Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-09-06
Extensive improvements Contem.
plated by Rock Island.
WILL SHORTEN PRESENT ROUTE.
Lessen Distances Between Chicago
and Kansas City and Chicago and
Los AngeIes-GeneraI Passenger
Agents to Meet in Chicago.
From Wednesdays Daily.

Plans are being perfected by the
Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Rail-
road company for shortening the line
of this road between Chicago and Kan
sas City thirty-five miles. This is to
be accomplished by building cutoff
between Eldon Iowa, and Trenton, Mo-,
and by the elimination of number of
curves. Work on the important i'm
provement will be started early next
spring and officers of the company ex-
pect to have it finished by midsummer.
The distance between Chicago and
Kansas City by the Rock Island is now
5lS miles. This will be cut down to
4S3 miles. BY this reduction in mile
age much faster passenger and freight
time will be possible. 1t is figured
that it will allow passenger trains to
be operated between the two cities in
at least twelve hours and will enable
corresponding cut in freight time.
Are Close Competitors.
For years the Burlington and Rock
Island have been very close COMPETE
tors between Chicago and Kansas City
So far as mileage is concerned the
Burlington has had shade the better
OF it, its distance being 4S9 miles
against 51S of the Rock Island.
Following shows the present mile
age of the four principal roads be-
tween Chicago and Kansas City:
Santa Fe ................... .45S
Chicago and Alton ..4SS
Burlington .......... .489
noch iSlanu ................... .5lS
During the past five or six years the
roads between the two cities have
been operating their passenger trains
under an agreement which provides
that none of the lines shall cover the
distance in fewer hours than fourteen
hours. This combination was brought
about by a time war in which the
short lines demonstrated their ability
to make the run in as few as ten
hours. The longer roads threatened
to reduce rates unless their competi-
tors agreed to lengthen out their
schedules so that the time via all
lines would be practically the same.
Tired CT Agreement.
1t is said thu officers of one of two
of the roads { tired of this agree
ment and desire 10 shorten their time
between the two points. With the
Rock Islands mileage reduced to 4SS
miles, all of the roads would be prac-
tically placed on an equality so far as
distance is concerned. Railroad men
| look for some fast running in the ter
ritory named next summer.
! The Rock Islands new cutoff will
intersect the Burlington few miles
west of West Grove, Iowa.
| Another New Line.
The Rock Island is also surveying
another new route, which, when COM
pleted, will give it the shortest line
between Chicago and Los Angeles.
The proposed new road will be an ex-
tension of the Rock Island from Lib
eral, in the southwestern part of Kan
sas, to Carrizosa, New Mexico, where
the new line will connect with the Ell
Paso & Northern, direct line TIC Los
Angeles. The completion of the Rock
Island road from Liberal to Carrizosa
| will also open up one of the greatest
summer and winter resorts in this
country. Heretofore Cloudcroft and
other select spots which have been ia
vored in many ways by nature have
not been accessible except by round
about way from the south. The new
line will give direct connection to the
many heaithful resorts in New Mexico,
| which, heretofore, have scarcely been
/ heard of because of there inaccessi-
bility.
| Passenger Agents to Meet.
| General passenger agents of all
roads west of Chicago members of the
/ Western Passenger association will
meet In Chicago Thursday to discuss
number Of important questions, chief
Ct which will be the extension of the
| Sebastian Interchangeable mileage
| ticket system to the lines west of the
| Missouri river.
At present the interchangeable tick
ct is used only east of the river except
by the Missouri Pacific and the Santa
Fe, which honor the ticket of the
! Southwestern Passenger association
| This gives the roads operating west
from ST. Louis an advantage in mile
| age tickets over those running from
| Chicago to the same trans-Missouri
river points.
| Passenger agents of the Chicago
west-bound lines want the southwest
ern ticket withdrawn from the trans
Missouri territory or the Sebastian
1 tinlyat avtapIp6