Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1898-01-07
THE DAILY OPTIC.
East Las Vegas, New Mexico,
SAN MIGUEL COUNTY.
H MODERN WAY.


From the Denver Post.
Win there BIZ an electric railway be.
tween Kansas City and DenverP Local
railroad men laugh at the idea.
A subj ct OF discussion In the Offices
OF the prairie and local lines since New
Year has been the t~elegraphic report
ON Topeka last Friday to tho effect
that the charter for an electric line be.
tween Kansas City and Topeka covered
o bigger scheme than was first sup.
posed. 1t was stated that the purpose
OF the incorporators was to push on to
Dsnver.
E. b. Pnrcsll, OF Manhattan. Kan, q
member of the board Of directors, 10
authority for the statement. For many
years Purcell was o director of the
Santa Re and 10 a prominent banker
who could command great capital.
Not long ago a proposition was sub
mitttd 10 the general Ulcers of the
Santa Fe system 10 convert the road
into an electric line, the promoters ot
the idea showing how 1t could be done
and promising to demonstrate that the
cost If operation would be at least IS
per cent. less than by steam. After a
careful investigation 1t was thrown
owl as impracticable.
..Els ~c;riclts would nave been intro.
dured On other lines before this II
WAS practicable, said Chairman Flynn
INF tho terminal line association this
fnorning Had the scheme been
feasirIe or electricity powerful enough
-f9rsuch a long ,urney the railroads
now operating between the Missouri
river aud Denver would have introduce
ed it.n
The general agent OF the prairie and
transc ,ntinentai lines, Gre rye Ady, OF
the Union Pacific; j. r. Hall, Of the
Santa Fe, and George w Vallery, Of
the Burlington, had read the dispatch
but had gwen but little credence 10 it
The railroad men Argue unanimousl,
that there are more railroads between
the Missouri river aud Dsnver than
there is businefs. and another line,
although operated at considerably less
expense than at present required, could
not possibly be a paying proposition
Should q competitor Of the character
contemplated enter the field and begin
cutting rate, the large systems could
stand II, and, although no ons il COM
planning about tra Importation or freight
charges. the steam roats could make a
material reduction and slill operate At
o profit.
Another point argu.d Is that a com.
petltor would be- forced to depend on
through business from the fact that the
IN Kansas, Nebraska and
eastern Colorado 10 too scattering to
Ssafrant local business sufficient to
maintain anolher railroad. The prin- :
cipal1soIrce OF revenue of the Santa Fe.
the Kansas Pac fl c, the Burlington, the
Union Pacific, the Rock Island and
lin 9 operating In prairie terri
tory lie admittedly from through busl-
ness.
The shortest lire now from the Mis-
souri, river is 629 miles, and the elec-
tric railroad to cover ad' quately the /
principal towns would be J ngthened, t
OF a nect ssiiy. to 700 or 300 miles
The princ'pal towns are already reach
ed by the existing lines.
A line Of rail would cost at least :
$2O, 600 n mile 10 construction and this :
is a ridiculously low figure. according I
to the representatives OF the prairie !
lines. These facts. in the opinion OF !
Denver railroad men, warrant the as :
sertion In believing that the scheme Q
will never 90 through. 9