The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-28

is the greatest and best railroad on
what ]. G. waters terms Gods green
earth 1 say that boldly and without
qualification. 1 do not say that I
would say it If / were addressing the
officials of the Union Pacific or the
Rock Island or the Missouri Pacific,
but as say to the officials of the Santa
Fe 1 think it is the greatest and best
railroad. OF course the Union Pacific
also runs. and the Rock Island also
runs. but they are in the also ran
class One of the good things about
the Santa Fe is that the people can get
OF course Ed Howe and Bale Wag
gener still live there. but they are SIM
ply there as monuments to show
where the road started from. Another
good thing about the Santa Fe is that
the people of Kansas City can get on
the train there and come to Topeka,
and the same way about Chicago. /
was surprised the other day when 1
had settled there so they could be near
the Santa Fe and so that they could
come here to Topeka on the Santa Fe-'
Here Mr.. Gleed addressed himself TO
MIR. Biddle. Il want to implore you to
cut the rates" he said. II don't know
what the rates are, but cut them any
way You all know the value of exam
pie and the Santa Fe being a big road
should set an example for the other
and smaller roads around here. You
can cut your rates in two and of course
the other roads will follow your exam
pie. Then if you lose money hauling
our stun at that rate why we can send
it all over some other line, so that you
won't lose anything on it.
I'VE hope to see the time of the rail-
road millineum when the coal man, the
cattle man and the miller will each
hunt up the traffic man of the railroad
and protest to him that because the
stockholders of the railroad ought TO
have bigger dividends. they want to
pay a higher freight rate, and then on
the contrary, hear the traffic man say,
Quite the reverse, my dear friends, we
are going to give you reduction OF ~
per cent on the rates now and another
reduction of 10 per cent in six
months.
The subject of cutting the rates came
in for no little amount of by-play, but
it was all goodhumored, and appar-
emily there was no grievance to air
The Arkansas Valley.
G. E Aver, division superintendent of
Dodge City, responded to the toast,
THE Arkansas Valley" My Aver de-
voted his remarks to a description OF
the valley and ended by inviting the
members of the Commercial club to fol-
low the example of the Kansas City
Comemrcial club and visit the people
in the valley and make personal ac-
quaintances in that prosperous region.
President Mills introduced H. A
Tice, formerly of Topeka who respond
ed to the toast. "Once a Topeka; now
an
ST am surprised said Mr.. 'Tice,
that the toast was made to read as
il does. 1 should have made it read,
'Once a Topekan, Always Topekan-
You know an Indian always gets the
worst of it; so it is with me. 1 was
unaware of the fact that 1 was to
appear here tonight until 1 read it in
the afternoon paper. But since read
ing 1t. as Gov. Hoch would say, and l
say Gov. Hoch advisedly, L have been
thinking some thoughts or as In
gals would put it, I have been think
ing that think
I'VE feel highly honored here to-
night This gathering has its signi-
ficance, no matter what the motive
below il all business men are begin
ming to feel and realize that the rail-
roads are not their enemies. Railroad
officers are business men and they
know that the successful manufactur-
er and merchant are both business
men.
Many people believe that the rail- !
roads are just prey for everybody. |
They ask for cut rates, free transporta- |
tion and fast freight service, and the |
payment of a multitude of claims. |
Take the mother who gets on the train
want to pay half fare for any of them. |
all the troubles of the railroad. They |
do not know anything about the farm |
er who makes a haystack close to the |
fence next the railroad right of way
and prays for friendly spark from the |
locomotive SO that he can sell the hay |
CONTINUED on Page Six.)