The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-23

the Chicago, Milwaukee & St Paul will
complete its extension from FRESNO 10
Rapid City, S. D, 175 miles, this year
as well as the extension from Madison
to Sioux Falls S. D., 50 miles, making
a total of LIB miles being built by the
St Paul system. The Chicago & North
western has 403 miles under cOnstruc-
ton and partially graded in Illinois,
Wisconsin, South Dakota and Wyola-
ing; the Kansas City, Mexico & Orient
has over 700 miles to build to com
plete It's line between Kansas City and
the Mexican border, and the Santa F'e
system has 271 miles under way in
Indian Territory, Texas, New Mexico
and Arizona
The following are some of the other
companies which have important ex-
tensions under contract: Missouri Pa
ctf1c, 230 miles in Arkansas, Louisiana,
Illinois and Missouri: the Missouri,
Oklahoma & Gulf, 308 miles in the In
dian and Oklahoma territories aud
Kansas and Texas the Rock Island
system, l34 miles in Iowa, Indian Ter
ritory and Arkansas; the Southern rail
way. 200 miles in North Carolina, Ten
nessee,e Alabama. Indiana and Mis-
sissippi; the Atlantic & Birmingham,
208 miles in Georgia and Alabama; the
Illinois Central, 10 miles in Mississippi.
Alabama, Indiana, Illinois, kentucky
and Tennessee; the Wisconsin Central,
$50 miles in Wisconsin; the Florida
East Coast, 128 miles in Florida; the
Trinity & Brazos Valley, 227 miles IN
Texas; the COlOra6o Southern, New
Orleans & Pacific, 100 miles in Lou1sl-
ana; the Spokane international, l40
miles IN Washington and Idaho.
The so-called Yoakum-Hawley syn
dicate, which now controls the Trinity
& Brazos Valley, the Beaumont Sour
Lake & Western, the Orange & North
western the Colorado Southern, New
Orleans & Pacific. and other small
roads, has $50 miles of line under con-
struction in Texas and Louisiana, with
several hundred miles additional pro
5ected.
over two-thirds of the 5000 miles
under contract are being built in the
interest Of 50 companies, an average
of 231 miles for each company.
Last year North Dakota led all the
states of the union in railway building
with sag miles of new line completed,
but this year she viii have to take
back. seat to her sister state, South Da-
kOta. In the latter there are 725 miles
under way, all but s miles of which
are being butt by the Chicago, Mil
waukee & St. Paul. the Chicago &
Northwestern and the Minneapolis &
st. Louis.
In the states of Washington, Oregon,
Idaho, Montana and Wyoming over
$500 miles are under contract, and
while it is impossible to say what per-
centage Of this mileage will be com
pIeted during the present year, the
building operations In these states Will
be very active and will be watched
with great interest, for this section OF
the country furnishes the stage for the
various conflicts between the Hill and
the Hartman interests
In Louisiana 66T miles are under
contract. more than one-half of which
probably will be completed this year,
and in Texas the mileage under con-
tract aggregates /, 296 miles This in
cludes over 500 miles of the Kansas
City, Mexico & Orient; 227 miles of
AL ~rs--s q Val aV
miles Of the Houston & Texas Central;
all Of which cannot be completed this
year. The remaining 434 miles are
made up of 16 extensions from to { .
miles in length, at least three-fourths
of which appear to be bona fide pro-
jects.
Although S64 miles are reported IN
der contract in the Indian and Okla
homa territories, some of the projects
are OF doubtful nature and We
should consider 800 miles for the pres
ent year a very liberal estimate. In
Illinois, the greatest railway state Of
the union, where 200 miles of new
road were added last year, there are
178 miles under contract and the live
projects aggregate 309 miles
The mileage under contract in some
other states is as follows: New York
1876 miles; Pennsylvania, 177 miles;
West Virginia, 207 niles Virginia,
446 miles. North Carolina. 336 miles;
Georgia. 1877 miles; Florida 900 miles.
Alabama, 248 miles; Mississippi, 1872
miles; Tennessee, 113 miles; Ohio, 115
miles; Indiana, 154 miles; Wisconsin,
2S7 miles; Minnesota, 185 miles; North
Dakota. 1876 miles: Nebraska 217
miles; Kansas. IA miles; Missouri,
135 miles; Arkansas. 43S miles; Colo
RADIO 362 miles; Wyoming, 262 miles;
Montana, 439 miles; California, 41S
miles; New Mexico. 253 miles,; Idaho,
40 miles; Utah, 13S miles; Oregon,
200 miles; Washington, 1000 miles
The mild weather has made possible
the continuation of construction work
+ throughout the winter in many por-
lions Of the country, and If the prom
Use Of an early spring is realized con-
tractors viii be enabled to get an
earlier start than usual IN the north
and northwest. where the forces are
being mustered preparatory to BE-