The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-08
TWO UNIoN DEPoTs.
santa Fe and Rock Island to Build at
Twenty-secOnd and Grand Avenue.

Twenty -SecOnd and Grand Avenue
Kansas City is 10 have two union
depots. says the Kansas City Journal
one viii be on the so-caued Bates
river front The other VIII be west Of
Grand avenue. on the Belt line at
Tvventy-second street
The former will be built by the Bur
lingtOn and The roads under its con-
troll The latter VIII be a Rock Is
land-Friseo DEPOT and VIII be used
by these companies and others which
viii find il available
The former viii be reached by the
Winner bridge. which viii be com
pIeted at once The latter viii be
made accessible by the Belt line
which viii be rebuilt on a new and
easy grade with no grade crossings, 10
the east
Both depots will be paIatial. and
each viii have something like the
same numbe Of roads in them There
bottoms Kansas City, kas-, viii be
loked after as her size and traffic pos
sibili1ies demand and may have a
union depot Of her own
These facts now seem absolute
They are only new in this respect
that the Burlington has bought the
Armour-Swift holdings on both sides
of the Missouri. together with the
Winner bridge piers and franchises
This sale was made about January /.
but has been suppressed till now for
business reasons The price paid for
these properties was something like
g. BOO. 000-about what the Armour
swift syndicate paid
Not till il secured these lands would
the Burlington give up its grip on the
passenger situation Of Kansas City,
though all question of a west bottoms
depot was washed away in the June
flood Therefore. this was the site.
because the Burlington would not lis
ten TO any other, and contracts gave
- ~ n s--z- a
west bottoms out of the depot bust
ness. and the plans for q structure at
the foot Of Twelfth street, Till then ab-
soIute, We're abrogated in a day
Since then there have been various
movements and adjustments looking
towards a settlement Of depot site.
but never have the roads agreed on
one Some would not go TO the north
end and some could not 60 TO the
south end. As q consequence. abso-
lutte accord was out Of the question
So. seeing this. the roads started IN TO
do the best they could for themselves
The first decided break from the
combine was when certain well known
men here began buying property in
the region Of IWen ty-SecDDd and
Grand avenue for the Santa Fe- At
the time. this was stated as a Ger
tafnty that at least this road would
build al TWenty-second street Other
roads looked upon this site as the
most available and one by one. gave
/
standing out for north end depot
The Burlington and the Union Pacific,
both Hartman roads, found them
selves left alone practically with the
west bottoms on their hands. and the
Union Pacific was disinclined to stand
with the Burlington. because Of the
frauscontfnental business IL draws
from some other lines. but not from
Z The burlington This complicated the
situation but did not clear It The
burlington saw that something must
be done or il would md itself with
no union station and no chance 70
get in on any
There was only a choice Of two d.
Iau1uaas One was TO allow the roads
TO 90 and stay BY itself in the bottoms:
the other was 10 90 first and make
tia roads follow The latter course
was taken The Burlington, bE the
nature Of things was barred from the
south end because Of its entrance 70
the cit- It must stay IN the north
end To get there and control the sit
uatfon was its game It succeeds
The Burlington now owns the A.
rnour-Swift holdings. and has owned
them since January T. Ii viii build
I the Winner bridge. and make a double
one-wiII land high and dry on the
bluff and viii be for wagon and troll
Z lev traffic and that lets into the city
I troIIeys from St Jospeh- Liberty E.C-
celsiOr Springs and all the up-rlVeE
region The lower deck win be for
trains. and only passenger business
VII be handled BY that bridge AL
freight business VIII come in via the