The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-01
TO PUSH WORK.
Extension of Rock Island From
st. Louis to Kansas City
VIII Be Commenced at an Early
Date Mr.. Low Says.


peka, general attorney of the Rock Isl
and railroad, who planned and engi-
neered the deal whereby his road ac-
quired the St Louis, Kansas City q
Colorado road and the Virgins Ferry
property at st. Louis, announces that
the work of the construction of the
railroad from it's terminal at Yer
sailles, Mo, to Kansas City Will be
pushed as rapidly as possible, and that
trains will in all probability be run
ming between Kansas City and ST.
Louis over this line by February, 1903.
In an interview given out at St. LOUIS
he says:
work on the Colorado line westwardiy
We have engineers and right-of-way
men in the field, and are doing all in
our power to have the line in opera
ton to Kansas City by next year. We
want a line to Kansas City and Will
now have one about the same length as
the other competing lines. Missouri
and surrounding states Will produce the
business we need.
st. Louis is one of the most pronIs-
ing cities anywhere, and the scene of
the great worlds fair offers opportuni-
ties which the Rock Island people were
not slow in perceiving, and they are in
vestfng much money to back their be-
lief. This money comes mainly from
New York and Chicago investors
The st. Louis Republic says:
The acquisition of the St. Louis, Kan
sas City and Colorado railroad by the
great Rock Island Route gives St Louis
another of the great railroad systems OF
the country 1t makes what has always
been a Chicago road also a St. Louis
road, While much of the advantage ac-
cruing to the former city through this
road will go to ST. Louis The Rock
Island promises to open, through con-.
Meeting lines with the Choctaw, more of
the southwest to this gateway.
Perhaps no other road not now enter
ing st. Louis could be more generally
acceptable, or commercially promise
greater results. The Moore Bros, since
coming into control of the Rock Island,
have been a conservative force They
have exerted their power more to the
building up of a great independent Sys-
tenn rather than expending their ener-
gies and capital in merger eoups East
of the Mississippi they are becoming in
terested in the Northwestern and the ST.
Paul; their activity IS noted IN other lines,
connection with which would be bene-
fetal to st. Louis. Because of this ag-
gresSive feature of their operations the
merchants of St. Louis express gratii-
cation and receive the new line with
open arms.
While New York is the center of the
great railway deals to merge the steel
gridironing of the country, St Louis is
at the head and the center Of the great
cities to be benefited by the character
of the deals of the last few months. The
greatest activity in railroad building is
in the southwest, Texas heading the list
of states in railroad building. From
Memphis west the Rock Island has the
Choctaw, running to Amarillo, Texas,
traversing Arkansas, Oklahoma and In
dian Territory, with a branch north
through Oklahoma into Kansas. The
Colorado just purchased, will connect
with the system at Kansas City.
The purchase of the Choctaw and the
Colorado roads is but part of a great
plan to invade new territory rich in all
"a eli nd will
meet st. Louis and Memphis, and q line
either new or to connect with Peoria.
Ill, via Chicago, Peoria and st. Louis,
for Chicago, or Keokuk or Peoria for
Iowa points and the north.
The Rock Island traverses Illinois,
Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Ne
braSka, Kansas, Missouri. Colorado,
Oklahoma, Indian Territory, New Mex
leo and Texas and enters Tennessee. At
Ell PaSO it connects with the Southern
Pacific for Los Angeles and San Fran
cisco, with the Denver and Rio Grande
at Colorado Springs for Denver and
Ogden, and again with the Southern
Pacific for San Francisco; also at Ii
Paso with the Mexican Central for
Mexico. The projected extension to the
Gulf rom Fort Worth will take in Dali
projected and the purchase of lines
from Texas to Colorado is now looked
for.
An official statement has been made
that on June the stockholders will vote
on a proposition to increase the capital
of the Rock Island $4,000, 900. additional
to the present s65 0OO, 600. This is the
largest increase since 1890. The stock
was then SAL $50. 900. In 1899 it was rails
ed to $50 900, 900. Last June it was in
creased again. The funded debt in the
meantime has been increased from ST.
500 900 to SOS, 900, 600.
Just previous to it's purchase by the
Rock Island the Choctaw voted to expend
more than $13.09 600 in extensions and inn
provements. the connections to be made
with the Rock Island. The Choetaw. in
connecting with the Fort Worth and Den
yer City esta blishes a through route Civ
ing a new outlet from the southeast to Col
orado points. It was the plan of the Choc-
taw to eventually reach the Pacific coast.
Besides the value of the increased rail-
road facilities to be gained in the south
west by the entrance of the Rock Island
into St. Louis, new line opened to the
west via Kansas City. which will be COM
p1eted it is promised, by February. 1903.
The two big Missouri cities will then be
connected by the Rock Island. the Missouri
Pacific. the Alton. the Wabash and the
Burlington. Principally however. St. Louis
expects to divide Rock Island traffic from
the west to the east with Chicago and di-
vert from that city the bulk of Rock Is
land business now wholly going to it. The
meaning of this to the new st. Louis is
apparent.