Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-12
PROSPECTS GOOD FOR CUTOFF
Promised Link Connecting Rock Island
Divisions Looms Up Hopefully.
OMAHA BUSINESS MEN BEHIND PROJECT
Proposition H. Laid Before Managing
OmcIals Of Road, who Will
Present IL to Board
of Directors.

The prospects for the construction Of a
portion OF the Rock Island railroad through
southern Nebraska and northern Kansas to
connect the lines Of this state and the main
line to Chicago from Council Bluffs with
the southern branch Of the system are
brighter now than for many years.
The matter has been suggested to the
manager OF the railroad many ines by the
Omaha Commercial club and other business
organizations of the state, whose members
desire to reach the trade in Oklahoma,
Texas and southern Kansas. and since the
Rock Island has projected It's road into
New Mexico, with a probable southwestern
outlet to the Pacific coast, the connection
between the northern and southern
divisions Of the road Is still more desirable.
superintendent Cable Of the southern
division was in Omaha this week and Sec
rotary UT Of the Commercial club took the
matter up with him. showing him the ad-
vantage which the road would derive
through the construction Of a COMPARE
lively short line which would connect the
two systems west OF the Missouri river.
While nothing definite was said by the SUI
perintendent, he gave the secretary OF the
club to understand that the matter would
be presented to the directors of the COM
pany for their consideration.
VIII Break Tourist Records.
According to railroad men all indica-
lions this spring point to the heaviest
tourist travel throughout the country that
has ever been known, not only With re-
spect to American travel, but also the
transatlantic travel.
All Of the western roads are receiving
new passenger equipment in large quanti-
ties and they are making every preparation
possible to meet the increased demand on
their facilities. That they have little fear
Of their ability to do so Is evidenced by
their summer rates, which are as low and,
in some instances. lower than those of
previous years. despite the valiant promise
for tourist travel.
P. Simons Of the Hamburg-American
Steamship line was in the city yesterday
and said: Never before in the history Of
the transatlantic steamship lines has the
travel eastward been so heavy. 1t is al
most impossible to secure a cabin on the
fast boats for any sailing prior to July L.
A peculiar fact in regard to this increase
is that It is almost wholly from the west.
The westerners have seen almost all of their
country except the east and that they are
going to see as a part OF their trip and then
they will go on through the tourist places
OF Europe. Few of them will stray out Of
the beaten line Of tourist tracks, but they
will benefit by the journey and come home
happy and with a fuller knowledge Of Eng
land, Germany and France. A great many
who are planning to go across this year
will not do so, as they will be unable to
secure passage, as there Is not opportunity
for more than a limited lumber to go. This
country is beginning to appeal to the Euro
epans too. The immigration into this coun-
try will run close to 1000, 900 this year
and not nxar IN mn Mill avor 90 hooLr 20 fha
old country, so the country Is to secure
a great increase in population and Europe
will be drained of a surplus of the poorer
Glasses that they are Unable to take care
Of, as the countries are too crowded to
support any more than they have and are
pushed to do that"
Railway Notes and Personals.
H.. Marley, southwestern passenger agent
for the Michigan Central, Is In the city.
Dan Cuzzens, travelling freight agent for
the Rock Island. arrived in town yesterday
morning.
w. H. Cundy, travelling passenger agent
for the Denver & Rio Grande, was in town
Friday.
G. A. Goodnell. general manager of the
Rock Island, passed through Omaha yes
terday on his way to Chicago from the
coast.
General Passenger Agent Lomax of the
Union Pacific, left for San Francisco yes
terday. Mr.. Lomax will be absent for
two weeks on the coast and will be in at
tendance at the Transcontfnental Passen-
ger association meeting at Portland next
week,
The Chicago q Northwestern sent fifty
five Austrian laborers out to Logan, Ia,
yesterday to work on the new grade in
that vicinity. This gang of laborers has
been in the employ OF the company for the
last two years and is considered one of
the best that they have. Wherever posi-
BILE the company uses Austrians for its
track work, as they ave been found 20
be much better than the Greeks and Ital-
fans, who were wont to soldier whenever
possible, while these Austrians can hardly
be made to quit work.