The Iola register., 1902-06-20
THAT new RAILROAD TALK.
Another Newspaper Story That the
Memphis-Iola Line is a Co
lola Should Act.

The other day the REGISTER printed |
a story to the effect that surveyors
have completed running line for a
proposed new railroad from Memphis |
to Walnut and that the road will con-
meet with the Santa Fe either at Cha
mute or lola. The original intention
was to come to lola but the Chanute
Commercial Club has been busy with
the promoter and is seeking to induce
him to turn to Chanute. 1t seems like
a good opportunity to the lola Club
to take action and see that the pro-
moter learns about lola and the i'm
mense freight traffic here. Certainly
it is no time to sleep.
The latest story of the new road is
from the Topeka Capital, which says:
kansas seems to be already a
pretty thorough network of railroads,
and at least one new road, the Orient,
is now actively pushing construction
work in Kansas. 1t seems to be prac-
tically certain, however, that still
another road is contemplating an in
vasion of the state, this time from the
southeast. 1t will connect the mineral
region of southwest Missouri and
southeast Kansas with the Kansas gas
belt, and will have its terminus at
some of the towns on the Southern
Kansas division of the Santa Fe.
The Arkansas, Missouri & Kansas
railroad is q new railroad that is
being laid out, starting from Memphis
west through northern Arkansas, and
up through Neosho and Joplin, Mo-,
Weir City, and Cherokee, Kas., to
connection with the Santa Fe at
either Chanute or lola.
From Weir City to St. Paul the
line as surveyed is as straight as an
arrow and will be the longest piece of
straight track in the state Of Kansas.
From there the road will be run to
Erie and Chanute or lola, the termi.
mus not yet being definitely de-
termined. The right of way men are
at work getting titles to the right of
way and the work of laying the track
will begin as soon as the survey is
completed and the proper arrange
ments can be made.
This new road is chartere
under the laws of Missouri and will
run through some Of the richest coun-
Try in the West. The timber lands and
undeveloped mineral districts of
northern Arkansas, the mineral dis
tricts of southwest Missouri, the coal
fields, the fine agricultural lands and
the gas and oil fields of southeast
: Kansas are all to be traversed by this
! road.
} "The construction of such road will
be of immense Importance to the cities
of the gas belt. 1t will open direct
, road from the mineral fields of Ar
kansas and Missouri to the smelters
: which have already been established
in the gas towns, and will in all prob
= ability lead to the establishment of
more such industries. 1t is also stated
) that the new road runs through the
, places in Missouri from which the
} sand for glass-making is obtained,
and it will thus open up direct
source of supply for the glass fac
tories which recently have been es-
tablished in Southern Kansas.
} sd. w. Spooner of Boston, chief
engineer of the road, IS in charge of
the surveying party. He stated to
newspaper men at st. Paul that thi
} line will be part of fatranscontinental a
road, and naturally there is consider
able speculation as to what one of the
big lines not now represented is now
trying to get foothold in this terri
, ory."