The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-06
RIGHT IN TOUCH.
Topeka and Onaga Join the
Hands of Friendship
President Holiday aud Mayor
Davis Speak for Capital City.
A ROYAL WELCOME.
Every Citizen Of Little City
Helps TO Receive Visitors.
Good Things for All Spread
Upon Tables.
USE OF GASOLINE CARS.
VIII Put Them in Service Soon
as Completed.
Everyone Reaches Topeka Safely
A p4n..s n. nj
Every Citizen Of Little City
Helps TO Receive Visitors.
Good Things for All Spread
Upon Tables.
USE OF GASOLINE CARS.
VIII Put Them in Service Soon
as Completed.
Everyone Reaches Topeka Safely
After the Trip.

Two hundred. and fifty of the prom
1nent business men of Topeka partfci-
pated yesterday in the formal opening
of the Topeka and Northwestern branch
OF the Union Pacific railway system. It
is safe to say that not ne of them re-
GREETED the trip. They were introduced
TO a territory tributary to Topeka witch
mas unrivaled opportunities for develop
raent, and were entertained at Onaga.
the present terminus Of Tie line, IN such
a whele-souled, cordial way that every
one Of them iamented the fact that the
ex1gencies of the occasion permitted but
brief stay Of two hours there.
There were any quantity of men on
the trip whose memories runneth back
beyond the ordinary ken, and one and
all of these "oldest inhabitants' OK
pressed themselves as being sure that
never in the history of railroading in
these parts had line been opened TN
ger more suspicious conditions and cir
cumstances.
They certainly had good grounds for
expressing such conclusions for not only
was the road opened formally with one
OF the largest excursions which .sver
took part in such an event but d regular
tram service was put in operation. This
services viii be augmented in the near
future by the addition OF one of the new
Union Pacific gasoline motor cars, ard
Wnen this gets running passengers u i'll
pc able to get accommodations out of
topeka and Onaga twice a day.
The New Line.
This new line Of the Union Pacific
properly begins at Menoken, four miles
west Of North Topeka, and runs frcra
there almost due northwest, a distance
OF thlrty-elght miles to Onaga. It cuts
through the southwestern portion Of
jackson county and Up through the
northeastern corner Of Pottawatomie
county. It trails through the heart Of
rich farming country most suitable to
the culture Of corn and the aising of
live sstocks The territory is not by any
means overpopulated and 1t is expected
that the opening of the road will attract
many settlers because of the advan-
tages offered. It viii not be many years
now before the PottaWatomie reserva-
ton of eighty-thr thousand acres,
which the road skirts on the west. viii
be available for purchase from the In
dams.
But this line has not been built by
the Union Pacific for the primary pur-
pose of developing the territory contig-
uous to it. It is merely q part of q plan
Of the officials OF the company to short
en- the route of the road from Kansas
City to the Pacific coast by over one
hundred miles. Plans have already been
prepared for the extension of the line
from Onaga to AIarygviile. When this
is built a Junction will be possible with
the ST. Joe & Grand Island line, This
line connects at Grand Island with one
of the main lines of the Union Pacific
and It is proposed TO route all through
Pacific coast traffic via Topeka and
over these lines direct to Cheyenne This
through Union Pacific trains now have
to make to get in and out of Denver.
Work on the extension of the line from
Onaga TO MaFysviile viii begin in the
spring.
From a physical aspect the line to
Onaga has many remarkable features.
1t is almost as straight as it is possible
to build a railroad. There is one
stretch which runs in an absolute bee
line for over SIX miles. The gradient
is slight, the maximum grade being
eight-tenths and the average six enths,
which latetr figure means that the
grade is only twenty-five feet to the
mile. In order to secure this minimum
grade enormous fills and cuts have been
made and some eight miles this side OF
Onaga is a cut sixty-five feet deep. It
is said to be the deepest cut on any rail-
road III Kansas
Towns Begin to Bloom.
Although the construction OF this road
was not started until less than year
ago the nucleus of four towns have
sprung Up along its lire. These are
Grove, S.3 miles from Menokens Aellas
73 miles farther on Emmett, { miles
beyond Della, and Barco, 100 miles past
Emmett and about four miles this side
of Onsga With the exception Of EN-
nett these towns are little more than
whistling stations now. but before many
moons have passed and the Faiiroad sta
tions and yards are built, it is believed
that all OF the places VIII be thriving
communities on a small scale. Emmett
-
called town. It boasts Of a substan~
ffal stone building occupied by the En-
NETT state bank, a. half dozen stores
and shops. a restaurant and number
Of residences in the course OF construc-
ton. Along the railroad sidings are exc
tensive cattle pens and as an evidence
of the fact that Emmett viii be the inl-
portant live stock shipping point on the
from there last evening on the first reg
ulaF train out of onaga.
Grove is the only place on the line
that has the proud distinction of hav-
ing a nickname. and it is rather an IL
lIstTious one 1t is there that a great
number Of the hundred japanese, who
were employed in the last STAGES of the
construction of the road, made their
camp and they called it Togo" On
shanties all around the vicinity where
name Togo ard the natives who live
nearby refer to it in this wise.
Details OF Initial Trip.
For the formal opening Of the road the
officials Of the Union Pacific invited the
members of the Commercial club Of To-
peka and their friends to make up the
party. This Invitation was accepted
with an enthusiasm when the party
gathered at the Union Pacific station
In North Topeka at 8 o'clock yesterday
morning. Although the morning was
one OF the coolest which has been ex-
s2arianosa IN this vicinity this season