The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1901-12-28
THE c.. r. !. 8 p. r. r.

by January LIST the Rock Island ex-
poets to be able 10 open for businesa
us southwestern extension to Ell Paso.
iexas. This line. in connection with
the Southern Pacific and the Mexican
Central railroads, will give the Rock
Island the shortest line both to south-
ern California and the City Of Mexico,
ana make 1t dangerous connection Of
the Santa Fe. 1t took lust one year to
construct the GAG miles of the new ex-
tension from Liberal, Kansas. to Ell
ias0. Texas. For the purpose Of CON-
plying with the Texas law that every
railroad within that state shall have
state operating headquarters, and also
Tor general construction facilities and
convenience, the new road was placed
under the charters of Ave different
railroad corporations, viz: The Chica-
go, Rock Island n Pacific proper; the
Chicago, Rock Island 4 Mexico; the
Chicago. Rock Island & Ell Paso; the
Rock Island & FL Pas0, and the Ell
Paso & Northeastern. The road from
Liberal to Santa Rosa, New Mexico, a
distance of 272 miles, was placed un-
der direct Rock Island construction,
with j. H. Conlen, vice president of the
Chicago, Rock Island &. Mexico, as
chief engineer and general manager,
while from Santa Rosa to CarrizokO, a
distance Of $50 miles, the construction
work was given to the Ell PasO &
Northeastern. which already had a
constructed line from Ell Paso to Car
rizozO. The road from Liberal to Car
rizozo will be equipped with eighty
pound steel rails, oak or pitch pine ties
and modern ballasting. Depot, side
tracks, switches, station houses,
yardings, water tanks and West
ern Union telegraph lines have
all kept pace with actual road
building, and when the road Is
opened by the first OF next year It will
be In as perfect condition as any of the
lines of Rock Island system that have
been In service for years. In connec-
ton with the Rock Island-El Paso line
is the new thirty mile railroad which
Is to develop the immense Dawson coal
fields, owned by the Rock Island, on
the Beaubien and Miranda grant, in
the northern part of Colfax county,
New Mexico This road will leave the
main Rock Island rails at or near Lib
er.;i station, twenty miles southwest Of
the Canadian river crossing, and run
through the New Mexican counties Of
San Miguel Mora and Colfax.
This branch will be completed
by May 10. 1902. The coal to
feed the southeastern portion Of
the Rock Island-El Paso line. and
probably will largely supply the South
ern Pacific railroad, in addition to 4
heavy domestic custom In that section
of the country. The completion Of the
Ell Paso line will give the Rock Island
route Of 900 miles shorter between
Kansas City and Ell Paso than that of
the Santa Fe between the same points,
together with saving of fifteen hours
Of time, the latter fact being largely
due to the favorable alignment and
maximum one per cent. grade of the
new Rock Island line. In connection
with the Southern Pacific, the Rock Is
land will have shorter line from Chi
cago to Los Angeles than will the San
ia Fe. The construction cost Of the
Rock Island-N Paso line will approxi-
mate 100000. an average Of about
$4,000 per mlle.-ChicaRo Tribune.