The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-06-23
BROAD POLICY
Of the Santa Fe in Building
Up
Its Territory in Kansas, Colo
RADIO and Other States
OUTLINED IN DENVER
by Santa Fe Officials Now in
That City.
A Conference to Be Held ON the
Subject.


fcials of the Santa F'e Railway COM
pany are in Colorado this week looking
the situation over with a view to TAX
ing steps towards fostering the existing
industries along the lines of the Santa
Fe system and initiating such new in
dustrial projects as the conditions
may warrant. The visiting railroad
men are J. J. Frey of Topeka, Kan,
general manager of the Santa Fe COM
pany; Paul Morton of Chicago, third
vice president, in charge of traffic; H.
u. Nudge of Topeka, Kan, general su-
perintendent, and c. G. Davis, chief of
the Industrial department.
1t is the intention of the Santa Fe
company, as announced some months
ago, to spend a large amount of money
in developing the resources of Colorado
and other western states and territories
in which its lines operate; with, of
course, the purpose of increasing the
business of the Santa Fe system. From
present indications the bulk of the
company's subsidy fund will be ex-
pended in this state. Two weeks ago
G. c. Davis, who has charge of the
company's recently created industrial
department, made application to the
state land board for 100000 acres of
land. This territory will be leased, re-
claimed and sublet to cOlOnists, who
will engage in the cultivation of sugar
beets. fruits and farm produce. Every
assistance is to be rendered these set
tiers by the railroad company in raising
their first crops. This is only one of
the improvement enterprises conten-
plated by the Santa Fe management.
The present inspection tour of the
Santa Fe officials is likely to result in
a crystalization of the cOmpany's plans
lines in this state. On Thursday or
Friday next Messrs. Frey, Morton,
Nudge and Davis will confer and COM
pare notes on their trip. The meeting
iii ~, III A,1r III
With the possible exception of Mr.. Da-
Wis, who may remain here some time
longer, the party will start for the east
about the end of the week. Then def
mite news may be looked for from their
industrial improvement programme
General Manager Frey and Superin-
tendent Nudge arrived in Denver yes
terday, having come up through the
Arkansas valley from New Mexico,
where they spent several days. Paul
Morton and c. c. Davis left Pueblo
for Trinidad in the afternoon, and are
expected in Denver by Friday next
Messrs. Frey and Nudge are stopping
at the Brown Palace hotel.
I'VE have been out on the trip about
10 days and went all over New Mexico
said General Manager Frey. Every
thing in New Mexico is looking fine
and the people there were never so
hopeful for the future as they are now
The crops are in a splendid condition.
The rains started in about the 1st of
May, month earlier than usual, with
the result that grass is excellent and
abundant With good grass and high
prices the cattle industry in New Mex
leo is hOuriShing. So far this year we
have hauled more cattle into Kansas
and Nebraska from Denver 20 the
northwest than we did in previous
years. Our general cattle traffic has
been very heavy since the 1St of April,
and is still heavy. In New Mexico we
are rapidly improving the physical con-
dition of our system, and we intend to
do the same in Colorado. All over the
system we are putting in large num-
Der of new iron bridges, and we are
also renovating the tracks.
so far this year we have put in 300
miles of new rails, all heavier than the
old ones, and it is our intention to lay
100 more miles of the same variety of
rails before the year is out. We are
also putting in rock ballast into the
roadbed to give us a higher rate of
speed and make the trains run more
smoothly. The better a railroad sys-
tenn is the more economically it can be
operated.
This morning we got into Colorado.
It is our intention to remain in Denver
tomorrow, and we will probably spend
three or four days more in seeing the
outside sections of the state. From
what have seen so far, and from what
have heard, also, it is my opinion that
Colorado is improving gradually and
substantially. Coming through the Ar
kansas valley today I was aereea bIv
tivation to which that section has been
brought.
THE whole valley looks like a bloom
ing garden. We could see farms and
fruit orchards all along the line of the
road. There is plenty of water there
too, the bitches, reservoirs and lakes
being all full.
Il do not see any reason why the plan
to raise sugar beetS in the Arkansas
valley should not be successful. All the
conditions for beet culture are favora-
BILE there. Before return to the east
it is my intention, if possible, to spend
at least two days going through the
valley
They ought to be able to raise any
thing on that SOIL for it is naturally |
rich. From the first the practica bility |
Of cultiVating the Arkansas valley de-
water supply, and I think the question |
has been solved.
1T is the purpose of the Santa F'e |
to do everything possible |
in developing the resources of the |
valley and the other sections |
of the state through which our lines |
r7ln. The prosperity of Colorado means |
an increase of business for our system |
and we shall do everything in our pwer |
towards increasing this prosperity The /
will, of course, be largely |
guided by the recOmmendat tiOns of Mr.
Davis, the industrial agent of the COM
Oany.
He has been in the state for some |
lime pasat, and as I am not Informed on /
he plans he has outlined, I cannot talk
very fully Of the improvements to be
in Colorado.
Mr.. Davis and Mr.. Morton the third |
vice president of the company, are now
cooking over the state together. This
afternoon Mr.. Morton wired me that !
hey were about to start from Pueblo