The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-08
RAILROAD NEWS.
President Ripley Returns From
His Illustrating Trip.
Did Not Stop Over to Visit
Topeka.
WIGGIN FERRY DEAL.
Says the Santa Fe Has Not OPP
posed Rock Island.
Santa Fe Not Buying Up Okla
hOma Lines.
WIGGIN FERRY DEAL.

BrOnzed in complexion, of vigorous
action and clear in voice President II.
p Ripley of the Santa Fe was at the
depot Wednesday afternoon and be-
tween whiffs at his cigar discussed rail
road topics with an ease that showed
his eight hours horseback riding and
golf playing every day at his winter
home in southern California have not
detected him from his business Pres
ident Ripley was on his return to New
York from Santa Barbara. Cal. where
he has been spending several months
When asked about the reported
struggle between the Santa Fe and
Rock Island for st. Louis terminals
ending last week when the latter road
secured the st. Louis, Kansas City &
Colorado line and the Virgins Ferry
property President Ripley denied that
there ever had been any fight between
the two systems or their representa-
tives for securing the same Ihere
never was any struggle between tne
Santa Fe and Rock Island, to my
knowledge. All I know about that IS
what 1 saw in the newspapers; and /
don't even know that the Rock Island
has made any such move as is credited
to it, though L presume that is correct.
We are not trying to secure any line
of our own into St. Louis and have not
been, because we already have an ar
rangement whereby our business be-
tween Kansas City and St. Louis can
be carried cheaply enough
HAS there been an effort on the part
of the Santa Fe to take in the ChoctaW
and Northern and other Oklahoma
rOads2"
we already have our lines into that
country and are extending all the time.
I suppose that the acquisition of the
Choctaw and Northern by the Rock Isl
and is a valuable one and in line with
the general idea of that road. But the
extension of the Rock Island viii not
interfere with our business in any way.
Il I'LL. y,
western railroads for the last three or
four years has not been to secure new
lines or to get more business, but to
find a way in which that they already
had could be taken care of. The
carrying trade has been something very
heavy. The orange crop of California
was a little short this year, but the
vegetation along the line is freSher than
I had supposed it would be from the re-
ports. The wheat in Kansas looks a
little brown, and may have been IN
jured somewhat, but it seems to me
there viii stin be a large crop. 1t ap-
pears to be rather dry in New Mexico,
but otherwise the condition of vegeta-
ton all along the road seems to be
fine.
President Ripley says that the use of
oil as a fuel on the California and
Texas lines Of the Santa Fe is highly
successful. There is nothing different
in the situation though" said he, from
what there was twelve years ago when
we first began using it, except of course
its use has been extended We are run
ming Oil-burning engines as far east as
Seligman, Ariz., and find it a cheap
fuel. OF course its use on the lines in
this locality will never come about I'M
less the oil is discovered here. But for
those of California and Texas we find
it ever so much cheaper than coal
shipped from other places.
when I went to California a few
months ago I was not we'll" said he
but now I am feeling fine I have my
stenOgra pher with me and carry on my
business all the time. I put in the
time every day from 10 to 6 riding
horseback and playing golf
President Ripley Travelled in his pri-
vate car, PIG, and with him was his
family He viii stop off in Chicago two
days, and thence will go to New York.
He takes much interest in matters
brought to his attention while making
the trip across the country, and
Wednesday afternoon as the train
pulled out he went to the rear platform
of his car and leaning out over the rail-
ing viewed with close attention the To-
peka shops and the extensions that are
being made. He says that the improve
ments which the company will make on
the western lines of the road are i'm
portant, referring particularly to those
of the mechanical department at Point
Richmond, San Bernardfno The
Needles and Albuquerque.