The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1906-02-09

D
ible to Mr. Stilwell and he started to
find what would make a short line to
the Pacific coast. Stretching string
with one end on the globe at Kansas
| City he stretched the other end along
the Pacific coast until the point OF
shortest distance was found to be at
Topolobampo bay. Gulf Of California,
and straightway he determined that
line should be built between these
two points The early difficulties OF
interesting capitalists in the project
were numerous, but with his splendid
ability and convincing presentation OF
the situation he finally succeeded in
getting enough capital interested to
make a start He determined at the
outset that this road should not be
constructed along the lines usually
pursued with such enterprises, in that
he would keep away from the influ-
ence of Wall street and no Wall street
money should go into the construction
| of the line. He had had little ex-
perence with the gratitude of Wall
street capitalists, who had frozen him
out of his labors in the construction
of the Kansas City Southern road as
soon as that line was completed, and
he resolved if he promoted another en-
terprise of this kind that he would
deal with the people direct, sell stock
in small amounts among small capital
lists. The result of this policy is that
at the present time there are $4,000
stockholders in the enterprise among
them being several hundred Nebras-
kans. These stockholders invest be-
cause they have faith in the enterprise
and confidence that Mr.. Stilwell will
be able to complete the road. The
object Of the recent excursion, which
was the sixth of the kind that has been
run, was to demonstrate the possibil-
tiles for business over the new line
as soon as it is completed.
What They Said.
At the City of Mexico the party
called upon President Diaz, and he as
sured the members that he is very
much interested in the completion of
the line which will unite the two coun-
tries and give an outlet to the Pacific
coast from the interior of Mexico
there being no railroad at the present
time from the table lands of Mexico
to the western coast. That what he
said is true has been demonstrated by
the large concessions granted to the
road, payable as rapidly as it is COM
pleted. At Chihuahua Governor Creel,
governor of the state of Chihuahua
and one of the richest men of Mexico,
who is first vice president of the road,
gave assurances of his interest in the
project, which assurances are backed
by substantial state subsidies.
The portions of the line that have
been completed have been built in a
most substantial manner, the grading
all being done solidly and the iron
being heavy enough to stand great
traffic. Edward Dickinson, for years
general manager of the Union Pacific
and well known in Nebraska, occupies
the position of general manager of the
new road, and he is a practical rail-
road man who is looking after the de-
| tails of construction, which is an as
surance that the line will be built right
| The Sinaloa News in a recent issue
pays the following well deserved tri-
butte to the way this road is being
built:
An Honest Road.
THE writer has travelled over prac-
tically every line of railway in the
republic of Mexico, during the period
of the past ten years, from the Rio
Grande to the southernmost borders
OF the republic, and gives this entirely
unsolicited testimonial that the Still.
well railroad from Topolobampo to
Fuerte is an honestly built road, show.
ing progressive American methods and
excel ent technical construction
throughout. Every tie-and they are
laid close together-is redwood
sawed tie, imported from California.
Practically all of the steel is specially
made sixty-pound American rails. The
rails are properly spiked down, the
fishplates strong and properly boIted.
all switches of modern construction,
and carefully installed, and the rails
well reinforced at curves and grades.
The bridges, while not of masonry.
are well piled, with safe approaches
and abutments, and substantial SUD-
erstructure. The water tanks, etc.
are all modern construction, not a
streak of rust and right of way"
BY contrast with some of the other
railroads constructed in recent years
in Mexico, under government subsi-
dies and subventions, it looms I'D as
very New York Central" in point of
substantially and honest construction.
and the Kansas City, Mexico and Ori.
ent railway deserves unlimited credit
and praise for the substantial and hon.
orable manner in which it has carried
out its contract with the federal gov
ernment of the republic of Mexico.
They deserve consideration at the
hands of the Mexican government, and
the stockholders of this railway NAV