Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-02-07
HOT TRAFFIC ALLIANCE.
Between Santa re and Rock Island
OMctaIly CunIfrrcd.

rumored Santa re Rock Island trnffic
alliance. says the TOPEKA State Jour.
mai January 81
The Santa Fe VIII build e0.mlle
line from Dodge city to Liberal Kan.
connecting the Santa Fe main liue
with the Rock leland main tine Sur.
veyors arc now in the hl,i working on
this line
From Liberal to some point in New
Mexico. where the new Santa Re cut
OF crosses the Rock Island distance
Of about $50 miles the Santa Fe will
use the Rock Island tracks
From the Santa Fe Rock Island juno
ton to the Pacific coast. the Rock Isl
and will use the Santa Pc tracks.
That part Of the Santa Fe's New
Mexico cut on which was to be built
east Of the Rock Island junction In
New Mexico will no, be constructed.
The plan for rebuilding the Santa
Fes Pecos Valley lines, and the Pan.
handle division will come to naught.
for the through trGflc OF The Santa Fe
Will not he sent south through WITCH
tia Wellington and Alva. hut will 20
west from Newton 10 Hutchinson
Kinsley and Dodge City. thence south
on the proposed new line to Liberal
When asked whether or not the
Rock Island has secured any voice In
Santa Fe affairs by means Of purchase
Of stock. Mr. Nudge said:
THAT is something which know
nothing az all abount. All know 10
that AZ present It is the plan to build
our lire south FROM Dodge City. in
stead of making our main line over the
Panhandle as was contemplated"
viii the proposed Santa Fe cut OF
IN New Mexico be built east of its
junction with the Rock Island!"
That point has not been fully deter.
miend"
The fact that the Santa Fe had sur
veyors in the field south OF Dodge City
vas reported exclusively some time
ago in the State Journal The Santa
Fe officials at that time denied all
knowledge of the work. and said that
the surveyors must be working for the
/
opment, II may be that the officials
told the truth, and that the surveyors
were working for the Rock Island as
much as for the Santa Fe.
The contamination OF the Santa Fe
alliance With the Rock Island is a deal
Of immense importance. the outcome
of which can not be easily foreseen at
fhie time II NAV cigp,fv that ,ha htx
movement N Santa Fe stock. reported
several weeks ago. in which nearly
500, 0C0 shares were transferred, was
due 10 TIE attempt Of the Rock Island
20 obtain Santa Fe foothold The
reports OF this kind are denied by
President Ripley, who Is the official
chiefly concerned with the financial
future Of che company.
The Santa Fc and Rock Island have
for some time been on the verge of a
serious conflict, and the consumma-
ton of the traffic alliance has been
brought about, it Is believed. by the
fear that such a conflict might result
disastrously to both roads. "Comblna-
ton is better than competition" mas
| uttu tHt hty ~ Alt ltllCdte IL
On its part. the Rock Island is no.
satisfied with its FL Paso route to The
coast. It has been suspicious of the
Southern Pacific which Is a Hartman
line. and not disposed to be friendiJ
With Harriman's rivals. Consequently
the Rock Island has been boldly PLAZA.
Mig for a new line of its own to The
Pacific coast, The natural place for a
new line would he between the Santa
re and the Southern Pacific, probably
paralleling the Santa Fe. This was
the club which the Rock Island held
menacingly over the Santa Fe.
| There is reason to believe that for
some tine the Santa Fe has decided
to abandon its proposed new line via
the Pc " Valley road and the new
cut off II was surprise when only
a portion of the proposed line was con-
tracted for. Then care a rumor that
surveyors were working for the Santa
Fe south of Dodge City. This rumor
was denied by Santa Fee officials here.
These moves on the part OF the Santa
Fe now show clearly its purpose. II
was making ready TO threaten the
Rock Island with parallel line from
Dodge City to the New Mexico juno.
ton
Each road therefore threatened the
other with parallel line alorg a por.
ton OF its territory. The only logical
result is trafiic alliance. with a mu.
tual concession Of trackage rights.
Whether the traffic alliance of the
Santa FL and Rock Island will develop
into merger is something which only
the fnanciers who head the rival insti-
tutions are in position to know. IL
Is not lisely, however. that any actual
merger OF the two properties under
one management will be carried out
Tor the present. The Santa Fe stock Is
scattered among so many stockholders
that II rs difficult to corral. while the
Rock Island is owned by the Moores,
who annarpntlV haVa No intapfIo, ~