Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-09-27
FALL FESTIVITIES AT THE KANSAS
CAPITAL BEGIN TODAY.
SANTA FE WILL TAKE PART.
WILL CELEBRATE ITS QUARTER
CENTENNIAL WEDNESDAY.
Something About the beginnings and
Growth of the Great Rond That
Has Come to De n Chief
Part of the SunfiOwer
State.

Company, which owns one Oh INC M
extensive and finest systems of raliroad IN
the world, will celebrate its silver anniVef-
sary in Topeka next Wednesday. rms city
was chosen for the celebration for the rea-
son that Topeka was the birthplace OF the
great system. and is still its Headquarters
and. also because the people OF Topeka ae-
sired to make it one of the features oil the
fall festival.
The Santa Fe has made extensive ar
ransements for the celebration All OIL tie
principal officers of the road VIII be III at
tendance, and each division oil the SYSTEM
will be represented by large deiesatioiis'
The parade will be one of the hnest thlits1
of the kind ever given. More than MY
floats. repres anting every mechaiii an, ~
partment arL division of the road, Will pe
in the PROCESSION Beside this, thousands
of Santa Fe men will be in line
..Silyer anniversary or quarter centeh-
NAL" as applied to the Santa te eeiep
tion. is a misnomer as far as birth Oh tie
system is concerned, for the OLD Atcliisoii
& Topeka Railroad Company, whlch iorfii-
ed the basis of the system, was lhcotpofat-
ed February IL. 1853, or thlrty-elstt !eais ii-
ago and changed its name TO the Atciisoii'
Toneka a. Santa Fe Railroad Company
In November. 1868. or t,irty-four years ago.
trackIaying was commenced in topeka IN
1869. or twenty-eight years years ago, anu
reached the western line, OIL the slale III
1879. or twenty-four years ago. AS pi'ota'
point in the career of the road, however,
when il had practically crossed Kansas and
had ceased TO be '.jerkwater road ana
had started out to become a trunk hhe'
twenty-five years is perhaps the correc'
date of its birth.
The first steps toward the orgahi1slioi' y,
of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Rail-
ia n.
Holiday. of Topeka, and Luther {. Chal-
lis of Atchison. Mr.. Holiday still. resides
- here. Mr.. Challis died at Atchison about
four wears ago. The company was formed
in 1858 and Incorporated by an act OF the
territorial legislature of Kansas Fepruafy y
IL. 1853, in session at Lecompton. Inc pili
was signed by Governor Madris. Besides
Nessrs. Holiday and Challis, the incorpor-
ators named in the bill were: Samuel u
Pomeroy, Peter 7. Abel. Milton Z. hickey
Asaph Allen, Samuel Dickson, WILSON -
Gordon, George S. Hillyer, Lorenzo ~
Bird. Jeremiah Murphy, George III. Far
child and r. L. Crane Pomeroy was the
first president of the company. 1t Is sup
posed that all of the incorporators are dead
except Mr.. Dickson, who resides at Atch'
ison, and Mr.. Holiday.
The actual work of construction did moi
begin until 1863 That year the road was
built from Topeka to Burlingame, dis
tance of twenty-six miles. In 1870 1t reached
Newton, where II stopped for three years
Newton was then on the border OIL tns
.'Great American Desert" In 1SI2 the AL
Gibson connection was made. In 1873 tn.
Colorado line was reached. Then came TIT
grasshoppers and poor crops, and OF 1cours'
the road suffered. But that trouble wa:
of short duration. Crops became big again
and prosperity followed. From the pres
ent line branches and extensions Were
built and existing lines purchased until th'
Gulf of California was reached at Quay
mas, the Pacific ocean at San Diego ant
Los Angeles. and the Gulf of Mexico a
Galveston. Later the Chicago extension
was built, and other branches added, unit
the system included 9,343 miles. Much o.
this mileage was added during the grea
Kansas boom which led to the ecollaps'
of 1857, when everything went to piece
and the stock of the company, which hat
climbed up to a value of $50 on the mar
ket with unfailing quarterly dividends
dropped to nothing and no dividend.
This was the beginning of the end. I
was not long till the great Santa Fe sys
tenn was bankrupt. The collapse came II
December, 1893, when United States Cir
cult Judge Caldwell appointed receivers t
take charge of the property.
ship 1t has steadily improved in every wa
and is now well on its feet again. so tina
Wednesdays celebration, besides markin
Its real quarter centennial, will serve as
fitting jubilation over the good fortune tina
has come to the system.
The following programme will be give
Wednesday afternoon, Santa Fe day, a
he pavilion in the fair grounds:
Music-Overture, Marshalfs band.
Address-Hon. c. *. Holiday.
Music-Selected Modoc Club.
Address-Mr w. B. Strong.
Music-Selection, Mr.. James Moore.
Address-Mr. Z. p. Ripley.
dissatisfaction, Mrs. L. Z. Jester.
Address-Hon. George r. Peck.
Music-Selection, Mrs. Jester and M
Address-Mr. Paul Morton.
Music-Selected Modoc Club.
Address-Mr. Edward Wilder.
Selection-Marshalrs band.
General reception.
principal event of the fall carnival, yet a
Excellent programme has been arranged fo
The entire week. There will be Fratern;
say Fireman day, Floral day and Soldier:
fay. Through the efforts of Congressma
Charles Curtis, the federal governmer
gave permission for a band of Comanch
Indians from the territory to be brougf
here as an attraction. The Indians, nun
bering $50 arrived this morning and ar
camping at the fair grounds: Their leade
genuine Indian war dances during the weel
At j o'clock this afternoon, the troop
from Fort Riley rode into town and pitche
their camps at the fair grounds, also. TIC
morrow the state militia, 1.sOo strong, wi
arrive ard so into camp at the sam
grounds. Tents will also be pitched fo
the old soldiers, who will hold 4 reunio
during the week. Thousands of member
OF fraternal orders from various section
of the state are also expected to-morro'
morning on the early trains. Many cam
m flremgn citif
in Kansas will drop in tomorrow pr,
pared TO enter the contests Tuesday. I'll
railroads entering the city have made es
tensive preparations fer hauling the crowd
and the street railway company expects
be able to handle the people in good shap
The public buildings and business hous,
low, the Carnival colors. and Topeka is
gala attire. The Karnival knights al
making extensive arrangements for Il
reception of Miss Edna Whitney, of Chill
cothc No.. who is to act as queen of II
Carnival.
Programme for the Week.
The following is programme of IL
weeks festivities:
Monday-Fraternal day. Parade of fr:
ternal societies in four divisions at $50
m. Keys TO the city presented to festiv
queen at p. IN. at the fair grounds. r
ception in pavilion at fair grounds at
Tuesday-Firemen's day. Parade of fl
departments at 10 a. m. Firemens tourn
ment at fair grounds at p. m; Campfi
In pavilion AT 2:30 p. m. Exhibition
Kansas City Pompier corps at S p. m, fc
lowed hy Indian war dance.
Wednesday Fe day. Parade
Santa Fe dcFartments in six divisions
1879 a. n. sons of Veterans rally ut p
vilion at 10. Campfire Sons of Veterans
y. IN. Santa Fe exercises at pavilion
8 y. m. Spectacular parade at $50 p. N.
Thursday Floral day. Floral parade
five divisions at pm. Knights tourname
of sixteenth century in front of gra,
stand at fair grounds at a. m. Campii
% gl.,-