The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-04-20
CONTRACT IS LET
w. l.. Taylor Tells of Railway
Move.
TeIegraphs Details of Proposed
Council Grove Line.

! A G. Goodwin, who will probably be
superintendent of construction as well
/ as general superintendent OF the Topeka
and Southwestern railroad received Il
/ telegram from w. l. Taylor this morn
! ing who is in New York, stating that
| the contract for the construction of the
line has been let and that work will be
commenced about June l, providing
/ that the township bonds carry at the
election May 21
Mr.. Taylor left for New York the
| first of the week to close up the deal
with Lamprecht Brothers & Co., who
| are furnishing the capital for the road
| and the telegram received this morning
is the first that has been heard from
him since. About two more days will
be consumed in going over the specifi-
cations and consulting Engineer Her
bert who has charge of the engineering
department of the Lamprechts and who
will probably accompany Mr.. Taylor to
Topeka.
The contract has been changed to
read that the road bed is to be of IL
inch ballast in the place of ten. The
contract price for the construction Is
placed at $4,000 per mile which in
dicates that the road bed will be about
the same as used by all standard rail-
roads. There is now little doubt but
that the road will be built if the town
ship bonds are voted and there is but
little opposition to them as they do
not become available until the road is
in actual operation.
When completed this will be the
first modern interurban road complet-
ed in the west. Steam will be used for
the purpose of moving freight and
gasoline and electricity for the pas
senger service. Traffic arrangements
have already been entered into with all
of the railroads entering Topeka and
it will be possible for a farmer on the
line to load a car of cattle anywhere
on the route and ship them any place
in the west without a change of cars.
There will be two passenger trains
a day, one leaving Topeka in the
morning and the other arriving in the
evening, which will give stock shippers
the best possible service in shipping to
Kansas City and St. Joseph markets.
Eight passenger trains each way every
day will take care of the traffic of this
kind, and two of them will be run for
the accommodation of people working
in the city and living in the Seabrook
neighborhood. The one in the morn
ing will make the trip in early enough
SO that SuburbaniteS may reach their
places of business at an early hour,
and a companion train will carry them
home at night.
Covered platform stations will be
constructed every two miles so that
freight and especially cream can be
loaded as we'll as passengers. The
trains, however, win stop anywhere
on the line to pick up passengers in
side of the city limits and in the thick
~ populated districts, and in the
country stations will be provided every
mile.
Lamprecht Brothers & Co, who are
to construct the line, are builders of
lines exclusively and own
and operate four such roads in the
east at the present time. They are
not building the line for sale but as
an investment.
While they feel that the line is be
ing constructed five years in advance
OF the demands of the country they |
the fact that advantages |
may be obtained at this time that |
might be in the hands of other build |
ers in few years hence. While the |
line at present will be built only to |
Council Grove there is little doubt |
but that a later day it will be extend |
ed to Marion and later to Hutchinson. |