The Topeka state journal., 1897-10-12
Visit of w. w. Pagan to Topeka
Recalls Early History.
Was First Conductor and First
Sup't of the Santa Fe
ON THE MAIN LINE.
Supt. Nudge Was Then a Track
Laying EmplOye.
S. Henry Cunningham a Guest
of Manager Frey.

eople on the platform of the Santa Fe
depot waiting for eastbound train No.
yesterday afternoon might have noticed
a man past middle age, with gray hair
and gray beard. standing in front of the
baggage room talking with General Su-
perintendent Nudge. While many of the
passersby nodded to the Santa Fe official,
few recognized the older man, but each
time the recognition was followed by
cordial handshakirg.
Twenty-Five years ago the elderly man
was superintendent of the Santa Fe rail-
way, then confined within the borders of
the state, and the pay rolls in his office
showed the name of the present general
superint tendent OF the Santa Fe as em>
ploye of the track department working
on the construction of the main line in
western Kansas. He was the first su-
perintendent, and before there was such
a position in the gift of the promoters of
the pioneer railroad in Kansas was the
first conductor. His name is W. w.
Pagan, or better known among the old
employees OF the Santa Fe as BIZ Fa-
gan.
Mr.. Fagan came to Topeka in 1869, when
the first line of the Santa Fe road was
in course of construction between Topeka
and CarbondaIe, and took the first pas
minus, the magnificent distance of IS
miles. Several months after his initial
trip conductor, the Santa Fe road
commenced to build westward from Car
Ebondale. and the position of superintend-
ent was created and his appointment an
nOunced. Up to 1879 he held this position.
having seen the advancement of the road
TO the Colorado border during his term
of office, and in that year resigned to
+,1- of ol1
Kansas Midland railway, the line be-
tween Topeka and Kansas City, which
was afterward bought up by the Santa
Fe- After the completion of this line he
entered the service of the Missouri Pa
cific as superintendent of the Central
Branch and later took a position with
the Fort Scott < Memphis road. The lat
ter road Mr.. Pagan remained with up to
two years ago. occupying at that time
the position of general superintendent,
when he resigned on account of his
health He now makes his home at Kan
sas City and is interested in one of the
Kansas City coal companies.
When 1 came to the Santa Fe,'' said
Mr.. Pagan yesterday afternoon, the pas
senger equipment of the road consisted
of a second hand coach and a second
hand engine. and the freight equipment
consisted of the same engine and a few
fiat cars. The engine was called C. K.
Holliday'-and by the way, the mention
of Colonel Holidays name reminds me
that he was the only man connected with
the road at that time who thoughtit would
ever amount to very much Colonel Hol-
liday always held that some day the road
would connect the east with the west,
and now We know just how much he
knew about it.
"Of course everybody in Topeka knows
Uncle Jake Smith. Well, when I first
commenced running as conductor out of
Topeka Uncle Jake's farm down the road
in the vicinity of the present station of
Pauline was the only station between To-
peka and CarbondaIe. He had lot of
cottonwood trees planted in front of his
place. and We named the station Cot
tonwood Grove Although we rarely
took on a passenger at Cottonwood
Grove We generally made it point to
stop there and refresh ourselves with a
drink from 4 spring there was on the
place. and sometimes the refreshment
consisted of buttermiIk of Uncle Jake's
manufacture.
I see the old rOundhouse is still stand
ing" continued Mr.. Pagan, pointing to
the old brick and stone roundhouse in
the Santa Fe yards near Sixth street I
remember of setting the stakes for the
stone portion of that one Sunday after
noon. That was after I took charge as
superintendent and one saturday night
it was suddenly decided to commence
work on a roundhouse the following Mon
,7.y morning. l came down TO the yards |
the next sunday afternoon supplied with
a hatchet a few pieces of wood and a
s1lDDlv of wire. and proceeded to stake |
out the roundhouse building and turnta- /
BILE. I finished the job before night and !
the next morning work was commenced
Nowadays. when I hear about self !
made railroad officials, always think of /
General Superintendent Nudge He came !
to Kansas as a young man, and the only /
work he could get to do was work on the /
of the track in the western /
mart of the state. He took it, started /
on the ground floor you might say. and /
now YOU see where he is. Nudge has no /
one +o directly thank for his position but |
himself
Mr.. Fagan returned to his home in
Kansas City yesterday afternoon The /
short time he spent in this city yesterday /
was his first visit here for several years