The Topeka state journal., 1903-04-01
BAKER SAYS YES.
Confirms Report of City Rail-
way Consolidation.
New Company, He Says, Will
Spend 100000.
WILL REBUILD LINE.
Stock and Bonds of the Old Com
pany Bought.
Will Ask Council For a New
80 Year Charter.
VinewOOd People on Reorgan-
lied Board of Directors.

Clifford c. Baker confirms the report
ed street railway consolidation. Mr.
Bakers road and the vinewood line will
within few weeks pass into the con-
troll of a practically new company. Pas
sengers will be transferred without ad-
ditional fare from ore line to another.
About 100000 will be spent in improve
ments to the city railway
Within a month the newly organized
city railway will ask the council for a
new 30-year franchise. which will be
practically the same as the present city
franchise except that the company win
ask to be allowed to run its cars faster
than is now permitted.
Mr.. Baker will continue as president
of the new company. J. NJ. Patten Will
continue as general manager.
Electric power for running the entire
consolids ted system may be furnished
/ by the edison Electric company. In
4 that case the present power house of
| the city railway would be closed lip
and held for reserve. If the Edison
/ Co does not furnish the power, the
company Will spend $4,000 more in re-
1 building and rehtting completely the
present power house.
| Both the VineWood Park railway and
I the Topeka City railway will be repre-
lreorganized company.
While the new management is re-
ferred to as new company it is
strictly speaking only reorganization
with new stockholders and new capital
of the present city railway. A syndi
cate has purchased the 81, 1,250,000 stock
I of the city railway. 1t has also acqulr-
ed nearly all of the $450,000 bonds Of
that company. The bonds, which bear
AZ per cent. viii be retired. and new
bonds issued in their place, and enough
additional bonds will be sold TO cover
the cost of buying outright the Vine
wood Park line and entirely rebuilding
and TeeauipiRg the old CITY railway
Mr. Baker returned Tuesday after
noon from New York, Boston and Chi
cago, where he has been at work for q
month buying up outstanding stock and
bonds of the city railway. He has OBJ
tanned nearly all of the company's Sc
curities. and while the deal will not be
officially completed until the meeting
of the street railway stockholders
which WIS to have been on April but
which has been postponed till sometime
in May, the bargain is made, and there
is no possibility of miscarriage
MR.. BAKERS STATEMENT.
Mr.. Baker today gave out the follow
ing formal announcement OF What mas
been accomplished:
IN November of last year I obtained
an option on the majority of the stock
and bonds of the Topeka Railway COM
OSQV which was subsequently LuItlSO
over to a syndicate which at date Is
comprised as follows B. z. Sunny
Chicago: E. W. Wilson. Pekin, Ill: l.
E. Myers, Chicago; L. W. Moves Chi
pany. Boston; Adolph Nathan. Chicago,
T. b. Wilbur Chicago; Walton H.
Holmes, Kansas City; Conway F.
Holmes, Kansas City; Isaac 7. Burr,
vane. Joab Mulvane, C. J. Devlin. M.
A Low w H. Rossington, Charles
Blood Smith and Clifford c. Baker, OF
Topeka.
ssThese gentlemen have acquired near
IIy every bond and nearly every share
of stock in the Topeka Railway COM
pany and have arranged with Mr. Wiz
son, the owner of the V1newood road,
for the acuuirement of that pro oerty.
Mr. Wilson will be a member OF the
board of directors of the Topeka Rail
way company. which insures hArmo-
nious operation of the properties until
such time as they are united.
THE next and Indispensable, saep IS
that the Topeka Railway company shah
be granted a franchise for 80 years, un-
der the authority of the new city char
ter act passed last winter. These gem
tlemen have put up the actual cash to
obtain these properties. and 1t is now
proposed to retire the old bonds and is
sue new ones running Z longer time, in
Sufficient amount to Thoroughly rebuild
and re-eQuip the lines in the city. 1t is
proposed to lay heavy high rail, pro-
cure new cars, and in fact to give To-
peka q modern, up-to-date street rail-
way. Everything that is done viii be
with a VivN to perm anency and prac-
teal benefit to the property
I am specially, as are the gentlemen
from outside Topeka, glad that we have
associated with us so many local peo-
pie, and believe that it will prove eX-
tramely beneficial to the city's interest
The outsiders are all men of large
affairs and diversified interests who
have invested in the property because
they believe that modern road, we'll
equipped will bring a fair return. They
have great faith in Topeka ana are
showing it in the most substantial way
The nnual meeting Of the Topeka
Railway company is due to be held on
Monday. April 6. but it will probably
not be held at that time. as Some mat
ters are in a transitory state and
should be finished before the new board
goes in I cannot state definitely the
personnel of the new board at this
time, but every interest will be repre-
sented and there is none to 2redomI-
J nate. All are united and harmonious
There has never been a question as te
: my position with the new owners.
shall continue to fill the offices OF
president and treasurer. and have i'm.
mediate charge of the affairs of ths
co=epaEy. under the direction of ths
boar7 tf directors I am sure thai
EVERYONE will be pleased to be assured
that NC1DelSa IS to have a modern street
railroad and that new and fine parH
viii be added to the pleasure sites o.
the cst--''
REASON FOR A NEW FRANCHISE
Mr.. Baker was asked by a State Jour
) nal reporter why the company viii ash
: for a ne franchise, since the presen'
franchise of the company has ninf
years to r1tu.
I'VE must have a new franchise said