Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-05-16
History of
Col. Polk
GoUlDs AND THE ROCK ISLAND
AFTER THE SANTA FE
CENTRAL.

Colonel L. J. Polk who recently re-
signed I'll enjoy E trip has been caa
nected with the Gulf lines Of the
Santa Fe since 1893, and is n OF the
best known Of the company's OH
Icials. He is the Paul Morton OF the
Santa Fe Cult lines,
since the Gulf lines and the Santa
Fe proper are under entirely different
| management, the Topeka officials are
mot very well acquainted with MT.
and some Of them have probably
never seen him. His full name is
1ucius Junius Polk, and his headquar-
IL are at Galveston. He was born
(ugust Ia, 1854, at Columbus, Maury
Eounty. Tenn. His education was
5given him at the Virginia Military in
stitute at Lexington, Va.
His first railway service was with
the Atlantic & Great Western, which
employed him In 1874 as q clerk 10
the general freight office at Atlantic
City. In 1876 and 1877 he was EN-
kployed by the engineering corps Of the
Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio
railway as rear flagman and rodman,
From 1877 to 1881 he was out of ran
road work and engaged in business IL
Mississippi. From January. 1881 ~
August, 1887, he was q clerk in thu
general freight offices Of the SouthI
ern Pacific at Houston. From AuguHl
1 1887. to February, 1888, he was chic
4 clerk in the general freight deparq
1 ment Of the San Antonio & Arkansaf
I Pass railway; from February to ~
vember, 1888, he was assistant 81
eral freight agent Of that line, a1d
then served until May, 1893. as gen
s eral freight agent.
On May 1, 1899, he accepted nstt
n tion with the Gulf, Colorado &-San1a
8Fe as general freight agent. In Epl5
ust, 1896, he was appointed act3nH
general manager of the Gulf lines &
April, 1897, he was given the pos4e4dp
scf general manager. and in Janua1y
1902, was elected second vice prefsx
dent. Il
Mr.. Polk has been active in the 9a'
Selopment of the Santa Fe Gulf line2
md has done much to build up the
road. His successor has not been
named
MI After the Central.
a special to the Denver News from
New York says:
The Denver & Rio Grande, accord,
Ing to report, may buy the Santa Flo
Central and extend Ii from Santa Fe
20 Ell Paso The Santa Fe Central
4ow extends TO Torrance, a point on
Rock Island system.
Surveyors believed to be in the
5ould interest are now at work be.
tween Torrance and FL Paso. Should
the Goulds buy the Santa Fe Central
and extend it along the lines now
talked OF, the Denver & Rio Granie
system would practically parallel the
Rock Island and the Atchison into I'll
Paso. 1t Is stated thar the Rock Is.
land people are awake to the situation
land that vigorous resistance will be
made from that quarter to the absorb
Etion a that branch.
The Santa re Central is now large
Fly owned by Pittsburg interests. Ar
thur T. Kennedy is chairman of the
board. VIII. Andrews of Santa Fe is
president. and Francis j. Torrance Of
Pittsburg is first vice president. The
offices Of the secretary and treas.
urer of this road are both in Pitts.
burg.
Persons familiar with the situation
assert that il the Goulds want to buy
the property they will have to bid
for II against the Rock Island, and
that the present owners ere not dis.
posed to Jet ii 80 cheaply. George J.
Gould. It is affirmed. approves Of
General Palmer's plan OF extension to
El Paso. and II he a secur the
santa re Central he will build a new
line, change the Rio Grande South
er& TO a standard guage, and give the
Denver & Rio Grande system a broad
guage road clear from Denver to Fl
Paso.
The freight traffic has fallen off
considerably in the pas two weeks,
which will allow the Santa Fe to get
along with a less amount Or motive
!. power. The officers Of tn road in.
ist that their engines are all in fine
hape.