The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1902-01-24

BY january list the Rock Island ex-
poets to be able to- open for business
lis southwestern extension to El pas0.
Texas. This line. in connection with
The Southern Pacific and the Mexican
Central railroads. VIII give the Rock
Island the shortest line both So south
crn California aad the City of Mexico,
and make &c q dangerous competitor OF
the Santa Fe. u took just one year to
construct The 5i0 miles of the new ex-
tension from Liberal Kansas, to El
paso. Texas. For the purpose Of conn.,
plying with the Texas law that every
railroad within that state shall have
state operating Headquarters, ead also
for general construction facilities and
convenience. the new road was placed
under the charters of five different
railroad corporations. viz; The Chlca-
go. Rock Island & Pacific proper. the
Chicago. Rock Island q Mexico: the
Chicago. Rock Island e. lei paso: the
Rock Island & El paso. and the El
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. II. COnlen. vice president of the
AANNNAWn NUN NHNHNNA AZ ANNANINa as
chief engineer and general manager,
while from Santa Rosa to Carrizozo, a
distance of 100 miles. the construction
work was given TO the III paso &
Northeastern. which already had a
constructed line from III paso to Car
riZozO. The road from Liberal TO Car
riZozo win be equipped with eighty
pound steel rails, oak or pitch pine ties
ND ~aLT.ar. NaHNaMtHua n.a..A -HT-
tracks. switchesi~ 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 I'm 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 lsland-El Paso line
is the new Hhirty-mile railroad which
Is TO develop the Immense Dawson coal
fields, owned by the Rock Island, ON
the Beaubien and Miranda grant, I'm
the northern part Of COlfaX county,
New Mexico. This road will leave the
main Rock Island rails at or near Lib
eral station. twenty miles southwest Of
the Canadian river crossing, and run
AMAW0HM lAN ANNM AANAANaM NUAlllANn VI
San Miguel, Mora and Colfax.
This branch win be completed
by May Is, 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 n
heavy domestic custom in that section
of the country. The completion Of the
lei PasO line will give the Rock Island
a route Of ODD miles shorter between
Kansas City and El 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 II per cent. grade of the
new Rock Island line. In connection
with the Southern Pacific, the Rock Is
land will have a shorter line from Chi
cago to Los Angeles than will the San
ia Fe. The construction cost of the
Rock Island-El PasO line will apprOxi-
mate S7,00O,OO0, an average of about
$4,000 per mile-Chicago Tribune.