The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-29
E. P. Ripley and Other Santa Fe
Officials Back From West.
SOME NEW ENGINES
Company Nay Establish a Few
Campbell Model Farms.
Gossip and Matters of Interest
in Railroad Circles.

company, yesterday afternoon, ito
wards filling the vacancy in the Office
of first vice president of the company,
which has occurred through the resig-
nation of E. D. Kenna-'
els it probable that the company
will again name one Of its legal force
as first vice president 81 Mr.. Ripley
was asked.
Mr.. Kenna was not general solicit
tor of the company at the time of his
resignation" replied Mr.. Ripley. He
was first vice president He had CIV
en- up the duties of general solicitor
will be done with the first vice presi-
dency, I do not know. The matter has
not been considered at all
Mr.. Ripley arrived in this city from
the west on special train of four
cars just before o'clock yesterday af-
ternOOn. With him were J. w. Ken
drick, second vice president of the
com any; George T. Nicholson, third
vice president; Charles N. Sprague Of
the Banking firm of Sprague & Warner
of Chicago, a guest of Mr.. Ripley, and
James e. Hurley, general manag er of
the company. Mr. Ripley and his par
ty, with the exception of Mr.. Hurley.
who met them at Albuquerque, have
ucally the entire Santa Fe system.
They left Chicago on November 8 and
Travelled through to Galveston, making
many stops along the line for the pur-
over the Southern Pacific to FL Paso
and inspected the Santa Fe lines from
there on, going eventually to San
Francisco, where they remained three
days. On the return trip three days
we're passed at Los Angeles.
Mr.. Ripley and his party passed an
hour and half here yesterday after
noon. While they were here Mr.. Ken
drick and Mr.. Hurley, who were met
by W. b. Storey, Jr., chief engineer of
the system. F. G. Fox, general super
intendent. and John Purcell, superin-
tendent of shops, made a brief tour of
inspection of the shops Mr.. Ripley,
Mr.. Nicholson and Mr.. Sprague, went
fees. The party, with the exception of
General Manager Hurley, left at 4:30
o'clock, running on a special as far as
Kansas City and from there on one of
the regular trains to Chicago.
I'VE have had a splendid trip said
Mr.. Ripley, aand the condition of our
property all along the line is excellent.
In fact our property was never before
To be sure we are experiencing some
few drawbacks, particularly in the
shortage of freight cars, but then we
are not as bad off as a good many 9TH
er roads in this particular.
There was abundant evidence of
prosperity in all the parts of the coun-
try which we have visited. Things
never before have been SO generally
prosperous in these places and the
activity In California is wonderful"
After his trip through the shops Mr..
Kendrick was asked what if any i'm
provements were to be made there and
smiling in that quizzical way OF his he
replied: "Oh we have Just been down
around the yards to enjoy the scenery.
We were not thinking of improve
ments"
It was suggested that the scenery
around the shops ought to be rather
and added: "But there is nothing
that ] enjoy more than a look at the
shops here"
Mr.. Kendrick then admitted that he
and the other operating officials of the
road were contemplating some i'm
prOvement in the shops but Mr.. ken
drick said that these improvements
would be limited to an extension and
enlargement of the paint shops.
The shops here are in fine condi-
ton" said Mr.. Kendrick. I'm fact the
shOn conditions all over our system are
in better condition now than ever be-
fore The bonus system, which was es-
tablished recently at Albuquerque is
working we'll and it viii not be long be-
fore we have that system established
in all of our shops. A thing like that
takes time to establish. 1t has worked
so well that we intend to get it in all
I'VE have placed an order with the
Baldwin Locomotive works for so new
engines to be delivered to US during the
early months of next year Twenty of
these will be Of the Santa Fe type, II
will be switch engines and the rest
will be divided among the Atlantic and
Pacific types for passenger service. This
order of so engines is of course in ad-
dition to the 90 engines We ordered for
this year. Most of these engines have
been delivered. we are unusually well
equipped with motive power now
Il should say we We're" said General
Manager Hurley, who was near ~.
"Why we have 100 of the Atlantic and
between Chicago and Albuquerque.
Mr.. Kendrick was asked what expert
mentS if any the officials of the Santa
Fe were carrying on with gasoline mo-
ter cars to be used on branch roads for
| local passenger service
Not any" was the replv but we are
keeping in close touch with the expert
ments that are being carried on by
other roads. When the success of these
! cars is established then We viii take
them up. I personally think that the
most feasible of these cars are not the
| ones that are built specially for this
| kind of service, but the ordinary car to
which is attached the necessary motors.
Experiments with these motors are be-
! ing carried on now and some of them
have been successful. EQuipping an
| ordinary car with these motors costs
about $4,000 while to construct one of
| these special motor cars costs about
! $22, 600. This is Nite difference and
one that ought So>s-@ recFoned with.
But we have don. nothing yet towards
/ securing motors for any of our cars
| or ordering special motor cars"
Mr.. Kendrick said thoI he understood
the grievance committee Of the hremen
employ ed on the system was not salts
fed with the rulings Of General Mana
/ ger Hurley which denied their requests
| to be relieved from cleaning their en-
/ gines and placing supplies Of any char
] acter on them and that - 9-r were going to
4 appeal to him to reverse Mr.. Hurley
decision.
They have not made this appeal
i stand it is their intention to do so and
:. 7 =.