The Topeka state journal., 1902-12-08
RAILROAD NEWS,
New Depot for Kansas City Is
Assured.
Swifts, Armours and Orient in
a Combine.
CONTROL BATES LAND.
Winner Bridge to Be Completed
at Once.
Gives Kansas City More Room
to Grow.
CONTROL BATES LAND,

Kansas City. Mo. Dec. s-The report
Of the transfer of the Bates holdings IN
Clay county. northeast across the MIS-
souri, river from the present union depot
has been officially confirmed 1nls
means that Kansas City's new union
depot will be on the river bank east OF
Grand avenue.
1t viii be approached by the bridge to
be built on the old Winner piers
Yardage for it will be afforded by zoo
acres of land extending from Grand ave
nue. east to the Milwaukee bridge, along
the river in narrow strip.
The roads to use the depot will be
nearly everyone that now runs into
Kansas City. and such others from inc
outside as may desire, it will be open
to everyone.
1t, the bridge. the yardage, all will pc
put up by combination OF the lnteIe
OF Swift and Armour. the big packers
who have been for months acquiring the
lands on both sides of the MISSOURI III
cluried in what has cCme to be known dS
the BATES holdings
All the other owners have been shaken
out of these holdings, except that Bales
has a small holding No other packer
has anything to do with it
The Orient railroad. TIE SulWeu me,
with its outer belt has the key 10 the
ty side of the river are retained ana
every indication and assurance Is lhai
the Orient viii be it IN the new COM
bination- In other words. the coihpiia cor i,
ton will be Armour and Swift, with
the Orient as a factor whose importance
will grow every day
Incidentally, the work so far done has
cost from 1000 to $3,0OO,OOO' ana
proba bly, twice that will be expended
before the work now already planned, Is
done Incidental to this, are the brlnS-
ing here of immense factories, when
will be given inducements TO occupy
these lands on the Clay county side
there are 5000 acres of these-and IL IS
possible though not probable, that the
packers will go across the river.
The acquisition by Armour and Swift
of the Bates holdings, has been mat
ter of common gossip for weeks. 1t was
positively confirmed yesterday when L.
e James, confidential man for Armours
called on all the papers and told them
the truth. He was very brief IN MS
statements, and circumspect. He did NOT
say when the depot would be started;
when the bridge would be opened or
when the factories would start. But he
did say
armour and Swift jointly have
bought out the Bates interests and have
acquired the bridge, terminals, tandS
and projects. We own all of them. Mr..
Bates retains a small interest and is OH
the board of directors But the proper
ties are Armour and Swift affairs now.
We have 5000 acres on the Clay county
side of the river and upwards of 200 this
side. I am not at liberty to say how
much we paid for them, but you can tell
it s., ,O00.o 600 to 100000, and not miss it
very far"
ROCK ISLAND GETS IN.
1t Will also be = matter of interest to
note which road will follow the Kansas
City Mexico & Orient and next an
nounce itself for the new depot. That
ba c1 nd "a ft11I n tO
the ArmOurSwift property there does
not seem to he any doubt, but as yet no
definite announcement has been made
to that effect.
be the attitude of the Burlington to the
general movement which threatens to
bring all the roads into the North end
depot This road which has done so
much to retard any progress the present
Union depot company has attempted 70
make, is not likely to be shown much
consideration when it comes to making
contracts with the North end company
The rental exacted from the different
lines -or the use of about 1900 feet of
track entering the depot and for track
age over the bridge has been pretty
stiff. The Burlington has also owned
She track room east of the six tracks on
the depot platform extending to the.
bluff and when asked to set price oh
It by the Union depot company so much
has been asked that the purchase has
THE general impression is that inside
OF three years the Burlington will be
the sole occupant of the present Union
depot, with a few of the other lines run
ming trains in for connecting purposes
There IS every reason to believe the
other roads win use the new terminals
Ihere are many reasons why thev
should, and unless there are some now
and surprising moves made within the
course OF the next year, three years will
see the new depot the center OF travel
in Kansas City
me Kansas City Journal says
Only Kansas City knows how badly the
Town wants new union depot Only Kan
sas CITY IS aware of the effort nut forth
TO OBTAIN one-the long history of ham
mermgs, the pleadings eaiolings and
tnreaten1ngs. Only Kansas Civ 1ro,IIl
hsVV tolerated the old shack that now die
graces II, IN lieu OF d depot at all Only
Kansas city would good naturetlIv have
laughed at 'srnothering' COMMITTEES
named as a blind and working for months
as bluff: Ane even Kansas City mas
long since lost all patience with the whole
outft. Now it can see a union depot in
sight. F III
The same NAV be said of fine new
6ouble decked bridge. Few cities womb
nave waited so long, with acres of land
within mile Of its business center for. a
bridge to make them available II has