The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-01
TWO ROADS
AXE NEEDED
To Carry Grain From This
Section Through Nat
uraI Channel.
FOR EXPORT SHIPMENTS
Wichita Is Considering Propo-
sitions From Two Companies.

Wichita is now considering propositions
! for two railroads to be built from the
| Kansas wheat fields to the natural ex-
port shipping point, the Gulf OF Mexico.
Within the past few years the tonnage
OF grain and grain products has increased
wonderfully and there is no reason why
the greater part of all the grain pro-
duced in the middle west and the pro-
ducts manufactured from grain should
not be shipped 10 foreign countries
through the various gulf ports. One
thing that prevents this is a lack of trans
portation facilities. More grain and grain
products would go TO Europe from the
southern ports If the products could
reach the ports. One road could not carry
all the grain that would naturally so
to the Gulf
Within few days two railroad propo-
sitions will be presented to Wichita. One
is that. of the Nebraska, Kansas and
Gulf. for line from northern Kansas
to a point near TT. Smith. and thence
over the Kansas City Southern to Port
! Arthur
The second proposition is that of a
road built particu arly TO aid Wichita.
This is the Wichita and Southern. The
first step is to build the road into the coal
fields of the Indian territory and thence
to the Gulf. Both roads would find
plenty of business to make operating
them pay Sood interest BO.h would be
of ines;imable Importance to Wichita.
Mr.. II. L. Resting. OF the Commercial
club yesterday prepared the following
statement concerning north and south
roads:
The eyes of railroad construction have
hos nh hoI. 81
the Dakotas. Nebraska. Kansas and Okla
homa. not altogether by the Aattering
prospects now confronting this section,
but by the turn taken in the trend of
grain movement. 1t has long been the
belief of western people that ports on the
Gulf of Mexico were the logical gate
ways to the worlds markets for our grain
For obvious reasons the eastern .tr nix
lines have not only insisted that such
movement was impractical on account of
climatic and other conditions, but by
menacing western roads with dire calam-
ity should they attempt to so divert
western grain. Those conditions prevailed
until the Kansas City Southern was built
and began to bid for grain for gulf ports.
and began to make inrods upon the traffic
Of the trunk lines.
Owing to MANIPULATION OF rates in the
west, however. induced by those same
eastern trunk line'; the disturbance was
confined TO a few Missouri river towns
only, since the Southern was unable to
reach out into the wheat belt with
feeders, and western lines dependent upon
the eastern trunk lines for westbound
business. were forbidden to encourage
Gulf shipments. In spite of all this how
ever the natural route for western grain
is asserting itself, which fact is being
carefully observed by the established lines
of railroad. and also by promoters of new
lines. In proof Of these assertions il is
only necessary TO cite the fact that for
the first three months of this year the
receipts at New Orleans of grain and
grain products. reduced TO bushels.
amounted to 15.3l631S bushels. compared
with 2l35.4s7 bushels for the correspond
ing period of a year ago. At Galveston
the total wheat shipments for the first
quarter of this year amounted 10 1852 527
bushels. compared with 420310 bushels for
the first quarter of 1902 The increase of
receipts of grain and its products at the
ports of Boston. New York. Philadelphia
and Baltimore during the first quar-
ter of 1903, over the receipts of the same
period in 1902. Yves 43 per cent. At New
Orleans the increase during the same
period was $50 per cent and at Calves
ton it was 531 per cent.
nearly all of this increase at Gulf ports
originated in Nebraska. Kansas. Okla
homa and Missouri. since nearly all of the
northwestern grain was held To the lakes
and the eastern trunk lines by reason of
little competition by gulf lines.
1t is also remarkable that this great
increase took place during time when
the production in Kansas was reduced
from 100000 bushels Of wheat in 1902, as
against 50.0o0 900 bushels in 1893
Is it any surprise that within the last
sixty days the people of Kansas have
been called upon to consider not less than
four propositions for the building of
north and south railroads? With the
extension of one or more of these lines
northward into the Dakotas. The natural
flow of grain 10 gulf ports. would increase
TO such phenomenal extent that no one
road could hope to handle It. This great
wheat belt needs no less than two north
ard south lines and the people of Kansas
might as well prepare for them now
The lumber and coal traffic northbound
over these lines would he commensurate
with the southbound traffic in grain and
would be equally IS remunerative 70 the
carrier and as advantageous to the peo-
pie OF this great growing west