Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-03-29
THE SHORT LINE.
Santa Fe Will Either Build a Line or
Use Choctaw Tracks.
SURVEYORS NOW AT WORK.

General Manager II. u. Nudge has
partially confirmed the report printed
recently in The Citizen concerning the
proposed extension of the Santa Fe
from Amarillo to form a short line to
the Pacific coast.
Mr.. Nudge said to a reporter for the
Topeka State Journal:
'"The Santa Fe now has surveyors in
the field between Amarillo and Albu-
querque. We are trying to find out
whether there is an easy route across
the country. The object is to get a
short line to Los Angeles. The Choc-
taw is also at work in this locality, l
understand. IL can be stated that If the
Ch0ctaw decides to build from Wealth
erford to Albuquerque that the Santa
Fee will not build"
Indications are, therefore, that the
Santa Fe has fully determined Upon an
important reduction in h present
mileage from the Missouri river points
to the Pacific coast. 1t Is only a ques-
ton OF whether it will build its W ex-
tension, or enter into traffic agree
ments with the Choctaw.
it is said to be part of the plan of
the Santa Fe to acquire full ownership
OF the Choctaw. The contemplated ex-
tension of the Choctaw to albuquerque
Is likely to have an important bearing
an the plan, and will probably hasten
the day when the Choctaw will come
into the control of the big system. Con-
ferences were held some time 9 be-
tween the Santa Fe and the Philadel-
phia owners of the Choctaw looking to
such acquisition, but there was a disa-
greement as to price.
Control of the Choctaw road rests
in the hands of eight OF ten people,
most of them directors of the road.
They include E. B. Smith, F. 1. Gowen,
J., H. Catherwood. E. b. Morris and
q, Fl. Colket, the latter president of
the Huntington & Broad Top company.
The common stock of the Choctaw
road sold at 1914 last week. its highest
price. In 1897 this stock sold at SIS a
ahare, when the company went
through Il reorganization, acquiring the
Little Rock & Memphis road and ex-
tending its road through Oklahoma
and opening up Oklahoma and the In
dian Territory.
Some other rumors rave been circu-
lated concerning the possible extern
sfons of the Santa Fe in the south
west. One was that an extension would
he built from Roswell, the end of the
Pecos Valley line, to Ell Paso, in order
that the Santa Fe might beat the Rock
Islands time into that city. This
rumor, however, has been denied. An
other story was that the Santa Fe was
surveying from Roswell to Torrance,
N. NJ, the junction point on the Rock
Island. and from there to a point near
fuerco, on the Santa Fe Pacific.
The proposed Choctaw extension,
however, would be of much more value
than either of the proposed Roswell
extensions. 1t would give almost a dt-
rect line from Weatherford. Okla, to
Los Angeles, and would enable the
Santa Fe to send it's California busi-
ness via Amarillo, on the Pecos Valley
lines, straight to Los Angeles.
The Santa Fe has realized that it
must improve its facilities for hand
ling the southern California business,
or 1t will suffer from the keen competi-
ton of the Rock Island. Heretofore
the Southern Pacific and Santa Fee
have practically controlled the south
ern California traffic. Now that the
Rock Island has a short line to FL
Paso, it has taken away the Santa Fee
mail contracts, and is a formidable
rival for California trade.
e. w. Martindell, the travelling
freight and passenger agent OF the
Santa FEES Pecos Valley lines, was in
terviewed recently at Ell Paso. and he
threw a damper on the hope or Ell Paso
for the extension of the Pecos Valley
line from Roswell to this city. He says
that in his opinion this line will never
be built and that no man connected
with the Santa Fe or Pecos Valley line
aver said that it would be built. He
brands the quoting Avery Turner by an
n Paso paper to the effect that 1t
wouldn't be built as a pure fake and an
act deserving of a good trouncing, for
Mr.. Turner hasn't the authority 70
make the statements credited to him
and understands his position toe well
10 make them.
He saws that he believes the Choc-
tav road will be extended from Amar-
lilo to .Tucumcari, where =. will con-
meet with the Rock Island for FL Paso.
hut he doubts that the Santa Fe Will
buiId from San Angelo to Pecos Inc
states that he believes that II con-
nection such a line would make Is ever
obtained II will be done by building d.
rect from San Angelo to Albuquerque,
leaving Pecos City out in the cold, as
there is not sufficient business IN that
country 10 justify building the line tnat
much out OF the way.
II is true that the line from San An
cello direct to Albuquerque would be
much shorter and cross a country bet
ter adapted to cattle raising than the
neighborhood of Pecos City. Such a
line would provide the connection be-
tween the Pecos Valley line and the
Santa Fe line for the Pacific coast that
was mentioned in a recent issue OF the
Citizen.
Burdock Blood Bitters gives a man a