The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-08
RAILROAD NEWS.
Much Money Being Spent bySanta
Fe for Employees Club Houses.
There Are Now Twenty-One of
Them Along the System.
PROVE A SUCCESS.
High Class Entertainments and
Lectures Provided for Men.
Gossip and Matters of Interest
in Railroad Circles.
PROVE A SUCCESS.

In the neighborhood of fifty thous-
and dollars will be expended this year
by the Atchison. Topeka & Santa Fe
Railway company for the maintenance
of reading rooms. or, more properly
speaking, well equipped cIubhouses for
the entertainment and accommodation
of the employees of the system. In ad-
dition to this sum for maintenance. the
company plans TO spend more than one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars in
erecting new. clubhouses during the
year. There are twenty-one of these in
stitutions now in operation at various
points on the system and before many
months have passed four new ones will
be established and plans are in the
making for the erection of others.
Work has already been started on
new clubh0uses at The Needles. Cal,
10 cost $500 and at La Junta, to
cost $4,000, and contracts have been
let for the building of others at Shaw
nee, Okla. at d cost of $4,000. and at
Silsbee, Texas. at a cost Of $4,000.
Plans have also been drawn for the
erection of buildings for this purpose
at Arkansas City, Marceli1e, No, and
Gallup, N Nj.
It was only seven years ago that the
Santa Fe started in TO provide reading
rooms, or clubhouses, for their en-
pioyes at points Where many of them
gather or where shops are located. So
popular did the first ones become and
so evident were the good results OBJ
tanned through them. that regular
department for their supervision was
created and 1t was decided to go ahead
as fast as practicable in establishing
them all over the system. Most OF the
officials of the road are deeply interest
ed in these institutions and none more
so than James E. Hurley, the general
manager Of the system. It has be-
come the opinion of the officials that
il is quite as necessary for the success
full operation of the road to provide
for the comfort OF the men during
their leisure hours and their enter
tainment as well, as it is to have en-
gines to maui the trains.
All Of these -clubhouses. which have
been established recently. and the
plans for the ones under construction
and proposed will have similar equip
nient, have all sorts of facilities for the
comfort Of the men and their enter
tainment- Bowling alleys. billiard
rooms and small gymnasiums are some
of the features in addition to reading
rooms. Baths are available and in
many of the buildings, and all the new
ones to be built Will have them, are
sleeping rooms which can be secured
by the men for a nominal sum.
s. p. Bltsser, who is the superintend-
ent of these reading rooms. and whose
headquarters are at EmpOria, was in
town yesterday OH business. He spoke
with great enthusiasm of the interest
being taken by the men in these clubs
and OF the work which is being accom-
pIished by them.
cone who is not familiar with the
situation" said Mr. Busser. "can
scarcely realize what a boon these
places are for the railroad working
men. and the great benefits, not only
they but the company. derive from
them. Probably the feature of the
clubs which intereststhe men the most
are the libraries. We have just order
cd three thousand new books for the
libraries and these will hardly meet