The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-11
When the Santa Fe Was Build
ing in the West.
Former Railroad Man Talks of
Early Days.
GREAT CHANGES MADE.
Country Has Witnessed Many
Improvements.
The Story of a Western Deyel-
Opment Company.
The Denver Republican says:

The Denver Republican says:
Harold R. Weldon, a Chicago attorney
at one time connected with the Santa
Fe Railroad company, is stopping at the
Windsor hotel. Mr.. Weldon is away
from his business on a trip through the
west This IS the first time that he has
been in Denver since the early days of
railroad building IN the west. He said
yesterday that he was astonished to
see the changes which the whole coun-
try west Of Kansas City had undergone
since his visit to Colorado in the early
eighties.
Whenever [ come out west over the
Santa F'e,'' said Mr.. Weldon, Il always
remember the first trip L made out to
this country and its purpose. was a
young man and looking to make a
strike of some kind in speculation. This
was what brought me in connection
with the Santa Fe company.
I shall never forget one morning
when 1 came down the word had been
passed down the line in the Santa Fe
office in Chicago that an extension of
the road was to be built at once from
Dodge City, Kas., TO Edgewood, and il
was good chance to make a pile OF
money.
Little time was lost in forming a de-
Velopment company. Clerks, friends
and even heads of departments put
money into the company, and we were
bound to get everything that was worth
having at EdgeWOOd when the railroad
arrived in the town. 1 was selected to
go down there with the money and take
options on everything that looked to be
worth anything. That was my first
visit to the west. 1t IS nearly 80 miles
from Dodge City to EdgeWOOd and 1
had to traverse this distance by stage.
1 had a draft for $4,000, but it took
a good deal of cunning to get hold of
the property, for the people out west in
those days We're all pretty suspicious,
and as soon as they saw one man buy
ing up lot Of property they at once
wanted to know the reason. When I goI
to EdgeWOOd l succeeded in getting 100
acres of land where 1 thought the depot
would probably be built. L put up $100
for a six months option on this land.
The next thing [ got hold of was the
hotel. There was only one hotel in the
town. but this was a money maker, and
] figured that we could make a good,
neat little sum out of the hotel from the
Spectators who would come after me
to get a good thing.
When 1 prepared to go back to Chi
cago 1 had spent about $1,000 of the
money which / had. and the people
knew that something was wrong They
had never heard of one man coming out
from Chicago and trying to buy up the
whole town. People refused to give me
an option at any figure unless [ would
L
OF everything. l thought that 1 would
make one last effort to get hold of the
best store in town. This was a general
store and did a good business. When I
approached the owner he told me that
he would sell out for $500, but he
would not give me an option I decided
to take the store. We had the papers
all made out and were about to sign
when I demanded that his wife put her
signature on the transfer, too. He spoke
to her. but she refused to allow the
place to be sold for less than $4,000. I
was very much put out at this. but the
proprietor of the store, realizing that he
had made a bargain and was now GO
ing back on it. did his best to satisfy
me. He brought out some of the best
wine that 1 have ever tasted and kept
me supplied with this until I left the
town. I agreed to pay $1,000. Then his
wife changed her mind again, and be-
fore I got away from that town the
price of that store had risen to 81 500
'All of a sudden I received word from
Chicago that the directors of the COM
pany had held a special meeting and
that the extension of the road had been
declared off for at least another year I
can tell you 1 felt pretty blue had
spent over $1,000 and there was no
chance of getting any OF it back
Following the letter from Chicago
came special messenger from Dodge
I
/ He had been given instructions TO find
me at once at any cost The telegram
notified me that my friends at home
+ had sent word to the local spectators
at Dodge City that the railroad was
about to be extended to EdgewoOd. /
was given instructions to unload every
thing that I had purchased upon them
1 if [ could do it. Several men came that
day from Dodge City and at once
r recognized that I was down there for
the road. To them that only strength
lened the report that the company was
about to build. They implored me to
give them some show, Go give them Just
a chance This I did and heartily They
gladly gave me $4,000 for the options
which l had secured for $1,000. These
4 represented at least 500 600 worth of
property. After unloading I at once
+ left for Chicago, thinking that had
done pretty well to get out of had
4 fix so easily. Less than two years at
ter this the Santa Fe did build to Edge
wood. but from another point. The
+ Dodge City investors held on to their
purchases and owned nearly everything
in the town. They made lots of money.
but the company employees. who had
the inside information, made nothing
but what I cleared up before left
TO CONSOLIDATE