Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-05-09
the SANTA FE CUTOFF.
6lveS SOME GOOD REASONS.

dispatch from syracuse. Kan,
under date Of May S. says:
The proposed Santa Fe Southwest
cut'off Is attracting considerable at.
tention in the papers these days and
there are as mrny different terminals
mentioned in connection herewith as
there are towns between Syracuse and
Dodge CITY. The fact that one OF tho
civil engineers OF the road has rented
a room in Dodge City has convinced
everybody with foot OF property
there that the new cutoff will leave
the main line AZ that point. II seems.
however. that the engineer has estab.
lisfed his Office at Dodge City because
that Is the division superintendent's
headquarters. and because he has con
siderable work IN this division aside
from surveying for a cutoff. There is
a hill Just east OF Dodge City that
needs pairing down considerably before
the grade there will be satisfactory to
the officials who superintend the ope-
ration Of the road. Mr.. Jones Is to
oversee this work and that is probably
his business there at this time. This
Goes not conform TO the cherished
hopes OF ,he Did town but II Is the
reasonable and practical view OF the
case. Furthermore. II is a fact that IL
Engineer Jones had orders to survey a
new route from Garden City. I.akin or
Syracuse he would establish an OF.
fee at division headquarters.
Up to this time two routes appear to
have been looked over. Several
months ago a surveying party struck
out southwest from Dodge City, and
were heard from in Gray. Haskell and
Stevens counties. The Syracuse route
was examined three weeks ago when q
party of routing engineers reached
here from the southwest. As the
country offers no serious obstacle to
railroad construction from either place
nothing would be gained by selecting
a point that Ia not already a division
point on the main line of the road
Hence II resolves itself
First. into a question of distances 70
some converging point in Beaver coun.
~. Oklahoma. or New Mexico.
Second, into a question o. local sup
port or patronage which will naturally
tributary to II.
The new line according to reports OF
the preliminary survey. will cross the
Cimarron river about twenty miles
east Of Kenton, or say thirty miles
east of the New Mexico boundary line
Taking ther this crossing on the Gin.
arron as the converging point OF the
Syracuse and Dodge City surveys. a
rough computation Of the distance to
Syracuse by section lines is $50 miles
while to Dodge City the distance "a
the same point is 240 miles by section
lines, In angling across the distances
would be reduced considerably. OF
course. but the fact still remains tina,
while Syracuse Is sixty-two miles east
NJ the 1exas.New Mexico line, Dodge
City is 15S miles east of the same line
At the least calculation the Syracuse
line would be seventy-five miles short
or to the main line than ny way OF
Dodge City.
Southwest from Dodge City for fifty
miles new railroad would run paral
lei to the Rock Island and only a few
miles from II. To the north Is a range
OF sand hills and the main line OF the
Santa Fe. For fifty miles the strip Of
land which would furnish business FOL
the new road would not average ovel
eighteen in width. While from Svra
cuse southwest the new road would
/ open up the greatest grazing lands
where $4,000 cattle are awaiting ar
outlet to market and where the ranch
es are now freighting supplies for dis
tances OF rs to 100 miles. A road from
Syracuse southwest would find large
local business awaiting 1t which is nov
divided between three roadside San
Ia Fe on the north. the Rock Island
on the east and the Colorado South
ern on the south.
Syracuse is now growing over hei
prospects OF being made a junction
point for a new southwest cut-off. bu
is content 20 abide the time when sucf
a line shall have been detern ined on
When that time arrives Syracuse will
be prepared to establish her claims n
being the most favorably situated o
any town on the main line for such
junction. The same consideration
which have caused the ranchmen from
as far southwest as Kenton. Oklaho
ma. and intermediate places to freigh
from Syracuse for twenty years pas
will have due weight In establishing
route for a new railroad across TN
country.