The Topeka state journal., 1903-05-13
RAILROAD NEWS.
President YOakum Talks About
Rock Island Merger.
Sums Up the Situation in Just
Three Words.
is ga GREAT DEAL. -
Rock Island Now After a Line
Through Mexico.
Scope of the Plans Which Have
Been Made.
s "A GREAT DEAL. ;"

New York May BIB. F. Yoakum.
president of the St. Louis & san Fran
cisco, was. willing to discuss the trans
action for publication yesterday for the
drst time. He was pleased and referred
90 the sale as "a great deal" He said
that the consolidation of the two sys-
TENS was the logical outgrowth of their
Reogra phical position. 1t was natural
that they should be under a single con
troll, he said, and the men who domi-
nate the two companies, realizing this,
had kept at it until they had accom-
plished purpose pleasing to both
parties.
The Wall street Journal says: 1t is
reported In connection with the visit Of
President Yoakum Of the St Louis &
San Francisco railroad, to Mexico that
the Rock Island Frisco interests are
about to acquire the Mexican National
railroad, and that the Hartman syndi-
cate may dispose of the Mexican Inter
national to the same interests.
Railroad men are beginning to realize
that the acquisition Of the Frisco by the
Rock Island system is an important
step in carefully laid plan by the
McOres to connect the system with all
the important gateways northwest,
west south and southwest of Chicago
and thereby become one of the most
important factors in the traffic originat-
Ing from every point Of the compass in
abe territory west of Chicago.
In the development OF this plan the
Frisco plays an important part because
1T Will give the Rock Island system the
important gulf outlet at New Orleans
and makes certain connections between
Eateways which were needed to round
out the system.
The Rock Island system now has
territory west of the Mississippi river
which is fully 1 500 miles long and I 600
miles wide to draw from, and upon this
entire expanse of rapidly developing
country it has a comprehensive grasp.
Through its possession of terminals at
the Missouri gateways of Kansas City,
St Joseph and Omaha and the Missis-
sippi river gateways Of St. Paul, Mem
phis and St Louis. and by its posses
sion of terminals at Galveston ana
New Orleans. the Rock Island is IL
uositiOn to take the traffic of this
great expanse Of country, transport it
east through Chicago and st. Louis, or
through the Gulf ports as occasion
demands.
one Of the most important benefits to
be derived from possession Of the Frisco
is the connections its lines give the
Rock Island through both the Missouri
river and the Mississippi gateways with
the productive territory Of Indian Ter
ritory, Texas. Missouri Eastern Kansas
and Western Oklahoma 1t also let's tne
Rock Island into the rich coal fields
by means Of the line from Memphis to
RirminEham also giving through
line from the twin cities to New Orleans
and another through line from Chicago
to New Orleans as soon as the ST
Louis MemShis connection is made and
the proposed extension is built from
Birmingham to New Orleans.
AS the Eastern Illinois goes with the
Frisco this will give the Rock Island
short line between Chicago and St.
Louis. shoItens the line from Chicago
to Indian Territory and connects both
the lines of the Frisco and Rock Island
with Chicago through the st. Louis
gateway.
The amalgamation will also give the
Rock Island access to the lumber dis
tricts of Louisiana, Arkansas. eastern
Texas Mississippi and southern Mis-
souri, which are fast becoming the
principal source of supply supplanting
the nearly exhausted fields of Wisconsin
and Michigan.