santa
! Fe?
Chicago dispatches give particulars of
the revival of the Santa Fe, or, more
properly, the Chicago, Fort Madison &
Des Moines railway project. under the
impetus of heavy crops this year. The
main line is to run between Chicago and
Omaha. via. Fort Madison, and if the
| promised branch to the wheat fields of
the Red River of the North is built it will
cross the Mississippi into Rock Island
county.
The nucleus of the main line was the
Fort Madison & Northwestern narrow
gauge, purchased by Chicago and eastern
capitalists under foreclosure proceedings
The gauge has been made standard. and
the road is now open and trains between
Fort Madison and L bertyville are run
ming regularly from Lioertyvlle to O.tum-
wa, distance of % miles, the line is
graded and the track Will be laid in few
weeks. West of Q tumws the line makes
straight shoot for Omaha the route be-
ing north of the Burliugton's main line
and south of the Rock Islands trans
Iowa division, about equal distance from
either, and for over 200 miles it runs
through a belt, where, for %
miles on either side, it has no
east and west lines to compete with.
The new line will be the shortest route
from Chicago TO the blue grass region of
Iowa, and it is claimed, will be the short,
est line between Chicago and Omaha.
Ia order to reach Chicago the Atchinson,
Topeka & Santa Fe will be used from
Fort Madison. o. C. Wheeler, who
was formerly general manager of the
Santa Fe and was for over 90 years one
of the managing officers of the Chicago
X Northwestern, is president of the new
road, which has so far kept its operations
and future plans very quiet.
The Santa Fe management has not as
yet put any money into the Chicago,
Fort Madison & Des Moines, but short
time ago it closed close traffic contract
with the road to run for 10 years, under
which through line between Chicago
and Omaha will be formed by the two
companies as soon as the latter is COM
pleted.
So far the new line has not offered
bond nor share of stock for sale, all the
securities issued having been absorbed by
the syndicate behind the project. The
new line will be completed and opened
for freight traffic in time to move the
crops of 1892 and in fact, through pas,
senger service will be started about the
same time.
In closing close traffic contract with
the Chicago, Fort Madison & Des Moines,
the Santa Fe has tied it up as an ally to
the exclusion of all other connections of
the new road. While no definite plans
have been decided on as yet, it will sur
prise no one If at some time after its com
| pletion the Santa Fe should absorb the
new road as it has the Colorado MIDI and =,
the St. Louis & San Francisco and the
| Chicago, Santa Fe 81 California.
The project beyond Omaha is guarded
as profound secret. 1t is not believed
that the road will be permitted to stop
there any great length of time. Under
| existing circumstances, there is no chance
of making trans Missouri connection,
unless by extending to Sioux City, where
the Pacific short line, soon to be sold, has
its beginning. Probably these parties are
also confident that when the time comes
they will be able to secure that property.
This sort of deal would solve what has
been a long standing problem against the
Northern Pacific. and head If its most
| formidable rival, the Great Northern. 1t
would also put both the : .rta Fe and
Northern Pacific in position to even up
old scores and hereafter hold the Union
| Pacific down to level