The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1902-05-21
0RIENTLAYING RAILS
FIR ST SPIKES WERE NAILED
AT ANTHONY, KAN.
Red Fire Burned in Kansas City
IN Honor of the Event. What
the First Cargo Will Be.

of the Kansas City, Mexico anC
Orient road in the United States,
began at Anthony, Kas., this
morning amidst general celebra'
tions. Tonight Kansas City will
celebrate by burning red fire
from the tops of tall buildings
as was done when the Kansas City
Pittsbnrg & Gulf was first started.
A few rails were laid at Emporia
and a switch put in at Anthony
some time ago, but the work was
entirely preliminary and was not
properly the beginning of the main
line. Today will mark the actual
start of building the main line.
Yesterday President Stilwell sent
a message to President Diaz OF
Mexico advising him that track
laying would begin this morning.
The following reply was received
Have received the news with
great qualification. Porfiro Diaz."
Rail laying will begin at the
Pacific terminus of the Orient
within six week. Grading is be-
ginning on the second 100 kilomet-
ers of the route east from Port
Stilwell. Tracklaying is pro-
crossing on the line east from
Chihuahua, and it is expected to
have it in operation to Albania
as soon as the bridge over the
chihuahua river can be completed
about June 10. Grading east of
chihuahua is progressing rapidly
toward the Rio Grande river.
In the United States, nearly 600
miles of the right-of-way has been
secured and paid for, including
the entire route across Oklahoma.
All but seventy five mile of the
distance across Oklahoma has
been graded. Between the Red
river boundary of Texas and
Sweetwater, all but ninety miles
of the route has been graded,
and work is being pushed on this
gap.
Coincident with the beginning of
track laying in the United States
President Stilwell announces the
organization of the Port Stilwell
& South American Steamship
company, which has just chartered
vessel at San Francisco for i'm
mediate service between Guaymas
Port Stilwell and Mazatlan, Mex
leo. E. H. Shaufer, former
freight traffic manager of theQuin-
cy, Omaha&Kansas City, has been
elected vice president of the Port
Stilwell q South American Steam
ship company, of which Mr.. Still
well is president. Other vessels
will be added to the fleet and the
service extended, as indicated by
the corporate name.
The vessel chartered at San
Francisco will be christened the
f'Port Stilwell," and will leave
for that port in about two weeks.
1t has Accommodations for thirty
first class, thirty second class pas
sengers, and President Stilwell
says its table and other service
will be equal to that of any boat
that phys the waters of the Pacific
1t is expected to begin regular
trips between Guaymas and Ma
zatlan, via Port Stilwell, within
three weeks.
The first freight cargo of the
"Port Stilwell" will include about
100 freight cars and two locomo'
tives for the Orient road, which
will leave in a few days for Quay
mas from the Missouri Car and
boundary company's plant at St
Louis. Nuts, bolts, tracklaying
machinery and other supplies fol
the Orient work at Port Stilwel
will leave San Francisco with tn,
boats departure from there. A
boatload OF coal will be sent t.
Port Stilwell at once for the us'
of the locomotives and steamship
line.
Anthony, Kas. May 9.-Thc
first tracklaying of Stilwell's ORR
ent railway in the United States
began this morning. Ties have