The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-05
BIG DEAL is ON.
City Railway and VinewOOd Line
to Be Made Into One.
Either Be a Consolidation or
Straight Out Purchase.
THE WORK is STOPPED.
VinewoOd People Suddenly Sus-
pend Operations in City.
President Baker fCity Railway
Is Gone.
DETAILS In MYSTERY.
Every One Connected With
Negotiations Is Silent.
Believed That Details Have Been
Nearly Completed.
VinewoOd People Suddenly Sus-
pend Operations in City.
President Baker of City Railway
Is Gone.
DETAILS In MYSTERY.
Every One Connected With
Negotiations Is Silent.
Believed That Details Have Been
Nearly Completed.

Information has leaked out which in
dicates clearly that a deal is pending
between the Topeka City railway and
the Topeka & Viaewood Park railway
for a settlement of the impending street
railway war.
Details of the pending negotiations are
not known An official of one of the
companies said today: within a few
days we expect to be able to announce
that the atmosphere is cleared and that
there will be no fight between the COM
panies."
A member of the city council said to-
day: ..The proposed extensions of the
Vfnewood Park railway will never be
built. The Vinewood Park road wants
the franchise for the purpose of bluffing
the city railway. 1 believe that the
bluff will win. too. The Vinewood COM
pany is owned by spectators who will
be glad to sell out if they can get their
price
The recent visit of f. w. Wilson.
owner of the Vinewood Park road, and
i. E. Myers, his chief lieutenant, to To
peka, is believed to have been for the
express purpose of laying before the
city railway plans for a compromise or
some sort. 1t is also known that the
president of the American Electric COM
pany was also here
The settlement may take the form of
a consolidation of the companies, ana
the organization of an entirely new
company to take over the holdings of
the present corporations. In that case,
the VinewCOd Park road would get the
valuable franchise OF the Topeka City
railway, and the city railway would get
some money to improve its line. &
he ia hn IA
Vinewood Park road is simply trying
to buy the city railway outright. This
rumor meets with ready acceptance be-
cause Of the display of financial re-
sources which the VinewoCd owners
have made since they commenced tc
build their Topeka line. The people
who are closest to the MANAGEMENT of
the VineWOOd road have always en-
deavored to create the impression that
the road has millions of dollars back OF
1t if necessary, and they do not discour-
age the idea that the natural outcome
of events is for the city railway to sell
out.
There are reasons to believe, however
that the Vinewood road is playing q
deeper game than this. Hints have beer
given out by Mr. Wilson of a Kansas
City survey, and it would not be sur
prising if the Vinewood line would de-
vote its attention to the Kansas City
Topeka end Of it's enterprise, and make
a traffic alliance of some sort with the
Topeka railway so that it can use the
Topeka railway tracks.
1t is admitted on all sides that the 4
IS no room for two street car lines III
Topeka. One of the two must go to the
wall Nor is it at all surprising that
competition has sprung up against tie
Topeka City railway, which allowed its
track and equipment to get into such
BAD shape that it has for years been
totally inadequate to answer the needs
of the town. The Vinswood Park road
it,
any difficulty because people thought
that anything would be better than the
city railway lines.
1t is considered very improbable thar
any of the long extensions proposed by
the NineWOCd company will be built
although unless the cOmDa MES do ger
together in a combine of some sort. thu
Ninewood company will have to so
through all the motions Of preparation
in order. to make good its bluff
SOME PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCE
There are several other things whicn
indicate that a deal is pending between
the two companies which will have a
radical effect on the situation
All of the track laying which the Vine
wood company has been doing in the
city has suddenly ceased. 1t stopped
without warning about the time thar
President Wilson came to ToueLa and
had bis conference with President Baker
Of the City railway The reason as
signed was that the supply of ties has
run out. The entire gang of men war
set to work completing the line east cf
town. The lack of ties is believed to ba
merely an excuse It indicates strOngl-
that there is something being discussed
which Will obviate the necessity of any
further track laying in Topeka. bl,r
which. will not affect the Vinewood road
toward Kansas City.
Another incident worth noting is tha,
TIE two Injunction suits against the City
rsilway and the one Injunction sui,
against the Vinewood company. fleG
some weeks agO in regard to the East
Fifth street controversy, have both been
allowed TO sleep on undisturbed. They
very likely would have been still sluu
bering if Judge Hazen had not taken a
hand in the affair. and insisted that thev
come to trial Immediately The atto~.
neys are therefore preparing to trv the
cases tomorrow morning at 9 O'Clock
President c. c. Baker of the CITY
railway IS out of town. and NAV be
having conference somewhere in the
east with the owners Of the Vinewoo-
Park road or the stockholders of tn.
City railway. His presence In Topeka a,
this time, when the injunction suits ars
to be tried. would be considered neces.
sary unless some very important mat
ters required his attention in some othe,
town
MEETING TONIGHT
Everything on the surface is the sam,
as ever The lawyers are busily at worl
preparing their papers and evidence 70
the trial of the three railway injunction
suits which are scheduled to come II
in the district court. These fnjunT--
suits involve the question of Whethe
the city railway or the Vinewood lin