The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-15
A REMINISCENT MOOD.
Chas. Gerte;sen Tells of Conditions as
They Existed on the Santa Fe
Years Ago.

The following interesting letter has
been received by the State Journal
from Mr.. Charles Gerteisen, Santa Fe
agent in North Topeka:
In your issue of Saturday evening
last you make mention OF a time card
which was in effect on the Santa Fe
in 1870. 1 thought perhaps it would in
terest your readers to learn that at
that time North Topeka was the east
ern terminus of the Santa Fe and the
Union Pacific was its feeder and only
railroad connection The Santa Fe had
no depot in North Topeka nor was the
Union Pacific hotel built The old
Union Pacific freight depot in North
Topeka was used as Z joint union pas
senger and freight depot and the Santa
F'e paid its pro rata OF station ana
yard expense. In those days the Union
Pacific train men drew large pay
checks and aimed to do as little as pos
sible to earn them The Santa Fe
caused them a good deal of extra work
at North Topeka in the way OF setting
out and taking on loads and empt1es
and the Union Pacific boys looked upon
the little road with contempt 1t was
known all along the line as the little
Jerk water road
Geo. Elliott, chief car inspector at
Topeka now,wa inspector at that time:
He was the only man and MS hOurS Oh
duty were unlimited. It was a com
mon occurrence to see George taking
his nap in the Union Pacific Office at
of the night while waiting for U p
trains to arrive from the state Inc
now Kansas City, Kan, with ma teI1aI
and supplies that he had to inspect and
examine so they could go out on the
early morning Santa Fe train w J.
Jamey, now travelling passenger agent
at Kansas City. was Santa re paSSen-
ger conductor, and W. W. Eagan dlNlS-
ion Superfntendent and extra conductor
and engineer. He could I'LL both places,
having been a locomotive engineer on
4 ~=e-Ss, Of .
Big -Four, in Indiana Dad Griffith,
conductor between St Joe and topeka,
got his first experience on the w hlJe
Water Valley line under Bill F'agan- 1t
was through Mr.. Pagan that Dad came
to the Santa F'e-
For quite a period Burlingame was
the western terminus of the Santa Fe-
1t was at this time that one SATURDAY
afternoon the Santa Fe had an eX-
CursiOn train to Wakarusa and return.
Col. c. K. Holiday was the orator OF
the day and in his remarks laid great
stress on the future possibilities of the
Santa Fe. He predicted that the line
would not only be built to the PacInc
coast. but to the halls of the Monte
zumas as well.
Major Anderson, who was then U. P.
agent at North Topeka and one OF the
invited guests, laid himself back on the
grass and kicked up his heels and yelled
oh Lord give US a rest Little did he
think that Col Holidays predictions
would come true.
In 1871 the santa E'e reaCned E1In-
pOria and as the line had to be built
from net earnings after paying operat-
ing expenses the next aim was to get
capital wherewith to build to Newton
The spring of 1872 found the road at
Newton and the time to build the full
proposed line in order to hold the land
grant, nearly expired.
1T was at this time that the Cincin-
natl syndicate which had charge of the
road, called on the Boston syndicate
for help. It came and in that year the
line was built from North Topeka to
AtchisOn and from Newton to Granada,
state line of Kansas and Colorado. J.