The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-08
p. /. BOnebrake Contributes
Some Interesting History
On the Early Struggles of the
Santa Fe Road.
COL. HOLIDAYS HAT
Once Delayed an Excursion
Over 20 Minutes.
The First Jaunt to Pauline in a
"BorrOwed'' Car.

Mr.. P. I. Bonebrake, president of the
Central National bank, knows as much
about Topeka as anyone in the city. To
a Journal reporter today he gave the
following Renaissance of the Santa Fe
railroad and its origin:
MANY of our people do not know that
the first stroke of work on the Santa F'e
road was done right here in the city Of
Topeka. Col. Holiday was partially in
sane on the subject of building a rail-
road to the southwest. He talked it SO
much that others of the old settlers
were AFFECTED with the same complaint.
FINALLY, after much talk, company
was organized, and some Cincinnati
people took hold Of the work They had
but little money, but Shawnee county
proposed to help along, and voted $780,,
600 in bonds to aid in starting the pro-
Ject, $500, 600 to be given when the road
was completed from Topeka to Atchison
and S150, 900 when completed to the south
line of the county. The bonds were
voted and the work commenced.
The commencement consisted of a
party of old settlers going with spades
and shOvels to- the point near the river
bank, near where the shops now stand,
and throwing up mound OF dirt Up
on this mound Col. Holiday took his
stand, and, with hat off, proceeded to
predict that that this road will reach
the mountains. Santa Fe and the Pa
cific ocean. The crowd, of course. all
laughed at what they considered a good
joke. They expected that some time
the road might reach the mountains, but
no one was more Sanguine than that.
This little beginning on the town site
of Topeka was the beginning of the
great railroad system which now COM
priSeS 10, 600 miles, touches the lakes on
the east the Gulf of Mexico on the south
and the Pacific ocean on the west;
road that has done more to develop
Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizo-
ma and California than all other causes
combined. Certainly these old settlers
'builded better than they knew.
THE first excursion on the new road
was from Topeka to what is now Pau
line five miles. Guests were invited
from other cities. The train consisted
of little locomotive, a passenger car,
borrowed or stolen from Gen. Nettleton,
and some fiat cars. A big time was had.
Water being scarce in those times, 9TH
er refreshments were substituted, and
by the time the excursiOnists returned
the crowd was convinced that the San
ia Fee was the greatest road on earth.
The next excursion was had when the
road reached the south line of the c0un-
ty, when like conditions and like results
followed as the first time.
1.-THE third excursion took place when
the road was completed to Atchison.
On that occasion Col. Holiday had just
returned from the east with bran new
silk hat the kind that at that time in
Kansas attracted attention. The ozone
in the atmosphere on the trip to Atch-
isOn so exhilarated the colonel that at
the dinner ia BILE he offended the waiter,
who took the brand new hat and hid it,
and it cost the train a 20 minutes delay
and a SO redemption fee. The train was
held at the depot until the party could
persuade the waiter to give up the hat.
MANY interesting things have been
written about the building of the San
ia Fee but there is a vast amount of
things connected with the trials and
tribulations of the promoters and build
ers that would make very interesting
reading. To appreciate the march of
development and civilization, we have
but to contrast the condition of the peo-
pie and country through which the
Santa F'e Route runs today with that
of % years ago, the date of its birth.
Then commerce and travel was by
OK teams, which wound their slow and
tOrtuGus way amidst heat and cold,
sand and snow storms and hostile In
dams, requiring six months for the trip.
Now the palace car, with more luxuries
than we have at home, carries the trav-
eler and commerce through cities and
towns, supplied with school houses,
churches and libraries, and everything
belonging TO modern civilization;
through farms covered with 1ocks and
herds, across the country in less than
three days. Viewed from a standpoint
Of so years ago, the true story of the
upbuilding of the Santa Fee is more |
wonderful than the fiction of the Arab
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