The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-22
Finally Chosen as Official Route
for g. A. Il.
Commander Smith Had No End
of Trouble.
WOULD NOT COMPETE.
Santa Fe Refused to Engage in
Rate Cutting.
Road Will Not Give
Amy Free Tickets.

At last it is announced. The official
route of the G. A. r. to the National
encampment at San Francisco is the
Rock Island. Some weeks ago the
State Journal reported that the Rock
Island was the most likely candidate,
and finally, the rumor is confirmed.
But the Rock Island won't do any,
thing for the old soldiers so far as free
transportation is concerned. The Rock
Island officials say they are not even
going to give transportation to the To-
cal representa- ives of the G.. A. r. in
the various towns of the state who
stir UP the old soldiers and get then,
to go on the excursion to the coast.
Department Commander Smith exs
erted every energy to induce some
competition between the Rock Island
and Santa F'e for the endorsement as
official route. He tried to get them to
bid against each other so that lot
OF old soldiers in the state would have
a chance to ride free to San Francisco
and cut each others rates as they
sometimes do. They merely said
Here, gentlemen, are our rates and
our special trains. They are as near
which you want"
Commander Smith had a long con-
sultation with w. J. Black, general
passenger agent for the Santa Fe Tues
Qdy dIlOIHOOn- NOInlnR new developed
at that conference. Tuesday night he
had the Rock Island officials in confer
ence with him at his office at the state
house. AT that conference the deal was
arranged and the Rock Island was
given the endorsement Commander
Smith and his staff will use the Rock
Island from Kansas to the coast. The
train will go to Colorado Springs on
Rock Island tracks, thence to Grand
Junction on the Colorado Midland.
Grande, thence to San Francisco on the
Southern Pacific.
AS an evidence that he has no very
strong reason for favoring the Rock Is
land, Commander Smith issued an order
today recommending that old soldiers
going to the reunion go out west over
the Rock Island and back over the San
ia Fe. The Santa Fe will get much
longer haul than the Rock Island under
this proposed arrangement.
When asked this morning as to what
concessions the Rock Island had made,
Commander Smith was inclined to wax
wroth. He said emphatically:
''Concessionsi They wouldn't give us
a thing. They just got down behind that
blasted E.l6ins law, and wouldn't do
thing. They even say they won't do
anything for the solicitors who work UP
the crowd for them in the towns all
along the line. l did all could to get
something for the boys. There are lot
close circumstances, financially, who
ought to go to this encamDment. and
who would be able to go if it wasn't
for the fact that the railroads say they
are afraid to go up against the Elkins
law. The law has never been tested, but
the railroads won't test it. They say
they are afraid of it,
w ]. Black, general passenger agent
for the Santa Fe. said:
THE Santa Fe has not made tight
for this appointment We will run our
special train to San Francisco, and ex-
pect to have all we can do. 1t is per
fectly agreeable to us not to be the Off
ciaI route. The department commander
will state in his order that he recon-
mends that the Santa F'e be used by the
G. A r. men for the return trip.
The rate for the round trip to San
Francisco is S45, and small extra fee
for return via Portland. The Santa Fe
will no doubt haul great many OF the
old soldiers, and there is no extra fee
for returning that way, unless the ex-
cursionists Want to take in the Grand
Canyon, in which case it will cost $3.50