The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-28

Private advices received in Denver from
Omaha state that Mr.. Deuers appoint
ment had been practically decided upon.
A dispatch from Omaha says: THE
resignation of Mr.. Dickinson as general
manager of the Union Pacific brings up
the question to the appointment of his
successor. While positive information
on the subject could be gotten at the COM
pany's headquarters today, yet several of
the minor officials expressed the opinion
that the office of general manager would
be abolished altogether and that of gen
eral superintendent substituted for it,
while others thought that Mr.. j. B. Berry,
chief engineer, had been slated to succeed
Mr. Dickinson. The friends of Mr.. Dick
inson say that the Orient win pay him
$4,000, which is 5000 more than the Union
Pacific has paid him. while at the same
time giving him opportunity of becom-
ing financially interested in construction
contracts of the line"
Mr.. Dickinson is recognized as a thor
ough railroad man of unusual ability and
his connection with the Orient line will
be great advantage to that enterprise.
Mr. DickinSons advice and experience
will be valuable while the road is building
and afterward he will have complete
charge of it's operation. President Stilwell
will continue to look after the Orient lines
financial affairs.
The position of general manager of the
Orient line was not accepted by Mr.. Dick
inson until after he had satisfied himself
of Mr.. Stilwell's ability to build the road
and of the necessity for new transcon-
tinental line in the territory through
which the road is projected. That he re-
tired from the position of general manager
of n big system like the Union Pacific to
go to the Orient line is proof that he has
confidence in the future of the Orient line
The railroad career of the Orient line s
new general manager began in 1862, when
he was only u years old. Then he was a
messenger boy with the Cleveland & To
ledo railroad. He went to the Atlantic &
Great Western road as telegraph operator
and was successfully assistant train dis
patcher, baggage master and express mes
senger with that line Thirty years ago
Mr.. Dickinson was train dispatcher on the
Union Pacific railway. He was promoted
to the positions of division superintendent
general superintendent in 1880, general
manager of the Missouri river division
assistant general manager. and general
manager of the entire system in February,
1898.
The Kansas City, Mexico & Orient rail-
way is to be direct line, about 100 miles
in length from Kansas City to Port Still
well. on the Pacific coast of Old Mexico.
In connection with the road a fleet Of
steamships is projected for trade with the
Orient The road will be the shortest line
between Kansas City and the Pacific
ocean and the shortest route to Honolulu,
/ China, India and the Philippines. Six hun
/ dred miles of the Orient line have been
graded and 145 miles are in operation in
/ Mexico and forty-five in the United States.
1 Track laying is in progress in three places
and the steel rails are being brought from
Belgium by boat around Cape Horn Con
struction work is being pushed as rapidly
as possible but has been retarded some
what by the inability to secure steel rails
as fast as needed. The route of the Orient
line is through southeastern Kansas. the
heart of the Oklahoma, Western Texas
and the center of Chihuahua, in Old Mex
leo. The territory traversed is rich in
agricultural products, cattle, fruit, valu-
able woods and minerals of all kinds.