Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-16
10 CONTROL THE SOUTHWEST
CONSTRUCTION Plans Of the Rock Island
Indicate Ultimate Object.
AIR LINE FROM CHICAGO TO ST. LOUIS
wall street AmHnsd BY the Gigantic
Undersakine Of Western Railroad
decentralization state
Fair Service.

sarhS most important piece OF work now
under way or in contemplation BY the Rock
Island is the projected air line from MorriB.
III, which Is but a few miles outside Of
Chicago, to st. Louis" said an ofhcial OF
the Rock Island. This will be the most
direct route between these two great cities
and Il will give our road the key which Will
omen up the most complete and absolute
outlet to the southweat =
Surveyors have Just been put 20 work on
this line, the route already having been
mapped out. The exact line VIII be de-
sermlned as soon as the engineers complete
their work. which win be within the short
est possible time. Then actual cQnstfuc-
tlon VIII be started and the road completed
With all possible facility.
That the Rock Island has launched upon
q determined campaign Of acquisition. ex-
tension and construction. for the purpose Of
securing control Of the southwest. Is amply
demonstrated By an examination Of the new
map Just completed. showing the roads
present lines and those projected. Whether
the Rock Island bought the Frisco. which.
while generally believed TO be a fat. f.
etiil surrounded by n degree OF dcr.'. it Is
certain that the ~oficlals Of the Eead have
laid the most extensive plans that She rail-
road world has seen for many a day. At
ast Wall street sneered At the "presump-
tion" Of these westerners. then contempt
gave way 70 doubt and question, and this
stage has recently given way to utter
smasement.
EEfensfons and ~conneetfnE Lines
h -cQnstructlon" map shows that the
Rock Islend Is engaged in build = a num-
Der Of important extensions are a~nectiHg
lines throughout the southwest iarits CEN
tral scheme Of knitting together It's system
20 az 20 enable q to dominate that vast
territory. An extension Is under way from
Fort Worth to Dallas now. which IL soon
10 be run on to Galveston. giving the road
. new outlet 10 the gulf and thereby to
the oceans, The plans Of construction
further contemplate. in this connection. the
building Of a line from Memphis to Mobile.
which VIII form = circuit from Memphis
10 the western termini In addition Il Is
hoped soon to enter upon a scheme for
the construction OF . lire from Memphis
70 81. Louis. eslakllshing a complete Circuit
and tieup OF the southwest for the Rock
Island. Another line now under headWay
Is the extension Of the Choctaw from
Amarillo Tex. 10 Trinidad. Colo. via
Tucamcari. n. H.. ana sim another An thai
section from florence. n. n. to santa Re,
what We need now e a line from
omnha to connect with our main line goine
west said tia omcial. IT Is not decided
iust which would be the better plan. te
run such a line directly south to Kansas
City or southwest to meet the western
route about Harrington. Kan."
State Fatr Arrangements
TIE Burlington has completed arrange
meats for Is special train service daFinl
Ina NTNTn HTT WNNW TnRr1m1
be run on all b 4 n. lines east o. Ravenna
Hastings and Superior. lnolading all Ne
braska points and ConcofdIn. Kan. aud vii
rlop a. M taif grounds station n heti