The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-15
SAYS IT WILL PAY
Ii. NJ. Herbert Pleased With
Council Grove Road Project.
Route Has Been Selected But Is
Still Secret.
EAST SIDERS THERE.
Delegation on Hand to Hear
About Biddle Greek Lake.
Thirty lone New Members Ad-
mitted to the Club.
EAST SIDERS THERE.

Every seat in the Commercial club
meeting house was filed last night,
when II. NJ Herbert, the engineer sent
out to investigate the Topeka Council
Grove railroad proposition. almost, but
not quite. let out the secret which is
agitating the farmers and stock men all
the way from start to terminus.
1T would not be violating any conf
dence." said Mr.. Herbert, Ito say that
I have decided that this proposition
will pay the OPERATING expenses and
Is the kind of proposition my company
is looking for When we come to that
decision, we are also satisfied that in
five years 1t will be grand, good pay
ing proposition.
Il will admit also, that after close
examination Of the profiles submitted
by the resident engineer. and an in
specton of the two proposed routes, l
have decided on the route we viii take
from Topeka to Council Grove, - here
the interested farmers, among them
held their breaths expectantly. and
then sighed heavily as he continued,
but / Will not say anything further on
that subject until have conferred with
the company" The thud with which
Mr.. Stahls spirits fell was almost au-
dible, but not another symptom of bus
mess secrets could be squeezed from
Mr.. Herbert, inspecting engineer of the
continued to talk for several minutes,
but his important Secret-the route nc
had chosen-remained locked in his
breast. Even w. L. Taylor, promoter
of the road, who has worked hard on
the railroad proposition from the start.
does not know, and must, like the
patiently for Mr.. Herbert's report upon
returning to New York. Mr.. Herbert
leaves for New York tonight, and ex-
poets to get out his report at once.
q AT~,rr
YORK with this proposition some months
ago." said Mr.. Herbert. THE company
has many such propositions, but as a
rule. they meet with scant courtesy.
scheme, and my visit to this part of
Kansas is the result
Mr.. Herbert spoke also of the
cordial reception given him by the.
people along the route. Il will say
for Kansas: Never before in all my
experience have met a more cordial. &
thrifty and respectable people. wills
also say that 1 never saw worse wagon
roads in my life"
Mr.. Herbert. in this connection.
spoke of the excellent country roads,
in his home state. New Jersey. and
upon request from "a member of the
club, briefly outlined the road policy
of that state. and said that he thought
it might be applied to advantage in
Kansas. He said he would mail copy
aof the New Jersey road laws to the
Club. #
Mr.. Herbert was introduced to tn 81
club by w. L. Taylor, local booster /
of the Council Grove line. Mr. Tay-s
Tor detailed the trip from Topeka to
Council Grove and return in a car
riage, and the enthusiastic welcome of
the farmers along the route He said
that he believed that Mr.. Herbert
upon his return to New York would
corroborates every statement he made
TO the Lamprecht company while in
he 1r 49,
proposition he had to offer
President Holiday. of the CONNER
cial club. then spoke briefly on the
subject, and called attention to the
fact that Topeka was Enthusiastically
IN favor Of the proposed road, and
pointed out its advantage as a cutoff
across the state from west to east.
General Manager James E. Hurley,
OF the santa Fe, who was scheduled to
address the club on the Importance of
new railroad shops in Topeka, was not
on hand. The president read a tele-
gram from Mr. Hurley at Albuquerque.
N NJ. In which he regretted his in
ability to attend the meeting on ac-
count of detention on Important bust
ness, bu- promised to be present at
the January meeting of the club.
James McCabe. city engineer. was
not present, but Secretary T. J. An
derson read a paper by Mr. McCaber on
Biddle creek. In his paper Mr.. Nc
Cabe said in part:
'Biddle creek rises about one and
one-half miles southeast of town on
what is known as the John Richmond
farm, and is fed by several springs. The
watershed adjacent to this waterway
south of Eleventh street comprises
about two thousand acres and Drac-
tically extends to Eagle avenue on the
south, the Vinewood railway right of
way on the west and California avenue
on the east
Near the south line Of Twelfth
r =
hundred feet apart. I believe it would
be practicable to construct a dam
which would effectualIy keep the water
off the territory to the north of 1t and
elevate the water high enough to drain
it through spillway running in a
westerly direction to the Shunganunga
creek
"Biddle creek rises and falls before
The Shunganunga creek rises for which
reason this method of draining the
water is practicable.
This would necessitate the purchase
of about twenty acres of land south of
the proposed dam site. which would be
submerged and would make a lake
about nine hundred feet long by four
hundred feet wide, four feet deep a t
the dam. only a few inches deep at the
south end and of a depth of seven or
eight feet in places.
The waterway being fed by living
springs, I do not think there would be
any serious trouble from stagnant
water during dry weather. If this
water was carried from the lake
through a spillway south Of Eleventh
street in a westerly direction to the
Shunganunga creek a distance of four
thousand feet, some land would have
to be purchased for this purpose, but
the land would not be so expensive as
to make this item a serious obstacle to
the proposed plan"
A large sign bearing the Inscription,
East Side Improvement Club" was
tackled on the wall of the club room,
and a large number of east siders were
present. Chris Roof spoke in answer
to the call for anything for the good
OF the order" by -sarcastically referring
a Al