The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-25
DIGS UP The FACTS
". L. Taylor Reports on Council
Grove Line.
Shows Financial Backers What
They May Expect.
TWO PROPOSED ROUTES
One by Dover and the Other
Through Auburn.
What 1t Would Cost to Operate
the Line.
TWO PROPOSED ROUTES

W. L. Taylor has just completed a |
report of the conditions in the territory |
tributary to the proposed Topeka & |
Southwestern railway as well as an
estimate of the cost of the construc-
ton and operation Of the line which /
will be filed with the board Of direc- |
tors of the road as soon as it is printed
in pamphlet form.
While it is condensed it is complete /
and gives Information as to field crops, !
population along the line, and the as
sessed valuation of the property in the
territory from which the railroad viii
draw its business, as well as copy of
the civil engineers report in detail.
Two routes to Council Grove are I'M
der consideration-on of them
through the fertile valley of Mission
creek to Dover, traversing Mission and
Dover townships, and the other to the
west through Mission and Auburn
townships to Auburn, there being but
little difference as to the trade TO be
derived from the routes.
The line by either survey will trav-
erse three of the best counties in the
state, each route offering plenty of adj
vantages and few disadvantages. The
land along the proposed roads is Meth
er upland nor bottom land strictly
speaking, as it is traversed by small
creeks and streams with valleys rang
ing in width from one to six miles and
crosses a low divide.
In leaving Topeka the line Will fol-
/ low a small stream whose valley is
narrow but broadens as the road fol-
I lows it to the southwest until it reach es
/ and crosses a low divide, when it again
reaches a rich and fertile valley which
/ extends TO Harveyville on the Auburn
route and to Keene on the Dover
course.
From Eskridge to Council Grove the
line Will be through q higher country
Of rich grass land given over almost
entirely to grazing, and in this section
will be found some of the largest and
/ finest ranches Of the state.
After the road is eight miles out OF
| the city of Topeka it Is exactly the same
! distance from the Santa Fe and Rock
Island lines, being eight miles from each
| Of them, and as the line extends farther
to the southwest the distance from these
roads increases until near Eskrfdge
where the Santa Fe branch, crosses the
proposed line of the Topeka and South
western railway.
The line divides territory sixty miles
in length by twenty-four in width, the
only competition being with the Santa
Fre at Eskridge or Harveyville and the
freight taken by this road will be turn
ed over to it at Topeka for the longest
portion of the haul 50 that competition
with the Santa Fe will not greatly dis
turb that line.
The population Of the four counties
which the line will traverse, Lyon, Nor
ris, Shawnee and Wabaunsee, is 107, 105,
with an assessed valuation Of S32, lbs, 281.
according to the assessors return for
the year 1903 which is based on % per
cent valuation and the mileage of the
road viii amount to about so miles.
Mission township is the only one ira
versed by the proposed line which did
not vote bonds to the extent Of $4,000
per mile for the construction of the
road and to Offset this the property
owners and individuals Of Dover town
ship have agreed to subscribe a suffi-
cient sum of money to purchase the
right of way through Mission township
The population Cd. the townships ira
versed by the Auburn line is 81 300 with
q property valuation of $14,193,8 1866 and
they have voted $142.5 800 for the con-
struction Of the road along the line pro-
Along the Dover line the population
is somewhat less dense and amounts to
SO. 500 with a bond issue of S137, 800 and
an assessed valuation which IS also
somewhat less than that of the Auburn
There is but little competition along
either of the proposed lines and the as
sessed valuation amounts to about S4z'-
600 per mile which represents but one
fourth the real value of the property OF
the territory tributary to the proposed
lines.
secretary of the state board OF agr1cul-
t11re shows that the value Of the field
crops of the district is $6,1943S1. the
dairy products $2.106.178. The live stock,
about 80 per cent of which IS cattle, p
per cent of hogs and the remainder OF
horses. sheep, etc. number 370,S65 and
r valued at 1851, 439.
The railway company propose to lay
out a townsfte about eight miles from
J Topeka though a location or name has
: not been selected The population OF
the territory along the line including
both terminals is about 1000 per mile
and figuring that 25 per cent of them
: will ride 80 miles per year over the line
J at a maximum rate of two cents per
mile the line will earn SIS, 900 per year.
It IS estimated that the total passen-
ger receipts of the road for the hrst
. year will amount to $20S80 and to this
is to be added $267, 461 for freight and ex-
) press carried, making the total receipts
! of the road $28S, 341 per annum.
The engineers report is based on the
, proposition that the right of way has
been secured and that the line IS along
one of the two routes which have been
surveyed where the grade VIII not ex-
coed per cent compensated and using
curves not sharper than four degrees.
The roadbed IS to be is feet wide on
the fills and 20 feet on the cuts using
six by eight by eight ties of either white
oak or long leaf yellow pine and "a
pound steeFrails with standard switches
] and frogs There are no large streams
] to be crossed and the bridges viii be
constructed of piling and concrete cul-