The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-13
TO RE0RGANIzE
OLD COMPANY
Was Action Takenby Business
Men Last Night
ELECTS NEW DIRECTORS
Committee Appointed to Make
Necessary Arrangements
FOR SOUTHEAST ROAD
Report of COmmitteeAppointed
Last Week Mas Not Accepted
FOR SOUTHEAST ROAD

A mass meeting Of business men and
citizens of Wichita was held in the
council chamber last night under the
auspices of the Chamber Of Commerce
and the Commercial club, to talk over
the matter of building railroad into
the Indian Territory coal fields The
committee appointed at the meeting last
Tuesday night reported, but its report
was not adopted, and instead a commit
tee Of six business men was appointed to
confer with the directors Of the Wichita
and Southeastern railway regarding the
reorganization of this company and the
selection of a new board of directors
When the meeting was called to order
by c. L. Davidson, president of the
Chamber of Commerce. Mr.. Kos Harris,
chairman of the special railroad commit
tee, reported on the progress the com
mittee had made with the business at
hand. He stated that they had prepared
q charter which contemplated a road
built west of the river and touching We'll
nngton and Geuda Springs and on south
ward to the state line and into Oklahoma
and the Indian Territory to the McAles-
ter coal fields. This charter also allowed
them TO build a line through Sedgwick,
Butler and Cowley counties and thence
into the coal fields of the Usage Nation.
This would give the directors of the
company a choice of two routes to the
same field.
The committee recommended a direct
DRY of Wichita business men as follows:
J. H. Stewart ]. F. Swartz, Frank
Woods, c. L. Davidson. c. w South
ward. L. s. Naftzger, ]. S. Jarks. A.
Van Zandt, Theo. Griffith and c. E.
Potts.
The directory was to apply for char
ter as outlined, and as soon as this was
received they were to begin work secur
ing the right of way and subsidies for
the company. Thirty thousand dollars
IN terminal bonds and 5000 per mile is
the amount which any company would
ask. Mr. Harris believed that as soon
as this was accomplished there would
be plenty of capital knocking at the door
TO build the line, and 1t was more than |
likely that sooner or later some railroad |
would purchase the road.
Under the new law it would cost S52S |
TO secure a charter. and Mr. Harris esti- |
mated that it would require about $500
20 vote the bonds and make the prelim-
inary arrangements for the work, and
this money, of course, was to be raised
among the Wichita business men.
When his report had been concluded
Mr.. r. L. Holmes arose and made his
statement regarding the existing Wich-
Eta and Southeastern railway, which had
lately concluded a contract with east
ern parties for building a line into the
same territory. Mr. Holmes stated that
this company was organized a number of
years ago and had already procured a
charter for practically the same route as
one of those mapped out by Mr.. Harris.
and this company had now secured some
thing tangible from capitalists which
seemed to assure the building Of the line.
Major Wambaugh Of St Louis had agreed
20 deposit SIS, 600 to be used in securing
the subsidies from this city to the state
line. and a letter received last night an
nounced that the money would be deposit
ed within a very few days. a month
sooner than the contract allowed. Mr..
Holmes further stated that the company
W hich owned the charter was expecting
20 begin work as soon as this money
was put up. and he could not see why
the Wichita business men would want to
organic another company which could
sfot help being in some respects antagon-
tftic 10 the Older company, would require
the expenditure of considerable money
ssor a charter, and have two propositions
Utmost identical Both companies would
ffar n he pfrfzans Of N-iohsto
Jas a result of this speech, Mr. Holmes
naoved a substitute to the motion to
adopt the report OF the committee that
smother committee Of i've be appointed
20 confer with the directors Of the old /
company and come to some sort of an
agreement which would look toward the |
amalgamation Of the two interests and |
all work for one road and not divide the /
strength of the city. This motion |
brought out a heated discussion from |
some OF the advocates of both PROPOSE |
lions. in which several persons present |
talked.a whole lot and said nothing more |
than wrangling. and things began TO look |
like the meeting was a Ions distance |
from harmonious one. Several sugges-
tons were made. however. which rather |
cooled things down and after nearly an 1
hours talking the vote was taken on the /
substitute and it was carried unanimous /
ly- Mr.. Davidson appointed the follow |
ing on the committee: r. l. Holmes. 1
Kos Harris. J. II. Stewart. c. E. Potts. 4
Frank Swsrtz. On motion Of Mr.. Holmes 4
Mr.. Davidson himself was made a mem
Der Of this committee.
These gentlemen are to meet with the i
directors OF the Wichita and Southeast
era Railway company and see what ar
rangements can be made to reorganize
the directory Of this company. and thus
only one company work in this city.
The directors of the old company seem
perfectly willing TO have a reorganiza-
ton and the directors be selected among
the business men OF this city
The committee which reported last
night was continued and the motion TO
adjourn until next Friday evening car
ried, when the new committee is 10 re-
port the result OF their conference with
the directors.
Some one called for the report OF the
committee appointed last week regard