The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-29
RAILROAD NEWS.
New Trinidad Short Line Is
Again Talked Of.
Will Connect With Some Big
TranscOntinental Line.
MAY BE ROCK ISLAND
Will Open Up Large Area in
Kansas.
Gossip and Matters OF Interest
in Railroad Circles.

Albuquerque, N. NJ, July 29.-Some
months ago two civil engineers from
Anthony, Kan, visited Trinidad to look
over the ground preparatory to the
building of a railroad between the two
cities. The company back of the en-
terprise is known as the Kansas. Medi-
cine Bow & Western Railroad COM
pany. 1t was generally believed at the
time of the visit of the engineers that
the real hacker of the enterprise was
the Rock Island. But after the lapse
of months in which nothing more was
heard about the enterprise, a general
feeling came about that it was dead.
Such, however, is not the case. 1t
was learned from a source of absolute
ly unquestionable reliability that the
company is still working and working
hard upon the proposition, and that
unless it meets with unforeseen OBJ
stacles, it is q. sure go, though it may
be a year longer before it gets out of
the prospectus stage
The road is not backed by the Rock
Island but is up to the present an en-
tirely independent enterprise, its pro-
motors being people of Anthony, Buck
lin and other towns in Kansas, through
which the line will run. 1t is under
stood that the company has already
secured options for a large portion of
its right of way, and that mum Der
of counties of southwestern Kansas
have already voted bonds toward the
financing of the road or have agreed
to do SO. and that considerable
quantity of stock has been subscribed.
Railroad men say, Furthermore. that
| the plan looks to them like a good
one. First of all it will open up a
very large area of western Kansas
which is at present without close rail-
road facilities.
| Tt will perform the same service for
| all of southeastern Colorado south of
| the Arkansas river, together with the
northeastern part of Oklahoma which
are at present without any railroad ia
cilities at all. The whole of this dis
trict, while in the arid region is fast
| becoming very productive under new
agricultural methods and is at the same
time one of the most7 important por-
tions of the entire west in wool and
stock interests. Beside this. the new
road gives practically an air line haul
for coal from Colorado into western
Kansas, the route being much shorter
than that of the Santa Fe. and the
Colorado coal is of such superior quality
as to be able to force the Kansas coal
out of the market.
At Anthony the proposed road has di-
rect connections with Rock Island, the
Santa Fe. the Missouri Pacific and the
| Orient While the promoters of the new
road are going ahead with their enter
prise independently at present it would
seem likely that any one of these con-
nections except the Santa Fe will in
the end, be likely to absorb it. This is
particularly true of the Rock Island
much more true now than when its
name was first used in connection with
| the new line. If it be true-and con-
! firmatory statements now seem to have
definitely established that fact-that the
st. Louis, Rocky Mountain and Pacific
from Des Moines, N. M, to Ration, is a
Rock Island line, and that it is only a
link in line ultimately to reach the
coast then such a route as that which
the Kansas. Medicine Bow and Western
is obtaining is one which the Rock Is
! land could hardly overlook.