The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-14

ter. Formerly it was a thrifty little
| road from Chicago to the Missouri
river, with extensions westward and
| northward. In the boom times it
came into the hands of some half
! dozen capitalists who had made I'M
| counted millions in various trusts like
/ Tin Plate, Cracker and Diamond match.
! These were all financiers but one. Will
liam B. Leeds, who had been rail-
road man in the Pennsylvania service.
They knew how to make money, but
they did not know how to run rail-
roads.
| They bought parallel and connecting
1 lines right and left, flooding the mar
ket with bonds to pay for them, until
they had 5000 miles of undigested,
fragmentary railroad on their hands.
| They did not know what on earth to
do with 1T. They began to hunt the
country over for some one who could
| make it pay. They tried r. r. Cable,
an old Rock Island man, but he WASH t
| big enough. They brought Charles H
! Warren, with Hill training, from the
Jersey Central, but he didn't last a
year Mr.. Leeds tried his hand him
self, but could not make it go.
| The syndicate of Rock Island owners
were desperate Money was no object
They hired Mr.. Loree away from the
| Baltimore & Ohio for a bonus of $780,
900 and a salary of $4,000 a year for
| five years. They have just dropped
| Mr. Loree, paying him the whole $780,
900. They say he,vfailed because. he
| tried to apply eastern methods to-
western road. Now they are going to
| try a young Chicago attorney, who
knows nothing about railroads but
seems to have administrative talent
Practical railroad men seem to think
he will last no longer than the others
Here is an illustration of the fact
that money cannot do everything. Men
who have taken millions out OF the
stock market can buy railroads, but
they cannot make them pay Appar-
emily the only men who can keep, a
big business together are those who
have grown up with it or with some
part of it, Unless the Rock Island has
better. luck than it has had so far in
getting competent managers, 1t IS pref
ty likely to crumble into its original
elements in the next business. depreS-
sion.
The New York Journal of Commerce
and Commercial Bulletin says:
Some of the leading representatives
of the Rock Island system have re-
turned to this city from the recent
meeting at Chicago. While they refuse
definitely intimated that the recent re-
tirement of President Loree from the
Rock Island company of New Jersey
and from the directu&ate of the old
due to efforts to introduce eastern
methods on the Rock Island lines. 1t
is said that a good deal OF dlsor gam
zation had resulted from such changes
land now assert that complete har-
It is said that Robert Mather, who
is now head of the Rock Island com.
pany of New Jersey, and chairman or
the executive committee of the Chi
caSo, Rock Island & Pacific Railway
company, was a favorite OF former
Chairman r. r Gable. OF the oId h ,oe6
desired that Mr.. Mather be head OF the
Rock Island system. but his wishes
were upset by the entrance OF tns
Moore interests into the Rock Island
property. The latter tried two eastern
railroad men as executive heads OF
their property. The fact that tney
have now selected Mr. Mathef 10 heau
the New Jersey company ana retain
MI. WincheIl as head of the Chicago
Rock Island e. Pacific company is cited
as evidence that everything is nov
moving smoothly in the Rock 1siana
camp.
Mr. Iloree was in town yesterday,
but declined to discuss his retirement.
New Santa Fe Depot at Independence.
independence, Kan, Oct. 14.-Inde-
incidence is at last to have new
Santa Re station. It will be an at
tractive structure, modern in its ar
rangement, and in keeping with the
size and growth of the city
This will be welcome news 10 the
people of Independence who have SAT
in darkness and CRIME at the oid ssa-
ton waiting for mldn1SnI trains AoI
wears. Sometimes it is sad enough to
go away without the departure being
made gloomy by dilapidated and FOR
lorn old station.
independence has cried and plead
for a new station and at last the
prayer has been heard The increased
freight and passenger traffic caused by
the DEVELOPMENT of the oil business
has put it up to the Santa Fe to
provide a suitable station
Superintendent Barnes is quoted as
stating that plans are now being
drawn for the new structure and 1t
is expected to have it completed and
occupied within one year. Plans are
at the same time being made for
new station at lola
The new depot will be handsome
modern structure of brick and stone,
the estimated cost of which is $15,-
600. 1t will be located at the foot
of Eleventh street, almost on the site
occupied by the old elevator, which
was burned last spring. The exact di-
mansions of the building are not
known, but it will furnish adequate
accommodations for the transaction of
the large volume of business of the
company in this city. Spacious wait
ing rooms, neatly and elegantly fur
nished, ample office room for the en-
ployes, toilet rooms, baggage room
in fact everything requisite in an up
to-date passenger depot will be had.
The structure will be credit to In
dependence and the Santa Fe.
Plans are also drawn for a freight