The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-09
Important Plans for the De-
yelOpment of Oklahoma.
Territory Is to Be HOneycOmbed
With Railway Lines.
MANY ALREADY BUILT.
Routes VIII Be Run in All
Directions.
Gossip and Matters of Interest
in Railroad Circles.

If the present plans of a number of
railroad companies are carried out
Oklahoma territory within few years
will be honeycombed with railroads
They will cover the territory in all
directions, running north, southeast
and west, re- dating from Guthrie and
Oklahoma City and making connec-
tons with roads leading to all parts of
the country.
The Guthrie. Fairview & Western
Railroad company was chartered a
little over one year ago, to build from
the city of Guthrie to a connection
with the Kansas City, Mexico & Orient
railway near Fairview, Okla, and also
a line from Oklahoma City to a con-
nection with the Guthrie and Fairview
line at Kingfisher. Since its organiza-
ton this railroad company has secured
valuable terminals in Guthrie and
Oklahoma City, made permanent To-
cation of its entire line, secured all
right of way and has ten miles be-
tween the Orient connection and Oar
row, in Blaine county, ready for the
rails.
While financing this company, the
promoters became convinced of the
necessity Of q Notwithstanding west
line through oklahoma and Indian
territories, from Trinidad TO ShreEe-
port They accordingly took out the
new charter for the Guthrie, Shawnee
& Shreveport railroad, which will
build from Guthrie in a southeasterly
direction, by way of Shawnee,
South McAlester, Paris and Mount
Pleasant, Tex, to Shreveport which
point is the head OF navigation, as well
as having two air lines, the Texas &
Pacific and the Louisiana Railway &
Navigation company between that city
and New Orleans. They have also
taken out a charter for the Colorado,
Oklahoma Central & New Orleans
railroad, which will build from the
point where the Guthrie, Fairview &,
Western connects with the Kansas
City, Mexico & Orient. near Fairview,
by way of Selling Cestos Mutual
Woodward, Beaver Guyamon, to
Trinidad, Col, thus supplying the
large territory in western Oklahoma
with coal from the Trinidad coal
fields. A person looking at the map
Will observe that nearly all the rail-
roads in Oklahoma outside of the
ChOctaw, Fort Smith & Western and a
Frisco branch, run north and south,
or from northeast to southwest Peo-
pie in Woodward and Beaver counties
desiring to get to Guthrie by rail are
compelled to make a detour into the
state of Kansas and back in order to
accomplish this. Western Oklahoma
IN the matter of coal has been at the
mercy of the Rock Island-ChoctaW
system. With the building of the Kan
,sas City, Mexico & Orient in a north
east-southWest direction through west
ern Oklahoma and the completion of
these three lines, which will be known
hereafter as the West India Short
Line, the people of western Oklahoma
will get their coal from both east and
west, and will be no longer compelled
to pay tribute to one particular rail-
road.
The promoters of the West India
Short Line have taken time by the
forelOck, and have arranged with
steamship companies to run between
New Orleans and Havana and other
West India ports, and if, when their
line is completed between Trinidad
and Shreveport they cannot make
proper traffic arrangements with
steamship companies between Shreve..
port and New Orleans, they will estab-
fish their own steamship line down
Red river from Shreveport to New
Orleans.
This line, as compared with other lines
now in existence from Denver and other
common points in Colorado, is 104 miles
the shortest route. This line would be a
valuable proposition for the Gould inter-
ests when completed, as a glance at the
map will show that from Shreveport to