The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-30
Reported That He Will Go to the
Rock Island.
rendered Position of Chief En-
gineer, Says Report.
HE REFUSES TO TALK.
Says He Can't Discuss Intentions
of WincheII.
Santa Fe Officials Give Credence
to Reports.

Is the Chicago, Rock Island & Pa
cific Railway company about to make
such an attractive offer to another one
of the prominent officials of the Atchi-
son, Topeka & Santa Fe that he will
sever his connections of long standing
with the latter company?
This is the question that is being
discussed by railroad men in Topeka
today and especially by the officials of
the Santa Fe.
w. B. Storey, Jr., chief engineer of
the Atehison, Topeka & Santa Fe pro-
per, is the official under discussion and
it is the general impression among men
in the Santa Fe Offices that the Rock
Island will make an offer to Mr.. Storey
and that. it will be SO attractive that
Mr.. Storey will accept it.
Coincident with the arrival in Topeka
yesterday eof President Il l.. Winchell
and the other officials of the Rock Is
land who had just completed a tour OF
the southwest, was a report from Chi
cago that W. L. Darling. the chief en-
gineer of the Rock Island, had resigned
his position to take effect when his sue
cessor was appointed.
H. U. Nudge, second vice president of
the Rock Island, was in the party and
although Mr. WincheH's stop I'M Topeka
QlQ not consume more lIl6Il ~ 41l1lQtCS
Mr. Nudge found time to go up to the
Santa Fe offices, shake hands with a
few of the men who worked under him
there and take Mr.. Storey to the Rock
Island station and prevail upon him to
accompany the party to, Kansas City.
When Mr.. Nudge took Mr.: Storey into
Mr.. WinchelfS car Just before the de-
parture of the train he told Mr.. Win
chell that he was bringing Mr.. Storey
along to show him the work that was
on fhn TTninv7s Pacific tracks.
OF course Mr.. Winchel Mr.. Nudge
and the other officers of the Rock Is
land knew that Mr.. Darling had re-
signed as engineer of the road but that
long after the train had departed. 1t
reached Topeka in the shape of press
dispatches from Chicago.
1t is known that Mr.. Nudge thinks
most highly of the capabilities of Mr..
Storey as railroad construction engi-
neer, and it is probable that. Mr..
Storey's unexpected trip with the Rock
Island officials yesterday gave him an
opportunity of becoming better ac-
uuainted with President Winchell and
it is possible that Mr.. Winchell and
have made proposals to Mr.. Storey
concerning the position of chief engi-
neer of the Rock Island.
Mr.. Storey, who returned from Kan
sas City last night. was not inclined to
be communicative on the subject when
seen at his offices in the. Santa Fe
building this morning.
''Was the position of chief engineer
of the Rock Island rendered to you by
Mr.. WincheIl yesterday" he was
asked.
81 am not at liberty to discuss any
of the intentions of the Rock Island
people," was Mr.. Storey's rather am
This was all he would say on the
subject.
Mr.. Storey has been connected with
the Santa Fe for a number OF years
and has been located as chief engineer
of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
proper. with headquarters in Topeka
since 1899. Prior to that time he
made name as construction engl-
neer in building the San Joaquin line
of the Santa Fe.- Perhaps his most
important work with the Santa Fe has
been the creation of the roads ter
minal facilities at China Basin on San
Francisco bay This work of filling in
the bay and constructing wharves. etc.
is looked upon by railroad men as one
of the engineering feats of the times.
Mr.. Storey has reputation of being
one of the greatest railroad construc-
ton engineers of the country and this
is the kind of man that the Rock
Island needs for at the present time
the road is expanding millions of dol
lars in reconstructing its roadbed
along its entire system. SO 7i--
The position of chief engineer OF the
Rock Island would be considered quite
a promotion for Mr.. Storey in the rail-
road world. His present position as
chief engineer of the AtchiSOn, Topeka
& Santa Fe.proper gives him jurisdic-
ton in his particular line of work over
a system embracing 5,043.3 miles,
while as chief engineer of the Rock
Island he would have a system of
$4,000 miles under him. 1t would
probably mean a substantial increase
of salary also.
If Mr.. storey should leave the Santa
Fe for the Rock Island, he would be
the fourth Santa Fe' man of promi-
hence to Join Mr.. Winchelfs forces
within short time. H. U. Nudge left
MS position as general manager of the
Santa Fe for the second vice presi-
deney of the Rock Island not long
ago. Then w. B. Biddle. who was the
| freight traffic manager of the Santa
Fe, accepted the position of third vice
president of the Rock Island. and D.
E. Cain left his position as superin-
tendent of a Santa Fe division to be-
come general manager of the Rock
/ Island.