The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-14
RAILROAD NEWS.
Interesting Story Of the Open
ing of Santa Fe Line.
How the First Excursion Ran
to RincOn, n. n.
1000 PEOPLE WEN
Brother of j. &. Coleman Was
at the Head.
A. A. Robinson Then Was Chief
1000 PEOPLE WENT.
A. A. Robinson Then Was Chief
Engineer of the Santa Fe.

]. C. Coleman, who is employed in
Cofran's iron foundry in this city, is
the possessor of a copy of Newman's
Semi-WeclSy. which was published in
Las Cruces. N. NJ. in the early eighties
The paDer. which is dated May 4. 1881.
contains several stories of interest. one
is "A story of the escape OF Billy the
Kid from his prison cell in Lincoln.
N. NJ. and of the offer OF several thou
sand dollars reward for his recaDture.
The other, the most interesting one. is
a story Of an excursion that the Atch-
ison, Topeka & Santa Fee railroad ran
from Las Cruces to Rincon. y. NJ. on
Sunday. May /. 1881. shortly after thar
road had extended its line into the
Aesilla VALLEY
Mr. j. g. Coleman, the possessor Of
the paper. came by it through his son.
who al the time OF the building Of the
road i'm that vicinity was a member of
the corps of civil engineers under his
uncle, X. r. Coleman, who is spoken
of i'm the article as tine chief or con-
Coleman are brothers. The former Is
employed in this city and the latter Is
still building railroads He is now a
railroad contractor in Prescott, Ariz.,
and according to last reports is working
on a contract for the Southern Pacific.
+. l.. Coleman. who was with his uncle
at the time of the building of the Santa
Fe in New Mexico. and who saved the
paper, which was printed just four
days after the excursion referred to
and in which the story of the excursion
appeared. is a son of J. G. Coleman, the
Topeka member of the Coleman family.
He was once a Rock Island conductor
running out of Topeka, but has since
moved to St. louis.
At the time referred to in the story
OF the excursion. A. a. Robinson, pres
ident of the Mexican Central railway
and resident of Topeka, was chief en-
gineer for the Santa Fe. That position
Is now occupied by Mr.. c. A. Morse /
who has his headquarters here. Many
changes have taken place since the time
the Santa Fe entered New Mexico.
Many of the men who took an active
part in the building of the road at that
time are now dead and gone and since
then the road has reached out until il
is now referred to as a transcOntinental
railroad. The road. which at that time
onl- covered a small territory, now
runs from Chicago, Ill. to San Fran
cisco. Cal.
The following is the story of the
santa Fe excursion printed in full:
The excursion on Sunday drew out the
largest gathering ever seen in the val
ley and the attendance would have beea
even larger had it occurred on any 9th
er day Under the circumstances the
selection of that particular day was I'M
avoidable. The work on the railroad is
belng pushed ahead with such energy
that on week days no interruption could
be allowed. Three hundred men could
not be kept idle and the work delayed
Tor any reason except lack of material
with which to proceed Even at the
grand celebration on the 18th. when the
people turned out en- masse to meet The
locomotive and welcome il to our town
the work of track laying was not inter-
rupted for a moment. The giant tor
poratlon which is reaching out across
the continent and Selling the commerce
of nations in its iron grasp cannot af-
ford to cease its work until that work
is accomplished. Hence it could only
offer our people the road and rolling
stock on a day when no retarding Of the
work would result, and the people must
either take their ride on Sunday or not
at all
Now it must be remembered that a
great part of the community had never
before seen a railroad. and a ride over
the rails at 30 miles an hour was a
treat not to be lightly refused Besides.
a large majority of our people are Cath
olics and look upon the Sabbath day as
n day OF recreation as well as of devO-
ton; and these needed no excuse as q
compromise with their consciences for
making a gala day Of last Sunday.
With this preface. or apology, if YOU
choose. we will proceed with our ac-
count of the excursion. Nine o'clock was
the hour announced for the departure Of
the train, but as early as six large
crowds began to gather at the GepOt
Every available vehicle was called into
requisitiOn and coaches. cabs, carriages
buggies. and even wagons were seen
hurrying around from street to street
and house to house. collecting their
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