The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-23
Northwestern Roads Looking for
Outlet to Gulf.
Both the Katy and Southern
Desirable Acquisitions.
Is THE GRAIN ROUTE.
Hundreds of Miles Shorter Than
to Atlantic Coast.
Gossip and Matters of Interest
in Railroad Circles.

The most persistent rumors of I'M
pending changes in railroad control each
relate TO the purchase of a northwest
ern line of an outlet to the gulf Of
Mexico. The Hill roads, through the
Burlington, are widely credited with
the purpose OF securing a gulf connec-
ton by taking over the Missouri. kan
sas & Texas; and the Chicago, Milwau-
kee & st. Paul is known to have at
least been considering the desirability
of getting control of the Kansas City
Southern. Ownership of the Missouri
Kansas & Texas would give the Bur
lington a fairly direct north and south
line from Kansas City to Galveston,
and would also connect with Burlington
lines at st. Louis, which it now enters
ever Burlington rails. and Hannibal,
Mo. The Kansas City Southern would
join the st. Paul's Kansas City line to
Port Arthur, a good harbor on the gulf
some IS miles east Of Galveston,
The foundation basis for reports such
as these lies IN the rapidly increasing
Importance which has within the last
few years come to lie assumed bv the
gulf ports as exporters Of grain. Grain
is the most spectacular commodity
Which the railroads carfy-the one over
which rate wars are most frequent and
about which rate adjustments are most
years, New Orleans. in particular, and
Galveston as well. have been taking
away from the Atlantic ports a large
share of the grain export business-this
in spite Of all the influence of long es-
tablished custom in the grain export
trade to the contrary.
The map of the United States shows
pretty clearly the natural reasons for
such a change. Grain from almost any
point in the principal grain producing
states of the country is going cut of It's
way, so far as distance is concerned,
in reaching the Atlantic seaboard for
export. It is from 200 to 500 miles
shorter from Iowa and the Dakotas to
Galveston or New Orleans than to New
York, Boston Philadelphia or Baltimore.
From the grain raising states further
south, the advantage of the gulf ports
in distance is, Of course, greatly IN
creased. Then, too. the north and south
routes to the gulf follow, in general
water grade lines: that is, they run par
aIeI to the general trend OF the
streams in that territory. On the other
hand, by every route, with the excep-
ton of the New York Central, between
Chicago or St. Louis and United States
ports on the Atlantic. freight has TO
cross The summit OF the Allegna1ly
There are. however. certain advan-
tages which the Atlantic ports possess
over their new competitors. Ihe ma
chinery of export has lOrg been center
ed on the Atlantic seaboard. and it is
never an easy matter to change the
current of an established way OF DONG
things. More than this. in the case OF
the larger eastern ports. particularly
New York the size of the cities and the
commercial development OF the country country.
hack of them tend to center the export
trade at their docks, because Nesseis
can always find q. cargo to bring when
they come in to get grain.