The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-17
JONATHAN
is THERE.
Americans to Build a Railroad
900 Miles Long
In China to Cost From 80 to 40
Millions.
1T PASSES THROUGH
I PASSES THROUGH
A Territory With About 3OO,-
100000 Population.
Vanderbilts and Rockefeller the
Promoter of It.

New York, Sept. 17.-Regarding the
proposed new railroad to be constructed
by an American syndicate from Han
kow to Hong Kong, China, a distance
of 900 miles, ex-senator Calvin S. Brice
said to a Tribune reporter:
THE American syndicate believes
that it has fair data for estimating
pretty closely the cost of the work. 1t
has now on hand, on the property,
part of it's engineering force, is send
ing as rapidly as it can be equipped, a
corps of engineers and other officials
who will make the survey beginning
at Hankow and extending to the city
of Canton and thence to Hong Kong
and also beginning at the southern end
and coming north making an independ-
ent line for the purpose of securing as
good location and grades and as favor
able construction as is possible. The
work, it is estimated, will consume six
months and will probably furnish US
basis for making further calls upon the
syndicate.
1.-The character of the syndicate may
best be shown by a glance at the list
of names. There are in all seven repre-
sentatives of the Vanderbilt interests
and three of the Standard Oil company,
John D. Rockefeller, William ROckefel-
Ter and the president of one of our larg-
our largest trust companies, Levi P.
Morton, George T. Bliss and the officials
of the Carnegie Steel company.
1.-The new Federal company will prob
ably also take an interest in the syn
dictate. The contract of the syndicate
is absolute and subject to no slips or
casualties as the whole ground work has
been done and money to large amount
expended and will be expended. AS
fast as more money is needed it will be
paid in.
1.-The cost of the road, continued Mr..
Brice, lis estimated at a minimum of
$4,000, 900 and a maximum of e8 900 900
or from about 500 900 900 to 100000 600.
Our best opinion is that it will cost be-
tween $50, 900 600 and $40 900 900 accord
ing to the standard adopted and the
amount of extra expenditure required.
The syndicate will undoubtedly control
the road for a period of four or five
years during which it is subject to ne
gOtiatiOns which may change It's char
acter. The provinces through which
the road will pass,H are the most pOpu-
lous in China, having a population of
SOC, 000 600. Two of the provinces through
which it passes have a population great
er than that of the United States"
In addition to the information given
by Mr.. Brice it may be mentioned that
the American railway will, by having
it's northern terminal at HankOW ere
ate a direct line from Pekin to Hong
Kong by means of the new road which
is to be built by Belgian-French capital,
said in connection with the recent An
Russian troubles in China. It will
be remembered that the charge was
made that Russia was furnishing all
the money for the road and was using
the Belgians simply as figureheads. The
road runs through what is called the
English sphere of influence. 1t was
also limited yesterday by those in close
touch with the affairs of the American
syndicate that it was not imprOba BILE
that the latter might own the proposed
road from Tien Tsin to Hankow in the
end