The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-22
Puts on a New Train at Newton
to Connect With No. 3.
FIGHTING OVER MAILS
Contest During Last Few Weeks
Has Been MeteOric.
Rock island win Probably Go
santa Fe One Better.

Which 4AAfDAFEQ lAlE putting OH Ol q
new train for part of the distance, the
Santa Fe viii make connections which
viii enable it to get mail from kan
sas City into Wichita for points in the
southwest at an earlier hour each at
ternoon than can be done by the Rock
Island under its present schedule. That
the Rock Island win meet this move
is not doubted but at the general Of
fees of this company today it was sta
ted that no plans had been made as
yet to beat the new schedule of tie
Santa Fe into Wichita.
Ever since competitive rafIroading in
the west began there have been struss-
giles without number for the contracts
for hauling the government mails, bur
none of these struggles has been more
fierce or involved more meteoric
changes in the schedules of trains
than the one which has been in pro-
gress during the last few weeks be-
tween the Atehison, Topeka & Santa
Fe and the Chicago. Rock Island &
Pacific railways over the handling Of
the mails from the east through KAN
sas City and from that place and in
rermediate points to places in the
southwest via Wichita
Hardly has the ink on a new time
cara Of either road had a chance to
dry before the competing line issued
a new one and vice versa. Operatfnr
officials of both roads have been m
apIe TO get a good nights rest so sud
den and many have been the changes
they have been called upon to make
IN the running of their trains to meet
the behests of the men higher I'D who
are engineering the contest for tile
mail contracts, and the time card men
those fellows who manipulate those
marvellous strings on the time card
-5--5.
liked up in a way that viii prevent a
halr dozen trains from trying to pass
an equal number at the same time and
place. are praying for a lull in hOstili-
ties. If one does not come soon a few
OF them will be candidates for the
funny house"
And the contract involved in this par
ticular instance is not of unusual pro
portions. OF course It is a big one and
one 10 be desired by any road but
It is the opinion of good many off
Gals of both roads that it is not one
which would warrant such a nerve
Wracking struggle as IS going on. for as
one Of these, officials pointed out today
the contract for the mail is not to be
awarded until next July anyway and he
characterized It as exceedingly poor
Tairoadfng for either road to try and
beat the other out to a certain point by
a few minutes. when It is almost Ger
tain that the government in the end will
divide the mails as evenly as possible
between all the lines reaching the terri
tory involved as long as the schedules
of the roads are about the same and
are Maintained in fairly regular man
ner. This has been the custom OF the
government in times past when fiercer
battles for mail contracts have been
on and this custom Viii probably be
continued.
During the last few weeks there
has been such shifting about of the
schedules of the trains n both rO2dE
so that Wichita could be reached first
from Kansas City that it would take
several columns to tell about them
On Marcn IS the Santa Fe made what
was considered a star play by lessen
ing the running time Of No. which
carries the mail for the southwest,
reaching Kansas City over the Missouri
Pacific, so that 1t would reach Newton
at o'clock each afternoon. Connec-
ton was made there with a train which
hustled the mail into Wichita at $40
o clock which was fifteen minutes earl
Ter than the running time of Rock Is
land train No. 80 into Wichita. This
Rock Island train leaves Kansas City
a couple Of hours earlier than No.
and handles the local mail from Kansas
city and intermediate points for the
southwest The Rock Island Golden
State limited leaves Kansas City about
the same time as Santa Fe No 5 and
could handle the mail brought in by
the Missouri Pacific but this mail is
now routed over the Santa Fe. How
ever, No. 35 used to walt at Herington
for the Golden State and would have
been able to handle any mail from this
train into Wichita, getting it there at
2:55, which UP to March 16. was the
earliest arrival of train there from
Kansas City in the day time. When the
change was made in the running time
Of Santa Fe No. s. the Rock Island
made a rather peculiar move by push
INC I'M I7a running time nf No. "a
that it would reach Wichita at 2:50 p
m. In order to do this the connection
with the Golden State at Herlngton had
to be disregarded and this precluded
the handling by the Golden State of any
Of the mail handled by Santa Fe train
No 5, for there was no connection by
which it could be handled !
as No. IS had gone on without waiting
When this move was made the Rock
Island officials appeared to be satisfied
that they had a mortgage on the local
mails from Kansas City to Wichita for
points in the southwest as they could
not figure out how the Santa Fe could
beat the mthere on that new PROPOSE
ton. But the Santa Fe got busy. There
was train No. which leaves Kansas
CITY about the same time as Rock
Island IS and which had not yet fig
ured in the race. This train was due in
Newton at 1855 p. m What could be
easier than letting this train make a
bid for the local mails inasmuch as
! No. 5 apparently had a cinch on the
/ through mails by putting on an extra
i train from Newton to Wichita to make
+ connections with No. 3. This was
what was done yesterday This new
train leaves Newton at D. m, five
minutes after the arrival of No. 8, and
i makes the run to Wichita in thirty-hve
minutes. which IS going some. arriving
there fifteen minutes ahead of Rock
Island train No. So
II IS apparent that under the pres
ent schedules the only mail that is be-
ing fought for is the mail from Kan
sas City and intermediate points for
the southwest and it IS now I'D to the
/ Rock Island to beat the time Of Santa
re train No. and It's new connection
at Newton.
As stated the Rock Island officials
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