Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-12-01
ROCK ISLAND EXTENSION.
Significant Deals That the System Will
Reach Pacific Coast.


The Denver Times, in its comments
on the movements of railroad officials
down this way, has the following of
vital interest to central New Mexico
and especially to Albuquerque:
Three moves in railroad circles this
week point so conclusively to the Rock
Island as the road that is behind the
New Mexico deals that in the minds of
prominent Denver officials there is no
doubt that this system is planning an
extension to the Pacific coast. The
most significant of these is contained
in two official moves made by the Al
buquerque Eastern, and the Choctaw,
Oklahoma & Texas. The last named,
which is owned by the Rock Island,
has had its charter amended at Aus
tin, Texas, to permit 1t to construct a
line from Amarillo, Texas, to the Dor
leo side. The length of the proposed
extension in Texas IS about seventy
two miles. 1t will be continued from
the Texas line to Tucumcari, N. NJ.
on the Ell Paso line. making the total
length of the proposed extension about
1875 miles.
About the same time this move was
being made, Charles f. Myers. mayor
of Albuquerque, received a letter from
w. III. Andrews, president of the Albu-
querque Eastern, announcing to the
city that If that road was given the
right-of-way and the necessary termin-
al facilities in that city, with proper
title and all free of expense to them,
they would begin work on the Albu-
querque Eastern road, broad guage,
standard build, within sixty days, and
promise to have the road completed
and in operation by December 81, 1903.
The road has been surveyed all the
work as soon as these rights are sign
ed Up. 1t is announced by the author
ity of both that the Rock Island Is fur.
nishing the money to build this exten.
sion. The Albuquerque Eastern and
the Amarillo extension together will
give the Rock Island almost 400 miles
of new track directly west, almost on
an air line towards the Pacific coast,
No one believes that extensions of this
magnitude would be made solely to OBJ.
tain the Albuquerque business and II
no further O was in sight the i'm.
preston would prevail that the Rock
Island was destined towards the coast
I But about the same time these two
moves are made comes the announce
ment from George w. Marston, presi
dent of the San Diego & Eastern rail
road, that his company has completed
financial arrangements for building
from San Diego, California. east tc
Arizona, where it is to onnec with q
transcontinental line (which will re
quire $4,000. 900 for its construction
While he names no road. Mr.. Marstor
states that ii is building towards the
southwest. Putting these three move:
together il leaves the construction ol
only about 400 additional miles west
of Albuquerque to give the Rock ISLAM
a straight road from Memphis, Tenn.
to the same destination, while st
Louis will also have a through line Il
the coast as soon as the Rock Islands
extension, now under way, Is complet
ed from that city to Kansas City. The
magnitude of the Rock Island system
and the need of a coast outlet is or 81
great importance that no n believes
a question of 400 miles of track build
ing would cause that system to hest
tate in filling such a valuable gap in iii
system.