Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-06-02
IN THE WEST
Financiers Expect Great increase
in Population in Next
Thirty Years.
ROCK ISLAND EXPANSION EVIDENCE
of the Big System Are
Considered Almost Linn
iIless.

The rapid expansion Of the Rock ISL
and System in two years from a com
pany with little over 5000 miles of
lines to an immense system of nearly
1000 miles is a most conspicuous eX-
ample of the tremendous faith leaders
in the railroad and financial worlds
have of the future of the country.
Yves tern consultations of recent
years have been based upon the be
lief that within the next so years
the territory west of the Missouri
river will be as densely populated in
its fertile regions as are the eastern
states at the present time. This be
ing the case, western roads have but a
few years in which to prepare for the
greatest commercial and industrial de
velopment in the history of the coun-
try.
The census bureau has estimated
that in 1885 the population of the
United States will be between 49,
100000 and 160.OOO.OOO. This means
that when the time arrives the terri
tory west of the Mississippi will be as
thickly settled as in the state of New
York, leaving the city of New York
out of account. 1t is difficult to real
ize what this would mean to western
railroads in the way of traffic, so
great are the possibilities. Undoubted
ly the Rock Island expansion is based
on a belief in the correctness of the
census bureaus estimated growth of
the country.
Has Important Gateways.
Starting with Chicago as the great
central point, therefore, the Rock ISL
and has been Fastening to establish
itself at the important traffic gate
ways of the present and the future
and to establish lines of intercom-
between them. The com
pany now is firmly intrenched at the
Missouri river gateways of Omaha.
Kansas City and St. Joe, at the Missis
sippi river gateways of st. Paul, St.
Louis and Memphis, at the gulf port
of Galveston, and soon will be at
New Orleans. and at the two main
western gateways of Denver and III
Paso. The traffic gateways are inn
portant to the success of railroads
as is the possession of fortified
strategic points to country in time
of war.
The Rock Island now apparently has
a comprehensive grasp upon the traf-
tic gateways west of Chicago, and has
placed itself in position To accept a
generous portion of the traffic from
the northwest, the west and the
southwest and to turn il by means of
the Chicago, st. Louis and Memphis
gateways to the markets of the east
or toy handle il through its gulf port.
whichever course may appear from
time to time To be for the best inter-
ests of its patrons and itself.
Mather Explains.
Robert Mather. vice president of
the Rock Island, has explained to the
Texas authorities why his company
bought half interest in the Texas
lines of the Southern Pacific. He
said THE Rock Island is essentially
a north and south system and the de
of the system is toward u
of the traffic from the
north to the south and vice versa.
The territory from which the com
pany draws its business extends from
the great lakes TO the gulf and from
the Mississippi river to the Rocky
1t is essentials therefore,
that our system have adequate entry
and facilities at the gulf ports of
Texas. BY our latest acquisition we
gain access to two gulf ports.
The Southern Pacific, from which
an interest in these lines has been
is essentially an east and
west system, transporting products
between the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts, and the lines l speak of were
not essential to the plan upon which
the Southern Pacific is constructed.
Because these lines are of much more
to the Rock Island than
the Southern Pacific it has been ar
ranged that the Rock Island shall Sc
lect their presidents"