The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-06-13
RAILROAD NEWS.
The Rock Island Railroad is
Reehristened.
Now Called the Rock Island
System.
INVOLVES MUCH WORK.
Having Trouble With Property
Owners in st. Louis.
George Gould to Fight the
Moore Brothers.

The Great Rock Island Route eeas-
ed to exist in name yesterday N ~
Mace was born the Rock Island Sys-
tenn" The change in name IS the re-
su}t of an order issued by President
Leeds. which has been made necessary
on account of the numerous tributary
lines acquired by the Rock Island A.
is not route" now but q system
The Rock Island system is composed of
the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific;
Chicago, Rock Island & Texas chicago,
Rock Island & FL PasO; Burning loh'
Cedar Rapids. & Northern; the St Louis,
Kansas City & Colorado; Choctaw, OK
Iahcma e Gulf; Chicago, Rock Island
g. Mexico; Rock Island & Peoria, ana
Choctaw & Northern lines.
In addition to these lines il seems
likely that the Rock Island viii acquire
several more roads and at the same
time build several hundred miles Of new
road that will be merged into this sys-
TEN within the coming year
The Kansas City & Southern, the Ma
pie Leaf and the Frisco system are
three roads which report says will soon
belong to the Rock Island A new me
from Fort Worth through Dallas to
Houston and the Gulf Of Mexico viii be
completed within the year and trains
viii be running over the Kansas City
st. Louis line before 1903 Report also
says that the Rock Island is TO have 1ts
own Pacific coast line from Ell Paso-
The work of changing the trade mark
of the Rock Island over its entire sys-
tenn VIII be a work Of greater magni-
tude than most people not initiated into
railroad work viii be able to compre-
bend. Every sign in the ticket Office
windows from one end Of the country TO
the other must be changed, and there
are over 700 stations on the main line
alone Every sign at every commercial
agency Of the road OF which there are at
least a hundred or two all over the
United States. must be changed, and
every sign on every billboard, every
coach. freight car, switch engine and
locomotive and every piece OF property
of the road must be changed. Every
piece of printed matter, from letter
heads. envelopes, blanks and folders to
the advertising pamphlets maps, etc,
must be changed
The change will necessitate painting
out the old trade mark that has be-
come so familiar to the travelling public
on over 10000 freight cars, 500 passen-
ger cars. and nearly ZOO engines and
the substitution therefor of the new
trade mark. Tt win be difficult to esti-
mate how long it win take to complete
the work of changing the trade mark of
the company.
NJ. A. Low, general attorney of the
Rock Island railroad. is at St Louis
where he has been in conference with
the mayer of St. Louis the officials OF
the Wabash railroad and a number of
officials of the Rock Island road rela-
tive to the matter of securing a new
right of way through the city Of St.
Louis for the Rock Island railroad
Through the assistance of Mr.. Low
the Rock Island secured almost two
blocks of valuable land opposite the
Worlds fair grounds in st. Louis and in
the most aristOcratic residence district
Of the city. It was a master stroke for
the railroad, but the citizens living in
that neighbOrhood are now considerab l y
worked W over the matter and want
the railroad shut out of this section Of
the city PROPOSITIONS for a settlement
have been made by all parties concern
ed The Rock Island through Mr.. Low