Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-05-10
PRESIDENT RIPLEY.
interviewed and Says Santa Fe Has
Not Opposed Rock Island,
GIVES n FACTS.

Bronzed in complexion, of vigorous
action and clear in voice President f..
p. Ripley. of the Santa Fe. was at the
depot Wednesday afternoon and be-
tween whiffs at his cigar discussed
railroad topics with an ease that
showed his eight hours horseback rid
ing aud golf playing every day at his
winter home in southern California
have not detected him from his bust
ness, says the Topeka State journal.
President Ripley was On his return to
New York from Santa Barbara, Cal.
where he has been spending several
months.
When asked about the reported
struggle between the Santa Fe and
Rock Island for st. Louis terminals
ending last week when the latter road
secured the st. Louis, Kansas City &
Colorado line and the Virgins Ferry
property. President Ripley denied that
there ever had been any fight between
the two systems or their representa-
tives for securing the same. There
never was any struggle between the
Santa Fe and Rock Island, to my
knowledge. All | know about that is
what | saw in the newspapers: and
don't even know that the Rock Island
has made any such move as is credited
to 1t. though | presume that is correct.
We are not trying &c secure any line
of our own into st. Louis and have not
been. because we already have an ar
rangement whereby our business be-
tween Kansas City and st. Louis can
be carried cheaply enough"
''Has there been an effort on the part
of the Santa Fe to take in the Choctaw
& Northern and other Oklahoma
roads?"
"We already have our lines into that
country and are extending all the time.
l suppose that the acquisition of the
Choctaw & Northern by the Rock ISL
and is a valuable one and in line with
the general idea of that road. But the
extension OF the Rock Island Will not
interfere with our business in any way.
The fact of it is that the trouble with
western railroads for the last three or
four years has not been to secure new
lines or to get more business. but to
find a way in which that they already
had could be taken are of. The car
rying trade has been something very
heavy. The orange crop of California
was a little short this year., but the
vegetation along the line is fresher
than | had supposed it would be from
the reports. The wheat in Kansas
looks q little brown, and may have
been injured somewhat, but 1t seems
to me there will still be a large crop.
1t e to be rather dry in New
Mexico. but otherwise the condition OF
vegetation all along the road seems
to he fine" -
President Ripley says that the use
of oil as a fuel on the California n
Texas lines of the Santa Fe is highly
successful. There is nothing different
in the situation though said he,
from what there was twelve years
ago when we first began using it, ex-
cent of course it's use has been extend
ed We are running acknowledgements
AS far east as SeIigman, Ariz.. and find
it a CHEAP fuel. OF course It's use on
the lines in this locality will never
come about unless the oil is discovered
here. But for those of California ana
Texas we find it ever SO much cheaper
than coal shipped from other places.
when | went to California a rev
months ago | was not well, said ne
"but now | am feeling fine. | have my
s~tenographer with me and carry on my
business all the time. | put in the time
every day from 10 to 6 riding horse
back and playing golf.'
President Ripley travelled in his pri
vate car. PIG, and with him was MS
family. He will stop off in Chicago
two days. and thence will go to New
York. He takes much interest in mat
tiers brought to his attention while
making the trip across the country
and Wednesday afternoon as the trair
pulled out he went to the rear plat
form of his car and leaning out oVel
the railing viewed with close attention
the Topeka shops and the extensions
that are being made. He says that tn'
improvements which the company VII
make on the western lines of the roa'
are important, referring, Particular.
10 those of the mechanical department
at Point Richmond, San Bernardiho
nhn Noodles and