The Topeka state journal., 1897-11-05
We GEE! Il.
Chicago and Alton to Have a
Line Into Topeka.
J. PierpOnt Morgan at Head OF
Syndicate
To Buy the Union Pacific Kan
saS Line
FOR USEOF THE ALTON
Alton Has offered to Lease 1t
From the Syndicate.
Vanderbilts Said to be Anxious
For the Deal.

Chicago, Nov. 5.-BetWeen now anu
December Is. the date of sale of the
Kansas Pacific railroad, which has
seemingly been abandoned blythe Union
Pacific reorganization committee, a
syndicate will, it is reported, be formed
with J. Pierpont Morgan at it's head,
which. it is understood will buy the
road for the use of the Chicago & Al
ton.
The road has a traffic contract with
the Kansas Pacific similar to the one
the Chicago & Northwestern has with
the Union Pacific and it has found the
Kansas Pacific almost Indispensable
as an outlet from Kansas City to Den
yer. The Alton has offered to lease
it from the syndicate, which is to Sc
cure it at the foreclosure sale and op-
crate it. agreeing to pay the actual net
earnings to the owners of the property.
The Atoms offer. it is understood. is
being favorably considered. The Van
derbiIts are said to be anxious the road
should come under the control of the
Alton, as the latter is practically the
connection of the Vanderbilt lines from
Chicago and St. Louis to Kansas City.
The purchase of the Kansas division
of the Union Pacific for the use of the
Chicago & Alton would probably not be
felt to any great extent in Topeka. It
would result in the office of general at
torney, now held by Gen. A. L. VIII
liams, being taken away from Topeka
and moved to Chicago and that is all.
But it would make changes at Kansas
City. That place has the advantage of
being the terminal point Of the Alton,
and it would mean that the terminal
would Denver
Rock Island lease of the track to Kan
sas City viii probably not be mOlested
in any event The lease was made for
SO years, and when the decree of sale
is made, it is supposed that the prOvis-
ions of the lease will be continued.
General A L Williams, general at
tOrney for the Kansas division of the
Union Pacific. says he knows nothing
about the reported sale of the Alton,
and n. H. LOomis is also silent on the
subject.
A man who knows a great deal about
the Union Pacific, said. however:
Il do not believe that the reorganiza-
ttOn committee will allow the Kansas
division to drop, and I do not believe
that they have ever intended to do so
When the time comes the committee
will be on hand and VIII buy the road
Another gentleman confirmed the re-
port that the TeOrga aniZatiOn commit
tee intends to abandon the Kansas di-
vision upon which the government has
a mortgage for s13, 900, GOO. and make the
ola Kansas central z through line to
Denver This would give the Union
Pacific a parallel line and no company
would care to buy the Kansas division
when there would be a parallel line on
y 20 miles away.
According to his information the old
Kansas Central which is now known as
the LeavenwOrth. Kansas & Western
and is owned by the Union Pacific, free
of any government liens would be used
to AIiltOnvale, Cloud county. They al
ready own the right of way to Mime
apOlis. From that point it is but a
short distance to TescOtt or Lincoln
where they could connect with the IN
ion Pacific & Colorado which runs from
Salina to Colby Then the line would
be run to some point in Wallace cOun-
ty to connect with the main line. The
government mortgage does not cover
that portion of the road west of Wal
lace county and if the Alton made the
purchase the Union Pacific people say
it would find its terminus somewhere
in the sand hills along the Colorado
line.
This is the reason given for the dis
position of the reorganization commit
tee to abandon the Kansas division.
They would still own a through line to
Denver and the company that bought
the road subject to the government
mortgage would have to build from the
Colorado line to Denver in order to
reach that city.