The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-11-10
RAILROAD news.
Rock Island After a New Cali
fornia Line.
Would Buy or Control the
Moffatt Road.
RIO GRANDE is IN 1T.
VIII Assist Rock Island to Gain
Its Point.
Cutoff May Be Built If Deal
Falls Through.

Denver, Colo, Nov 1O.-Rock Island
and Rio Grande interests are believed
to be in combination which will re-
suit in the issuance of an ultimatum
to the Moffat road if that line con-
tinues to ignore negotiations of both
the Rock Island and Rio Grande for
short line privileges The Rock Island
wants a transcontinental line. If the
Moffat road management becomes
tractable the Rock Islands difficulties
are conquered. The Rio Grande wants
a short line to Salt Lake. 1t must
have it. but the Moffat line is said to
have repudiated an alleged UNDER
standing when the Moffat road was be-
ing financed.
These conclusions have been
reached by Denver railroad men since
the conference held between Senator
Kearns. John M. Stevens and Rio
Grande officials.
IF the Moffat road will not sell to
the Rock Island nor grant traffic priv
iieges to tho Rio Grande, the Rock Is
land and RIO Grande will build a cut
off to the Rio Grande's main line"
said a we'll posted railroad man yes
terdav.
The Rock Island, it is we'll known,
means to go to the coast and has been
trying to perfect traffic arrangements
with the Moffat road or to buy that
the Rock Island by the Moffat man
agement.
THE Rio Grande. also as a matter
of self-protection, has been trying to
Moffat road in order to have a short
line to Salt Lake. In fact, a tacit
agreement was made some time ago
that the Rio Grande should be given
Ingress and egress to Denver via the
Moffat lines. The Gould interests were
protest when at M t fra Went f to NeW
York to finance his road. and they did
not no, desist until they were promised
the Rio Grande should have short line
privileges over the Moffat line.
Lately, however, something seems TO
Work on the wbit ' Rver Wea1 rdag
which was to be a connecting link be-
tween the Moffat and Rio Grande lines,
the Rio Grande people are not absolutely
certain what the Moffat road will do
about short line privileges.
Both the Rock Island and the Rio
Grande are anxious to have the matter
settled am confident they will notify
the Moffat road that the time has come
when definite agreement must be made
If they can get no satisfactory reply they
will build and fight the Moffat road tooth
That the Rock Island road has perfect
ed an arrangement with the Clark road
seems to be the general belief among
railroad men. l am inclined to beIeva
that is true, else Senator Kearns would
IAOl nave deem Interested III the denver
meeting. 1 understand he had full power
to make traffic agreement with both
the Rock Island and the Rio Grande but
no formal document was drawn up. The
Rock Island, with the Clark road and
the Western Pacific, will be the biggest
thing il the United States, not excepting
the Northern Securities company if that
corporation should be resuscitated. The
Rock Island will have route to Los An
geles and one to San Francisco. 1t will
be in a position to dictate terms to Chi
cago-New York lines and will be able to
keep all the business it originates, instead
of handing it over to other lines, as it
does now.
Denver wiki be one of the most i'm
portant points on a transcontinental line
that will be bigger and better than any
tranScontinental line now in existence"
1t has been learned that the failure OF
the Rock Island directors to order a big
bond issue at the recent election at Dav-
export was not because the Moore BROTH
ers policy was defeated. That was the
reason generally assigned just after the
election. The true cause is that in abb
sorbing the Frisco system the Rock
Island railway acquired some legal tech
nicalities which prevented the bond issue
at the time, but soon as they are
evaded the bonds are to be issued.