, 1900-12-20
ROCK ISLAND COUP
WILL CONSTRUCT ITS OWN
LINE TO SAN DI.
EGO.
Charter of Mexican Road Filed a,
Santa Fe Hides a Scheme Which
Will Make the Rock Island A eo--
midabie Coast Line.

Denver, Dec. 2O.-Belief is general
among railroad men that there is more
behind the incorporation of the Chica-
go, Rock Island & Mexico Railroad
company than a purpose to build the
link whiCu wi. connect the Ell Paso &
N~ortheasiH.n with the Rock Island
main line. |. is reported thai it is not
the intention of the Rock Island to
secure through connections to the
cost by a close traffic agreement with
the Southern Pacific. Instead the new
ly incorporated company will take con-
troll of surveys already made and CON
struct its own line to San Diego.
For several years engineers have
been at work surveying a line from
Liberal, Kan, the present southwest
ern terminus of the Rock Island, to
the deep water harbor of southern
California. The route as outlined
would be by far the shortest between
Chicago and the Pacific. 1t would fol-
low the e line between Liberal and
White Oaks only a short distance,
when. swinging to a nearly direct
southwesterly course. it would be
practically straight across New Next
co and Arizona. 1t would cross the
Ration range between Dillon and Es-
pamela and the plateau north of Las
Vegas and Santa Fe and continuing
through Arizona would cross the Ver-
de river about fifty miles north of Yu-
ma. The route would be through a
country in which no such serious prob
lens OF construction would be en-
countered as in most of the southwest.
ern lines, except in short stretches. At
ter reaching western New Mexico, it
is sal: there is not a really difficult
problem in construction with the ex-
ception of a portion OF the line across
the Arizona desert. where the first
work to be lone will be the sinking of
immense artesian wells and laying Of
pipe lines to supply water.
A Formidable Coast Line.
Four years ago the line was first
projected and would have been built
but for the condition of the money
market. Since that time capitalists
have become interested in the securi-
ties of the Rock Island and also in a
new line of Pacific steamships which
will ply between San Diego and the
chief ports of the Orient, including
Hong Kong, Yokohama and Manila.
With control of a modern steamship
line, fully equipped to care for all
business. the road would become the
most formidable rival Of lines at pres
ent reaching the coast. Marshall Field
and his immediate friends and bust
ness associates are said to be the cap
italists behind the scheme. Within
less han three years, 1t is said, Field
has secured a controlling interest in
the Rock Island in conjunction with
the heaviest steamship company,
which. while not a creation of the rail,
road company, will be directed by the
same interests.
AS the charter for the new line. Al
ed at Santa Fee, did not cover this por-
ton. which is Of greater Importance
than the line to Mexico, it is surmised
that at the proper time it will be found
that surveys for the New Mexico &
Western railroad were in reality part
of n Rock Island movement. with the
object in view of reaching the Pacific
by a more direct line than any other
transcontinental line. 1t is no longer
denied that the Ell Paso & Northeast
ern is to become a Rock Island posses
sion Immediately and that the shops
at Alamagordo will become the chief
shops OF the system in the southwest.
Alamagordo is the end of a short
branch of the FL Paso & Northeastern,
located in Dona Ana county. near the
Lincoln county line.