The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-16

great it is said that he is practically
ruler of the country He is said to
be the ruler at least in so far as he
chooses to be.
William ODoherty, member of par
Lament of England, is the owner of
| a considerable block of Union Pacific
railway stock. and he was out to learn
all he could in regard to the property.
On his trip through Kansas he was
especially interested in learning all
he possibly could in regard to rail-
way affairs in this section of the
country.
/ Mr.. O'Doherty. although a member
of parliament, knows enough about
railroads and railroad management to
make the Smartest railway president
or manager sit up and wonder at the
questions he asks.
| O'Doherty was surprised, he said, at
the falling off in earnings of his rail-
way stock which he noticed just re-
Gently. He was trying to learn the
causes which led up to this result. He
was inclined to believe that his stocks
were on the decline, but when he
learned that practically all railroad
earnings had shown a decrease for
/ the past fiscal year, he was satisfied
that he was not getting the worst of
| it.
Mr.. O'Doherty wanted to know
how many section men were employed
to the mile on the railways here. He
was informed that on an average
about one section man to every mile of
prised.
"Why, in England" he said, '.the
law requires that the railroads employ
eight section men to every mile of the
road
Railroading in America is a revela-
ton to the Europeans. The vastness
of the country is almost Incompetent
sible to them. The big railway yards
in the suburbs of the great cities look
like the network of the roads of whole
counties of English railways.
O'Doherty is a most in0uisitive man.
In fact, almost every member of the
party is as inquisitive, and can think
of as many different questions as half
a dozen newspaper reporters Every
stranger who gets on the train comes
in for his share of the questioning.
And the questions range on a thousand
different subjects.
The United States government pro-
vides every member of the party with
a Rand-McNally map of every state
map is given to the members of the
party as the border of the state is
reached. The route which will be TAX
en- through each state is plainly
marked on every map as well as the
principal points of interest, and all
points which may be of significant
interest.
The government also provides a
handsome booklet to every member of
the party, which was specially pre-
pared for this occasion, setting forth
in detail the various industries of the
various states The booklet comes in
four parts. The first part for the first
stage of the trip includes the informa-
ton of the states through which the
party passed from New York to st.
Louis. The data and statistics con-
corning Kansas are found in the sec
ond booklet prepared for the second
stage of the trip A very comprehen-
sive report of the state is given.
These books are printed in fifteen
Il 10, -s.11
for each nationality represented in
the members of the party.
Coming from Kansas City to To-
peka one of the dignitarieS from SWed-
Of the train. His daughter was con-
versing with him. He was telling her
in very good English the history of and
the peculiarities of the Kaw river. He
was a master of the geography of this
section of the country and had the
facts regarding the big Kaw flood
perfectly.
AS the train was passing through the
section near Paxico. west of Topeka, a
big Hungarian minister who could see
more beautiful things in nature than
almost any one else. discovered Il herd
of cattle grazing on a hillside. There
was some woods near and the grass was
green Altogether it really was a pretty
picture. But he went into ecstasies
when the train passed a farmer boy
who was walking along the right of
way of the railroad followed by a
shepherd dog. He must have thought
for a minute he was in his native coun-
try and he shouted and clapped his
hands in joy as he exclaimed, "Oh see
the shepherd, and see his flock on the
hillside"
The members of the party were great |
Iy interested IN the crops that are grown
in Kansas. They saw alfalfa for the |
first time in this state and it was hard
for them to realize that from three to
six crops a year were harvested from
the same patch of ground.
A Kansas man on the train told The
strangers about the steam plows which
are now coming into use by means of
Which a man cnIIld nln11r fnrfv cres Tner. |