The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-28
First Roadway of the White
Men Across the Plains
Superseded 25 Years Ago by
the Building
OF THESANTA FE ROAD
This Great Work to Be Cele-
brated by a Jubilee.
Santa Fe Company Issues an
Historical Account.

The general passenger department of
the Santa Ferailway will see that To-
peka's Second Annual Fall Festival, and
particularly Santa FTe day of that week,
is thoroughly advertised In a few
days a neat folder in two colors will be
| issued from that department, and thou
sands of copies distributed throughout
Kansas and adjacent states.
The folder will contain interesting da-
ia in reference to the growth of the
Santa Fe railway proper, and informa-
tion as to the purpose of the silver an
niversary celebration. 1t will read as
follows:
1.-The autumnaI festivities that will
held in Topeka from September 27, to
October 2, promises to surpass in splen-
dor those of 1896. And it is fitting that
this should be so. Coming as they do
at a time when the people of Kansas
are rejoicing at natures evidences of
good faith, an additional period of spec
ial Thanksgiving would seem to be
proper. The successful harvesting of
the largest crops since those of 1892.
and the largest crop ever gathered in
Kansas, cultivated area considered
should leave no good reasons for alb
sence.
THE first thoroughfare through Kan
sas established by white men was the
Santa Fe trail, and as is well known
superseded by the Atchison, Topeka &
Santa F'e railway, which follows essen
TALLY the same route. The road was
incorporated by an act of the territorial
legislature, February IL, 1859, and was
completed to the Kansas and Colorado
state line December %, 1872.
After the granting of the first charter
nearly ten years were devoted to the
wrok of organizing and financiering. and
it was not until October, 1868, that the
actual work of construction was COM
menced.
BY May, 1871. the line had been fin
ished only as far as Newton, and the
time prescribed by the act of congress
for the completion of the road to the
state line expired March 3, 1873, and
forfeiture of large portion of the land
grant would follow failure. In March,
1872, it was decided to resume building
as rapidly as possible, and 1t is a mat
ter of record that the $50 miles remain
ing were constructed IN nine months,
trains being run over the entire length
of road-AtchisOn to the state Hne-on
December %. 1872. Considering the rel
atively crude methods of construction
in use at that time, the newness and
dangers of the section then occupied
only by buffalo and the marauding red
man, it is record to be proud of.
1t is to celebrate this event that day
has been dedicated to the SANTA FE
ROUTE. The Silver Anniversary of
the completion of Kansas greatest rail-
road will be September %, 1897, which
day has been designated Santa FNe
sion the employees of the various de-
partments throughout the state have
arranged for special floats, displaying
features illustrative of the industrial
conditions and development of the road
and country. Each section will retain
it's individuality and endeavor to make
it's display representative of the region
and division.
(Here follows the official programme of
the week of feStivities.)
The growth of the Atchison, Topeka
& Santa F'e railway is shown by the
following statement:
1873. 1897
Miles of track in Kan
SaS, exclusive of sid
tngs .;:..-.-......... 1861 2,2S44
Locomotives .. SO ISL
Passenger cars. 20 4S3.
Freight and miScel-
1aneOuS cars ....... 1012 25 263
twenty-five years ago the state of
Kansas held all that there was of the
Santa Fe route. Today its lines reach
from Chicago to Los Angeles and San
Diego on the Pacific coast, to Galveston
on the Gulf coast, to Ell Paso on the
border of Mexico, and to Denver. There
are very few, if any, of the important
cities of the southwest that are not To-
Gated on or may not be reached via
this great system of railway.
The advances in completeness of
equipment have kept UP with the de-
mandS of the time The substitution of
the comfortable chair car and the lux
that day came in due season, along
with the more rapid movement of trains
Fifteen hours from the Missouri river
to Chicago is exceedingly fast time
only when compared with the Is and "a
hour schedule of not long ago. On
transcontinental travel the palm is
conceded to the Santa Fe by such as re-
call the flight of the magnificent Cali
fornia limited trains that made the run
from Chicago to Los Angeles in 70
hours"