The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-04-15
A. T. STILLWELL
is COMING
He Has a Proposition to Pre-
sent to Wichita People.
WICHITA TO RED RIVER
Line Will be Constructed in a
Few Months.
WORK BEGINS NEXT WEEK
If Business Men VIII Help
Him.
WORK BEGINS NEXT WEEK

Arthur e StiIlwell, president Of the
Kansas City, Mexico & Orient railway,
viii be in the city Wednesday to confer
with the business men of this city in re-
gard to building the line from Wichita to
Harper and thus closing the gap on the
line between Wichita and the Red river,
a distance Of about 100 miles.
c. a. De Haven, Mr.. StiIlweHs repre-
sentative, was here yesterday and after
q conference with Scott E. Whine, a
special meeting Of the business men and
members Of the club was held in the com
merciai club rooms a 1870. There were
about thirty well known business men
present and when the proposition was
preached by Mr.. DeHaven all were very
enthusiastic about the plan.
The following is the proposition outlined
by Mr.. DeHaven:
Mr. Stiliwell is very anxious TO com
plete the line from this city to the Red
river. The roadbed is graded from An
thony to Fairview and the men are at
work now laying the steel There is an
engine and fifteen cars at Anthony ready
for work on the new line
Mr.. Stillwell has obtained valuable
concessions from the Mexican government
for building the road in that country and
1t IS absolutely necessary for him to com
plete so much Of the road within Ger
tain time or he cannot obtain these con
cessions and the success of the road de-
Ponds great deal on these lands which
If the road is completed in Mexico. viii
become the company's property. MT Still
well is bending every effort TO have the
Mexican end Of the line completed on
time and he is using all the capital he
can get at the present time to do the
work required.
There is more than eighty miles
Of line graded south OF Anthony and rath-
er than allow this to lay idle Mr. Still
well has made the following proposition
to the business men. He viii come here
and place in escrow securities of known
value and the business men are to ad-
vance him $4,000 to help build the line
from here to Harper and put into opera
ton. As is well known that when the
line is completed to the Red river So. 600
OF bonds viii become the company's prop
erty. Then they propose TO take up those
securities and reimburse those who helped
make the loan TO the company. The loan
Will be from private parties and only for
the time necessary for them to build the
lire and put it into operation.
This is the best proposition they can
offer The company does not want 70. let
this line lay there for two years when Il
little money will build il and put It IN
operation But they must have those Mex
lean concessions and have TO bend every
effort to get them.
The business men who were present yes
terday afternoon were very 5ubilant about
the matter and If the securities are first
class they have promised 10 raise the
funds. When Mr.. Stillwell comes and
shows what he has there is no doubt that
the project viii go through. Then a force
Of men will be here as fast as q railroad
train can bring them here from saltwater
Texas, and begin work on the line from
this end If the proposition is accepted
dirt will be thrown I'm this county within
ten days or less. That means that a
hundred and thirty miles of line VIII be
in operation before the first of September.
AS soon as they begin work on the line
work viii be begun on the shops In this
city This Will be the headquarters Of the
construction gang from here south All
OF their supplies will be shipped 10 Wichita
and then og over their own road 10 where
they are needed. All of the men viii be
paid from Wichita and in fact the whole
work of building the line south and west
OF Wichita will be directed from here
There is not a man in this city who
does not want the Orient built to the
Red river as soon IS possible Those IN
touch with railroad building know that
great amount of work must be done and
what these concessions mean TO road.
Every one knows what great benefits
would be derived from thu completion Of
the line from Fairview toNthis city and
all are I'm favor of accepting Mr.. still
wells proposition
one of this city's prominent business
men said yesterday after the conference
AT the Commercial club. 7 am heartily
in favor Of loaning this money. The
road will be completed within three or
four months and IL VIII open new ter
ritorv for this city. That oklahoma coun-
try is great and we need the business
from that section and we VIII get il If
the merchants viii but pull together.
and every business man in this city
l-novv what obstacles Mr. Stillwen has 10