Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-05-13
is GREAT SYSTEM
conprehensiveness of Plans for
Rock Island Road Are
Now Realized.
MADE CLEAR BY LATEST PURCHASE
Now Comprises $4,000 Miles OF
Lines Tapping a Vast
Territory.

Railroad men are beginning to re-
alize that the acquisition of the
Frisco by the Rock Island System is
an important step in a carefully laid
plan by the MOores to connect the
system with all the important gate
ways northwest, west, south and
southwest of Chicago, and thereby
become one of the most important
factors i'm the traffic originating from
every point of the compass in the ter
ritory west of Chicago.
In the development of this plan the
Frisco plays an important part be-
cause it will give the Rock Island
System the important gulf outlet at
New Orleans and makes certain con-
nections between gateways which
were needed to round out the system
Much Territory Reached.
\ glance at the map shows that no
question of traffic can now arise from
Minneapolis and St. Paul on the north
to Fl Paso and Texas common points
in the southwest, from the Pacific
coast through Denver or Fl Paso or
from the south through New Orleans
and Galveston in which the Rock ISL
and will not be an important factor
to be reckoned with.
The Rock Island System now has
territory west of the Mississippi river
which is fully 1900 Smiles long and
1000 miles wide to draw from. and
upon this entire eXpanse Of rapidly
developing country it has a compre
hensive grasp. Through its posses
sion of terminals at the Missouri
gateways of Kansas City. ST. Joseph
and Omaha and the Mississippi river
gateways of ST. Paul. Memphis and
St Louis and by its possession of ter
minals at Galveston and New Orleans
the Rock Island is in position to take
the traffic of this great eXpanse of
country and transport it east through
Chicago and st. Louis or through the
gulf ports as occasion demands.
Connections Important
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 aud Mississippi
river gateways with the productive
territory of Indian Territory, Texas.
Missouri, eastern Kansas and western
Oklahoma. 1t also let's the Rock ISL
and into the rich coal fields by means.
of the line from Memphis to Birming-
ham, also giving a through line from
Minneapolis and st. Paul TO New Or
leans and another through line from
Chicago 10 New Orleans as soon as
the ST. Louis-Memphis connection is
made and the proposed extension is
built from Birmingham to New Or
leans.
As the Eastern Illinois goes with
the Frisco this will give the Rock,
Island n short line between Chicago
and St. Louis. shortens the line from
Chicago to Indian Territory and con
meets both the lines of. the Frisco
and Rock Island with Chicago through
the st. Louis gateway The ANAL
gamation will also give the Rock ISL
and access to the lumber districts of
Louisiana. Arkansas, eastern Texas.
Mississippi and southern Missouri.
which are fast becoming the principal
source of supply, supplanting the
nearly exhausted fields of Wisconsin
and Michigan.
What the MOores Have Done.
When the Moores bought control of
the Rock Island il was a railroad with
between 5000 and 1000 miles of road
and a capitalization of $65,000,00O.
Today. when its connections are com
pletcd, it will be a system of about
$4,000 miles, with a capitalization of
$15O,OOO,OO0. The first step in the eN
pansion under the Moores was the
purchase of the Choctaw. Oklahoma
q Gulf with /, 100 miles of road. Next
came the purchase of the st. Louis,
Kansas City q Colorado, still under
construction. and adding about 500
miles. The third move was the pur-
chase of the Burlington, Cedar Rap
ids & Northern and Rock Island
Peoria. with their 1900 miles of road.
A half interest was next purchased in
all the Texas lines of the Southern
Pacific, giving the Rock Island 1000
additional miles of track. The fourth
move is the acquisition of the Frisco.
which is practically a system of 5000
miles.