The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-22
President StiIwelI Talks AbOu
the Orient Road.
Explains How the Big Deals Are
Financed.
MEXICAN CONCESSIONS.
Road wiz Get Many Millions in
Bonus.
StfIweII Has a Cinch on Property
For Ten Years.

President A. E Stflweu, Of the Kan
sas City. Mexico & Orient road. in an
interview in Boston. says the road VIII
be completed within two and one-halI
wears. that J. T. Odell viii be vice
president and general manager with
ftl charge of the appointment OF All
operating employees that the stock OF
the company has been placed IN a ten
year voting trust; that the bonds are
all held in blocks which viii not De
divided until the road is earning m
terest. that one Of the conslI uclA0-A
companies building the road mas g cap
tteI ~ s7 OOO 600 and two others $lOOO,-
600 each. and that 900 men are now AT
work on the roadbed-3OoO IN Mexico
and l. 900 in the United States. MI
Stilwen is quoted as follows ,4
I'VE expect to complete our 80 -.
from Kansas City to the Pacific IN Two
and one-half years. We are etnpioy tn5
4 600 men in it's construction OF VH1~tA
about 600 are employed IN A1e2-~S -
section of the road 100 kilOmeters from
Port StflWeu viii be completed ny
February 1 as viii a line so kllometers
from Chihuahua and these lines wall
nav heavily from the start, AZ tneS
run through the richest nll1A1h6 SoNA
try in the world
I'VE have benefited through our eN-
rerience in building the Kansas Clty'
-I2ittsburg & Gulf, and have placed the
stock IN a ZEN years WILLIS - --~7-r
eIlriner H.. control of the property Tor az
least that term of years, ana the1 our
bonds of $4,000 a mile on the Ioetu a
ell held in blocks. which Will not Dc
divided until the road Is cams earn 80,
est The road is being built by three
construction companies, one OF Wnlcn
has a capital of 100000 and Two OF
81 0000 600 each
I'VE have received liberal conces-
afons from the Mexican government
We get 81 900 a klometer from the
Mexican gOvernm ent for the Work not
in the mountain regions, ana set d
lump sum of $3OO0,0O for the cohstr ~ u
fioU of the mountain division OF Aov
lyiloneters. which is $4,000 a k1lometer-
In addition we get concessions from
the states of Sonora and Cnlnuanu4
equal to So 900 a kilometer, and oIher
state aid which will amount TO ABOUT
1--WE believe our line will open up an
empire to American trade, as II Will
shorten the distance between Inns
country and South and Central amer
lea. 700 miles, as Port Stilwell-our
Pacific coast ports nearer South
America by 1000 miles than san Fran
cisco. and there is an additional saw
ing on the land haul of 500 miles. rms
should omen up an enormous market
for N ming machinery. etc. The export
trade of the west coast Of Mexico now
amounts to about $11 100000 year, ana
they import to the extent of $4,OOO,OOO-
ted is to be vice president and general
manager of the Orient rOad,at one time
had headquarters in Kansas city, ana
up to 1882 was connected with South
western railroads. He was born at
Tvinsburg, O., December 20, 1915, and
entered railway service in July, 1861, as
telegraph operator for the Lake Shore
& Michigan Southern. From 1858 to
1872 he was train dispatcher Of the At
lantic & Great Western; from October,
1872. to February, 1872, train dispatcher
os the Erie road at Buffalo: from the
latter date to January. 1874, acting sup
erintendent of the eastern division of
the Atlantic & Great Western; from
January, 1874. to August. 1876, superin-
tendent of the same road.
He was superintendent of the eastern
division and branches of the Kansas
Pacific from August. 1876, to May, 1873.
and superintendent of the western di-
vision of the same road from May, 1878,
70 August. 1881 He left the Kansas
Pacific to become superintendent Of
construction of the Dallas division Of
the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe, and left
that road in October, 1882. to become
superintendent of the Dakota division
of the Northern Pacific. He was pro-
NOTED in April, 1888. to superintendent
of transportation of the Northern Pa
cific. and again in August of the same
year to assistant general manager,
which position he held until October,
1887.
From November. 1887. to October, 1888.
he was general superintendent of the
Chesapeake a. Ohio, and from October,
1889, general manager Of that road.
From May. 1889, to November 10. 1893.
he was general manager of the Balti-
more & Ohio system; from the latter
date to September 1, 1895, vice presi-
dent of the New York & New England.
and general manager of that road from
December n, 1893. From September
1885, to November. 1896, he was second
vice president and general manager OF
the reorganized road, the New England
railroad In November. 1896, he was
elected vice president of the Pittsburg.
Bessemer & Lake Erie.