The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-06-02
RAILROAD NEWS.
Rock Island is in Several Merger
Deals.
Ch0ctaW Lines Are Now Oper-
ated by Rock Island.
MANY WILD RUMORS.
Rock Island to Get Frisco and
Kansas City Southern.
J. P. Morgan and Maple Leaf
Also Involved.
MANY WILD RUMORS.

N~t-AAAAA--
the Choctau at Kansas City, yesterday
moved his headquarters to the offices
of the Rock Island commercial agency
and Bred Smith, commercial agent OF
the Rock Island, win today represent
the Choctaw as we'll Mr.. Ellsworth viii
be connected with Mr.. Smiths Office Tor
the present and will probably be assign
ed later to q western city where neither
of the roads is now represented
At other points where both roads are
represented, the ChOctaw offices VIII pe
merged into those Of the Rock island
Where the ChOctaW alone has represent
tatfon. there viii be no change othef
than that the Choctaw officials become
Rock Island representatives Cnoeld"
-epresentativ left without positions py
me merger of the Offices or the tWJ
roads win be taken care of. the under
standing being that each snaH nave As
good or a better position
Innis Hopkins, commercial agent OF
the ChoctaW at Cincinnati Vail open Il
commercial Office for the Rock Island
Choctaw at Louisville. Mark f. Fuller
ton, who has been stenographer Tor MI
Ellsworth at Kansas City VIII go 10
Louisville as chief clerk and SlenOgFd-
pher for Mr.. Hopkins. c L. Egglestoh,
Commercial agent of the Choctaw st
Chicago, viii report to J. A. Wentz,
commercial agent Of the Rock 4slaho
there, for the present
The ChOetaw will be operated as a
senarate property by the Rock Island
management. All representatives or the
traffic department Will serve both ROADS.
those on the line OF the CnOCtaW ana II
territory contiguous to it reporting 10
the offices of that road at Little Rock
and others direct to the Rock Island OF
ficials.
In this general connection it may be
said to be the expectation OF the Rock
Island to have its own rails laid into
Kansas City by next November, TINS
date having beeen set for the entrance
of the ST. Louis, Kansas City & Color
ado extension. now practically built to
Versailles and recently bought by the
Rock Island.
No official announcement can be OBJ
tanned relative to the Kansas city
Southern, but it is positively stated by
men ordinarily well informed IN such
matters that the control of that road is
held for the Rock Island. The stock IS
being transferred to John ". Gates for
Rock Island account Gates and the
bdoOres are together in many enter
prises. One man who is closely assOci-
ated with them says he doubts il the
MOores are in any important property
in which Gates is not also interested.
The same authority says that Bates is
heavy holder of Rock Island stock
From another source, probably au-
thoritative. it is positively stated that
the MoOres propose to parallel the
Frisco from a connection with the St.
Louis, Kansas City & Colorado line to
Fort Smith. Ark. thus giving the Chloe
taW entrance to st. Louis and also max
ing up a good ST. LOuis-Texas and st.
LOulS-OklahOma line for the Rock IS
land. Surveys have already been run
which is possibly made more significant
because of the announcement that an
ofEer has been made of SO per cent for
the controlling stock Of the Frisco sys-
tenn.
Threats to parallel the Frisco were
made upon official authority for the
island Al It- l,e4sss
holders Of its stock consented to sell. /
Ihis suggests il may be the policy of
Inc Moores to encourage the sale of
roads they want by threatening to
parallel the lines, and it is possible that
the offer of so for Frisco control is III
the interest Of the Moores.
The Kansas City Journal today saws.
II IS reported that ]. Pierpont Nor
gan and John w. Gates are now il. con
Lrol OF the Chicago Great Western; that
Jonn NJ Gates, acting for the Moores /
IS IN control OF the Kansas City South
erni that the latter road is to be con
soltoated with or absorbed by the for
mer, ana that both are to pass to Rock
isianQ control The plans include the
CON pletion of the Maple Leaf exten-
slons now under way and certain 9th
srs, TO give the combined system en-
trance to all important cities l7e+vvaaT7
tne Canadian border on the north the
E1iA OF Mexico on the south, the Rocky
mountains and the Mississippi river.
III mas been generally understood for
several days that Gates had secured
control Of the Kansas civ Southern
ana tnat 1t was for the Moores. It has
also been understood he was seeking t,
cohlroi the chicago Great Western but
ti0 connection OF Mr. Morgan with the
deal had not before been made lenovv,
me weight of his influence thrown on
lne size OF Gates and the Moores is now
believed to have been all that was need
- - give tnem control Of the Maple
Leaf and it is said that only details
remain to be worked out to comnIete
the mergers.
Kansas ,,e city viii be materially affect
s4 py the taking of the Maple Leaf out
Of independent control. Under ere
Stlckney management it has been a free
lalee dnqeh OF the time and has been a
powerful factor In protecting the South
west Missouri river against bierb ratas
ttAelnef or not it is Immediately taken
over by the Rock Island it viii he on
Grated by the same interests ana r4ra.
eulnaeiy. viii cease to be a dist41rber ~
the rate situation. In fact If has nov
oeen sueh for the past eighteen months
9lr. sriekney's position in regard to the
Impending merger is not vet rna5a
known. but it is certain his cor+roi -
Aessened' If not lost.
~, B9t a peculiar feature lies in the fact
Slat WINE every move made nv 4ha
110oies IN the railroad field has hes,7
- Filslt importance to Kansas civ ana
rms city mas easily attained to q posf-
80 49, inueh more important than
80 os.ser 70 their system, the Rock IS
5elQ mas not nor VIII it have win The
Kansas City Southern ana Great Wesf-
Slu purchases. q line of It's own inn
Kansas city The Kansas city south.
- - S9lLles II over the Frisco tracks and
me Maple Leaf over the r-s-57eass 80 -
NorenWe stern The Rock island nses
ne onion Pacific tracks into Kansas
City from the west and the Burlington
t1s ss, rom the north and east.
SHOULD the Rock Island esa.4.-, az
Frisco report current but perhaps NOT
MsA founded it would gain two lines
INTO the city and excellent ad5itiono1
seIll.l1ssls mere, together with a one
-eAA ~ interest IA the Kansas City Belt