The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-21
RAILROAD NEWS.
Rock Island Follows Lead Of the
Santa Fe.
Will Curtail Its Extraordinary
Expense Account.
GRADUAL DETERRENT
Kansas City-St. Louis Line to
Be Completed.
Traffic Plans Are Now Held in
Allegiance.

There has been rumors that a genera
policy of retrenchment has been adopt
ed for the Rock Island SYSTEM The
facts have been greatly exaggerated il
is claimed. The company has carried
on it's needed improvements to quite as
great an extent as has any other road
west of the Mississippi, and it is denied
that the management intends TO cur
tail the amount of cash put into main
tenance charges. Certain extraordinary
expenses certainly have been curtailed.
This policy is exactly in line with the
policy of the st. Paul. Atchison and
other representative railroads in similar
territory.
The gradual betterment of the Iowa
division, formerly the Burlington. Cedar
Rapids & Northern, is progressing slow
". The management shows no signs OF
haste. believing that the future will
bring conditions more favorable both
for the furtherance of the work itself
and for the financing of that part of IL
chargeable to capital.
In the southwest the plans of the sys-
TEN for local lines in good territory
have been halted, but not by any means
abandoned. The policy of the road is
still as laid down many months ago
namely to occupy territory that can
promise a good investment return on
the money necessary to build the line
particularly in Oklahoma and the ter
ritories.
In traffic matters there are at least
three important plans now held in abey-
ance. These have to do with the har-
monizing of the operations of Rock Is
land with Frisco and other lines pur-
chased. One OF them. when carried
through will take Choctaw freight into
st. Louis in ChOctaw trains. A second
is designed to immensely widen the
market for coal carried north on the
Eastern Illinois and originating on the
Evansville & Terre Haute. The third
looks to the Inauguration of a new
transcontinental freight and passenger
route through southern territory.
SIGNS OF ACTIVITY
The company has already resumed
Louis line on the west side of the
Usage river. 1t is expected that the
line will be finished between St Louis
and Kansas City by May /. 1t will be
placed in operation at once and will be
an active competition for Worlds fair
business. The link with the St. Louis
g. San Francisco railroad at Pacific
Junction. near st. Louis, will give the
Rock Island practically a. double track
into st. Louis, one by way Of the FRS
co tracks and the other by way of For
sythe Junction to the Worlds fair
grounds.
While the Rock Island is busy with
its St. Louis line. there is no lack of
activity on the extension of its Chicago
line to Kansas City over it's own rails.
The Rock Island now uses the Burling
ton rails from Cameron. Mo. Two par
ties of surveyors in the employ of the
Rock Island are surveying a new line
by way of Trenton. 1t is probable that
the Rock Island will use the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St Paul bridge until its
L,si1 ho
lands contract for the use of the Bur
lington tracks from Cameron to Har-
lem and the use of the Hannibal bridge
expires next year.