The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-17
Rock Island Gets Short Line
Between Ell PasO and Denver.
Connecting Link to Be Built
From Dawson to Trinidad.
DISTANCE SIXTY MILES
Rio Grande Tracks to Be Used
Between Trinidad-DenVer.
Plans For a Union Depot at
Ell PaSO.

the Rock Island railroad is preparing TO
build a connection between the branch
line now being built into the Dawson
coal fields from the main line to II
Paso. and the Rio Grande railroad at
Trinidad, Col. The construction of the
connecting link of so miles will give the
Rock Island and the Rio Grande rail-
roads a short line between FL Paso and
Denver.
The Rock ISland-Dawson coal road TO
be completed this year will start from
the Rock Island Dawson coal fields IN
the northern portion of Colfax county
New Mexico, and, intersecting the Santa
Fe between Maxwell City and Springer,
joins the main Rock Island FL Paso line
at Tucumcard, n. M, $50 miles SOUTH
west.
The building, therefore of the connect
Ing link go miles between the Dawson
coal fields and Trinidad would give the
Rock Island and Rio Grande Denver
Southwest short haul whose commercial
importance in the Interview Mexican.
Arizona and Pacific coast trade, can
scarcely be overestimated-
TO EXTEND TO YUMA
The new Rock Island and Ell Paso
route is to be extended from FL Paso 20
Yuma, the head of the Gulf of Califor-
mia and the mouth of the Colorado nv
er, and to San Diego, on the Pacific
southern California coast, the connec-
ton from Ell Paso to Bisbee, Ariz., (Vla
Deming. ". NJ, to be made by the traf-
fic acquirement-or, mayhap, outright
purchased the Phelps-Dodge copper
roads
The FL Paso Rock Island southwest
ern extension is to also include the
Phelps-DOdge Mexican railroads with
an ultimate reaching of a Mexican Pa
cific port and a Rock Island line OF
ocean steamers to ply between its Pa
cifc ocean terminal and the Philip
pines.
this grand system will be found at Dem
ing, n. M, with both the Santa F'e and
the Southern Pacific, while a branch of
the system will, it is said, be built from
the Nogales vicinity to Phoenix, Ariz.
As additional adjunctS to this new
southwestern railroad radius are tie
early Rock Island functions at Tucum-
carl, N M..-Xxith the Choctaw and Gulf
and the Texas Central, thus bringing
the great southern cotton belt INTO new
direct and daily touch with the gold
and the grain, the coal and the copper,
the sugar and the oil, the beef mutton
and wool, the lumber, building stone
and brick and potter clays, and the IA
NOUS health, hunting, fishing and
scenic resorts of the great Rocky Noun
tain region and its tributary prairies-
The Rock Island extension of sixty
miles from Dawson to Trinidad will
pass through rich region of coal
mineral and agricultural lands, the line
of railroad meeting only minor enSl-
neering difficulties in railroad survey
and construction.
The extension will bring that road to
within thirty miles of its extensive
coking coal fields at Aguilar and enable
the construction of a Trinidad-Aguilar
Rock Island branch for the full devel-
opment of these great furnace fuel
fields.
The new line of the FL Paso and Rock
Island railroad passes through the ex-
IRENE east end of San Miguel county,
New Mexico, and an effort is being
made by the board of trade of Las
Vegas to get the company to build a
branch to the county seat, Las Vegas.
1t is now announced that the Rock
Island railroad will not run its trains
into the Southern Pacific depot at FL
PaSo, as was originally intended, but /
will spend a small amount of money in
repairing its own depot there. The Rock
Island will aid the erection of a union
depot at FL Paso.
1T is true that we did consider the
matter of running our trains into the
Southern Pacific depot" Sald A N
Brown. general freight agent and pas
senger agent of the Ell PasO- Rock Is
land route yesterday but we have now
decided not to do so. We are depend
ing upon a union station, but until one
is provided we will use our present sta
ton, which will be changed and i'm
proved for that purpose We win have
a depot here which we expect to be
amply large and convenient to accom-
modate our passenger patronage until
We can enter union depot That time
we hope is not far distant"
The through freight service has act
ually begun on the Rock Island-El Paso
line Freight trains are being RIM
through to FL Pas0 from Chicago. The
through passenger service will begin on
Sunday, March ?