Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1898-02-24
Railroad Contract.

Railroad Contract.
The contract tor the building OF
the St. Louis and Oklahoma City
railroad was awarded January 9th
at the office of the St. Louis Trust
company, and Johnston Bros. &
Taught, of St. Elmo, Fay ette
county. H., were announced as
the successful bidders. The figures
were kept secret. There were ten
bids on the line, which will be ITO
miles long, and run from Sapulpa,
in Indian Territory, to Oklahoma
City. 1t will, in effect, be an extern
sion of the Frisco. The bids were
opened Monday by Maj. Morrill,, D.,
president of the !ndianoma Con-
struction Company, and Capt.
John F. Hinkley. the chief en-
gineer for the new line.
The bids have attracted repre-
sentatives of aspiring contracting
concerns, sub-contractors aud sup
ply men to the city for several
weeks past. The interest grew in
tense when the bids were finally
opened and the contractors await
ed the result. The slowness of the
consideration of the bids was caus-
ed by the fact that the specifica-
tions and details in every bid had
to be gone over carefully by those
who had the bids under consider
alton. Each bid was for the COM
plete construction of the road, in
cluding depots, TO be completed
within seven months.
The announcement of the winner
of the big contract only partially
relieved the suspense abolt the
Planters Hotel, where the con-
tractors made their headquarters,
but it shifted the point of attack
to the successful company. b. +.
Johnson, the representative OF the
concern, was at once besieged by
sub contractors and supply men.
The sub-contractors were at once
notified by Mr.. Johnson that the
bids for the sub-contracts would
be opened at St. Elmo, H., the
following Wednesday.
While the successful bid was
made in the name of Johnston
Bros. & Taught, it was in reality
a joint bid, in which NJ. :. Carter
& Co., of St. Louis, was the other
party. The latter company part
in the bid concerned the wood
work, such as the bridges and de-
pots. They will not advertise for
bids, but will consider the propO-
sitions of whoever may apply.
This work will be begun in ten
days, as will also the other con-
struction work.
The successful contractors will
endeavor to complete the road
within six months. 1t is The
intention that 300 men will be
put to work inside of two weeks.
To complete the road in the time
fixed it will be necessary TO COM
plete three-quarters of a mile Of
road a day, ready for use. This
will be accomplished by subletting
the work in contracts of about five
miles each.
The profile of the road shows
that it will be more difficult to con-
struct than the average roadbed, g,
it having considerable bridgework
and some very heavy grading. 1t
was said recently that it
would average %, 900 square yards
of earth to the mile, while l., 900
to II, 600 is an average in ordinary
railroad work.
c. G. Jones, of Oklahoma City,
president of the new road, was at
the Planters Hotel recently. He
has spent considerable time in the
ci Y during the past few months,
working on the proposed new road.
Mr.. Jones was in excellent spirits
on account of the practi-
cal accomplishment of an enter
prise that be had been working on
for four years. In speaking of the
road, its history aud advantages 10
st Louis and the people of Okla
homa, he said: oklahoma Ter
ritory is very largely settled by
people who came from Illinois and
other sections of the country lribu-
tary to ST. Lonis, and their natural
inclinations have always been TO
send their trade to St. Louis. We
have always been handicapped in
this regard, however, by not hav-
ing railroad facilities The condi-
tions of the freight rates forced the
trade to Galveston. Kansas City
and Chicago. Galveston, by rail-
road connection, is now eighty
six miles nearer to us than St.
Louis. The freight rate on cotton
from Oklahama City to St. Louis
is zoe per 100, while from St. Louis
to New York, more than twice the
distance, it is only SOC per 100,
less than half the rate.
This condition caused me to
look around for relief. 1t seemed
to u that a line from Sapulpa to
Oklahoma City would be but a
natural extension OF the Frisco
line. 1t would place Oklahoma