Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-27

Connects Lines Already BuiIt and In
Opcrutiun.

be tOTToUOTalth ny any Huuu'i VI 'h'''
views with officials Of other lines were 1t
not for form Of railway etiquette that
prevents an official of one road from com
menting on the affairs of another The
construction of the Kansas City, Pittsburg
& Gulf road Is now an accepted fact In the
railway world and shrewd railroad mana
gers are already endeavoring to make the
best possible traffic arrangements with the
newcomer among the big southwestern
lines The extent of this railway system
and its influence on the commerce of the
south and of the west are not easy matters
to be fully comprehended. Its importance
to Omaha is apparently of the greatest mo-
ment.
1t is no small. "jerkwater" line. running
through a desolate waste from nowhere to
nowhere that is to enter Omaha in the
spring 1t is a great railroad system com
posed in part of lines that have been In
operation for several years and in part OF
new lines The whole system may be
called new, for the old portions of the road
have been rebuilt and the equipment through
out Is so new that the first varnish still
glistens on II. This system will when
completed operate over 1000 and few odS
miles from Omaha on the north to Port
Arthur on the south 1t will operate through
the states of Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri,
Kansas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas, and
Indian Territory. From Omaha to Pattons-
burg Mo, Ii will run over the Omaha Il
St Louis road, which it has practically alb
sorbed as a part of its system. From
Pattonsburg to Kansas City there IS gap
of seventy-two miles and the contract for
building a road to fill in this gap is to be
let in a few days
From Kansas City south the road is now
in operation as far as Mena, Ark, a dis
tance of $50 miles from Kansas City. The
road is built ten miles south of Mena. Be
low this point there is a gap OF htty-one
miles to Horatio, where the road begins
again The road now building in this gap
will be completed by February l. From
Horatio. Ark, there is a continuous line as
far south Many, La, distance or l93
miles. From Many, La there is about lSO
miles of road to be built TO Beaumont, Tex
From the latter point to Port Arthur, the
southern terminus, a railroad OF twenty
miles is now in operation. Considering the
vast extent of the system, therefore, there
remains but comparatively little work TO be
done to complete the line from Omaha to
the gulf The line will not only be short
one: it will be a north and south line al
most as straight as the line in which the
proverbial crow nes. 1t deviates few
times to avoid some big hills, but 1t doesn
run all over the country hunting for promi-
nent towns and county seats. Its business
is to get from Omaha to southern sea
port. and 1t does this in the briefest pos
sible way.
The feature OF the new railroad that ap-
pears to be of most consequence to Omaha
will be its entrance among the roads
clamOring for the privilege of carrying Ne
broska grain to its final destination. There
are these who are SO sanguine OF the ulti-
mate triumph of the gulf ports over the
older ports of the Atlantic seabOard in the
export OF western grain that they predict
the day is not far distant when the Iowa
lines will carry scarcely any grain eastward
from Omaha. This Is undoubtedly an eX-
tremc and an unwaTTanted view OF the mat
ter The outward trend of the western ex-
port movement, however, cannot be denied,
and II is reasonable to suppose that the new
line TO the south will secure at least its
share of Nebraskas corn for export from
southern harbors This railroad viii, II
nothing more, prove a formidable competi-
tor OF the Iowa lines for the grain business.
Even should II not succeed in capturing the
bulk Of the grain shipments its presence
will undoubtedly have the effect OF keeping
freight rates down to the lowest profitable
margin for the railroads.
OUTLET FOR PACKING HOUSES.
Omaha will also welcome a short line to
the south for the purpose of shipping no in
considerable quantity of its packing house
products southwark. So far as the impor
tanCe OF the Pittsburg & Gulf railroad to
Omaha is concerned the shipment of grain
and of packing house products would seem
to be sufficient to make that Importance
real, In return the new road offers 10 bring
in about all the products of the south that
are wanted here. Sugar, rice, southern
fruits, coal, marble and zinc may be men
toned as commodities easily placed on the
cars of the new road. But above everything
else that the south. or that particular por-
tion OF IL through which the new road runs
has TO offer to Omaha is its almost boundless
supply of lumber. The road runs through
whole forests OF plne--hoth long leaf and
short leat-that have scarcely been entered
by white men heretofore. All that is neces-
sary before loading this lumber on the cars
is to clear q place beside the tracks for
saw mill, put in a switch for extra freight
cars and commence saving wood. Other
woods, including walnut, cherry and cypress
are TO be found along the line, but it is
chiefly the abundance OF long leaf pine that
makes General Freight Agent Sargent smile
when asked when he will have anything for
a northern movement.
The Kansas City Pittsburg G. Gulf rail-
road Is wonderfully, but not fearfully made.
1t comprises more than a bakers dozen of
companies. Owing to the peculiar laws gov
ernng railways in some OF the southern
states in which ii operates II is necessary
TO have separate company in each state.
Then there are the several old railroad COM
panies that II has absorbed, for ii has made
use Of such railroads as IL has found along
its route. II was old Commodore Vanderbilt
who conceived the idea of uniting various
bits OF railroad i'm the eastern and central
parts OF New York state, and the great New
York Central railroad was the final result of
his efforts. II may be that Mr. Stllwell's
idea OF Joining several north and south lines
in the southwestern part of the country and
OF filling IN the gaps with new road may
prove 10 be as important 70 that section.
In addition to the several railroad com
panies, there are land companies and town
site companies and Improvement companies
all along the line, being especially thick
about the southern terminus OF the road
and In the newly opened regions of Ar
kansas. In this latter class of companies 1t
will be found that many OF the stockholders
are clerks and other subordinate attaches of
the railway company. Mr. Stillwell is
great believer in the efficacy Of a personal
interest In the road and its success by every
person in its employ. Accordingly, he fire.
quently points out to a clerk what he CON
siders would prove TO be a profitable invest
meHt.
STARTED AS HOME BUILDERS
All these organizations are part ahd par
eel OF the railroad company, in the main
having the same officers, and are so treated
in this article. The title Of the company
that has been constructing the Kansas Cl;y,
Pittsburg 4 Gulf road is the Missouri, Kan
sas a Texas Trust company. fhis com
pany was organized In Kansas City twelve
years ago for the purpose OF building homes
for laborng men. after the fasnion OF build
ing and loan associations a. Il, Stnlwell Is
president OF this company and vice president
OF the Kansas City, Plttsburg & Gulf rail-
aA.-