The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-02-21
ORIENT Will SOON
Be COMPLETED
Trains Will Be Running Into
Kansas City.
BY OCTOBER |. 100 4
WiChitanS Return from Still
wells Banquet
BY OCTOBER /. 1904

A Z Stillwou. president Of the Kansas
City. Mexico and orient railroad, aroused
much enthusiasm among those in attend
ance. including eighteen business men Of
Wichita by ANNOUNCING plans to shorten
the distance between this place and Kan
sas city. at his banquet given Friday
night in the Hotel Midland at Kansas
City
Among the guests were men from Lon
don England capitalists of Ohio, Hi
noie. Iowa, Missouri Kansas. Oklahoma,
Texas and the Indian territory.
There was an astonishing exhibition Of
faith in Mr St,lIweu ana his project. 1t
found, in fact. a more substantial express
sion than words or resolutions 1t was
manifested in subs riptions from Kansas
City 10 Texas
Three quarters Of a million dollars was
subscribed at the banquet The sums
ranged from $1,000 to $4,000 and The money
subscribed came from all PARTS of the
country
Another purpose Of the dinner developed
when \ + StillWell aurouucei that the
line through Kansas would be completed
and in operation by October ). The line
is TO DE built from Milton, the present
terminus i'm kansas. to Wichita and then
from Wichita 10 Usage City. Nj Still
well. recognizing an insistent demand for
the operation Of the line, has made
temporary arrangement for the use Of
the Missouri Pacific tracks from Usage
City to Kansas City until the Orient
tracks can be built from cast of Usage
City.
The line : now in operation at three
different points on the proposed system;
from Milton Kan. 10 Fairview. Q. T.,
1l0 miles from east Of Chihuahua to Al
dana. forty miles; from Port Stillwcn,
on the Pacific coast TO FL Fuerte. a
distance Of sixty-dye miles. The building
Of the line from Milton Kan, to Kansas
City VIII put in operation 235 miles more
of track. besides opening the Orient to
an active and busy traffic from Kansas.
Oklahoma and Texas points. The Orient
has enjoyed traffic over parts of the
line in operation that justifes rushing
the completion Of TIE line through Kan
ras The Kansas line win tap one Of the
most progressive and productive districts
along the line of the entire proposed rail
road II runs through some Of The rich
est couutie= in the state and touches
some Of its most important cities iuclud-
ing Wichita. Anthony. Emporia. Usage
City. Harper and Lawrence. II runs
through the following counties in Kan
sas: Wyandotte. Johnson. Douglas, Shaw
nee. Usage Lyon. Chase COffey. Butler,
Sedgwick Sumner. Kin2man and Harper
In connection with the completion of
the line through Kansas work viii begin
on the terminal system in the two Kan
gas Citys al once. The plan involves a
four track terminal. two for steam rail-
roads and two for electric railroads With
six miles of terminal tracks the Orient
will enter the various depots and establish
connection with practically every railroad
In Kansas City with the exception of the
Chicago x Alton railroad. The new
terminals Will cost two million dollars
and viii include two bridges across the
Missouri river Work will he begun on
these terminals as soon as the weather
VIII permit
". \ Harris former United States
Eenator from Kansas. was introduced as
a resident Of Kansas City and a member
of the executive board of the Orient rail
road Senator Harris said he was proud
cf his connection with the orient
The Panama canal will not be a de-
triment to the Orient said Senator Har-
rs Port Stllwell will flank the COM
naerce that Will pass through the Panama
canal. Port SulWnl viii be a point Of
call ! VIII confess that Few years ago
] pronounced il unpracticable because
believed il was too big and too import
an a project to be carried to = conclusion;
but now J believe that it can be accom-
pI.shed and so ! am in harmony with