The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-03-04
TT: O.. R. /. & p. r p

BY January LIST the Rock Island ex-
poets to be able to open for business its
southwestern extension to Ell Paso.
Tex. This line, in connection with the
Southern Pacific and the Mexican Cam
trail railroads, will give the Rock
Island the shortest line both to South
ern California and the City of Mexico.
and make 1t a dangerous competitor of
the Santa Fe. 1t took just one year to
construct the SAG miles Of the new ex-
tension from Liberal, Kan, to Ell Paso,
Tex. For the purpose of complying
with the Texas law that every railroad
within that state shall have state oper-
ating headquarters and also for general
construction facilities and convenience.
the new road was placed under the
charters of five different railroad cor
porations, viz: The Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific proper, the Chicago.
Rock Island & Mexico, the Chicago.
Rock Island & Ell Paso, the Rock Island
& Ell Paso. and the FL Paso & North
eastern. The road from Liberal to
Santa Rosa, N. M, a distance of 2T2
lAAANoy wac pldIGu uuuGI ulTECJ ROCK
Island construction, with ]. H. Conlen,
vice president of the Chicago. Rock
Island & Mexico, as Chief Engineer
and General Manager, while from San
ia Rosa to Carrizozo, a distance of 100
miles, the construction work was given
to the Ell Paso G. Northeastern, which
already had a constructed line from Ell
Paso to Carrizozo. The road from Lib
eral to Carrizozo will be equipped with
eighty-pound steel rails, oak or pitch
pine ties, and modern ballasting. De-
pot, side tracks, switches, station
houses, ~yardings, water tanks, and
Western Union telegraph lines have all
kept pace with actual road building.
and when the road Is opened by the
first Of next year 1t will be in as perfect
condition as any Of the lines of the
Rock Island system that have been In
service for years. In connection with
the Rock Island-El Paso line is the
new thirty-mile railroad which ia 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, N. M.
This road will leave the main Rock
Island rails at or near Liberal station,
twenty miles southwest of the Cana
dian river crossing, and run through
the New Mexican counties of San Mi
guel, Mora and Colfax. This branch
will be completed by May Is, 1902. The
coal is to feed the southeastern por-
ton OF the Rock Island-El Paso line,
and probably will largely supply the
Southern Pacific railroad, in addition
to a heavy domestic custom in that
section of the country. The compile
ton Of the El Paso line will give the
Rock Island a route of 222 miles short4
er between Kansas City and Ell Paso
than that of the Santa Fe between the
same points, together with a saving
of fifteen hours Of time, the latter fact
being largely due to the favorable
alignment and maximum 1 per cent
grade of the new Rock Island line. In
connection with the Southern Pacific,
the Rock Island will have a shorter
line from Chicago to Los Angeles than
will the Santa Fe. The construction
cost of the Rock Island-El Paso line
will approximate $1,000, 900, an average
Of about $4,000 per mile.-Chicago
Tribune.