The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-04
A Trip Over the StilweH Rail.
way to Pacific.
Known as the Kansas City,
Mexico & Orient.
REMARKABLE ROAD.
Built by Remarkable Methods,
in Remarkable Manner.
The Seventeenth Train of In
spectiOn for Investors.

"A IranScOnLlnental railway is now
building upon the installment plan
but on a cash basis. The originator,
promoter and builder is Arthur E. Still
well, the president of the Kansas City,
Mexico & Orient Railway company.
The railroad is built and placed in
operation in sections. Trains are now
running and the company transacting
profitable business on four of these
sections, aggregating $50 miles out of
a total of 1,671 miles. from Kansas
City to the Pacific coast.
The line is almost straight one be-
tween the Missouri river and the west
ern terminus, Port Stilwell on Topolo-
bampo bay. near the opening of the
Gulf of California into the ocean.
This railway line will be five hun
bred miles shorter than any other
company's line to the Pacific coast, its
western terminus being east of a
north and south line drawn through
Salt Lake City and actually east of the
west boundary of Colorado. While
built in sections and installments, the
plans, policies and physical opportuni-
ties are such that it's bonded indebted
ness per mile will be only about one
half that of other transcontinental
lines. The grades will be lighter
there will be no snowsheds; there are
no tunnels through the mountains of
the continental divide.
The line passes through produc-
tive country, rich in agriculture, stock
growing and mineral products.
Its president states that while other
lines traverse five hundred miles of
desert the Orient has no desert.
1t may be interesting to the reader
to know how a railroad may be built
on the installment plan on an econom-
ical basis and with the expenditure of
far less money than has been required
to build other roads. Aside from the
advantages in construction, named
above, it is the policy of the company
road, until subscriptions covering the
necessary amounts are in hand.
The plan contemplates a very large
number of stockholders and the sub
scriptions are secured to a large ex-
tent by personally conducting pros
pective subscribers along the route of
the road and over its completed por-
tions showing them what has been
done and giving them object lessons
and educational facilities for learning
and judging of the business developed
and in practical prospect
StilweH Success.
Back of Mr.. Stiiwen is his reputa-
ton of success. especially in his con-
Etruction of the Kansas City Southern
railway, from Kansas City to Port
Arthur on the Gulf of Mexico, road
which has proven most profitable
tors and to the towns and cities along
its line and at the termini. Stilwell
schemes are proverbially successful.
Mr.. Stilwell was tricked out of the
presidency and control of the Kansas
City South ern, as he says, because he
would not deceive the stockholders,
whom he had induced, in Europe and
this country, to invest in his road He
had promised them good returns and
when Wall Street operators. who had
gained a majority of the stock, saw
the road about to prove valuable, they
- al ID -f.A h
stockholders to sell their shares. They
said they had engaged an expert writer
to decry the road and show that 1t
would prove a poor investment. This
was contrary to the facts and was to
be done in order to depress the stock
and enable the Wall Street operators
to obtain it. greater control at
bargain.
TO this nefarious scheme he was
threatened with ruin and the threat
was carried out to the extent of his
deposition from the management.
The next day he planned the road to
the Pacific and has bent his energies
to its construction from that day,
sever. years ago, to this.
1t is needless to say that he has had
the encouragement and financial sup
port of hundreds of the stockholders
who invested in his first road. The
friends of these stockholders came
after.
ta1ists had put their money into Orient
construction; today over six hundred
Englishmen are financially interested
in the building of the road and in the |
list appear the names of the most |
prominent men of London Scores of |
the shareholders live in the Neither |
lands, France and Germany. Hun |
dreds of the stockholders are residents /
of the United States and Mexico. The |
number of shareholders at present is |
thirty-six hundred. Many of these |
have been over the route or over the |
contracted lines. |
Seventeen Special Trains.
During the past two years seventeen |
special trains have been run by Mr.. |
Stilwell for the purpose of showing |
the advantages of the Orient road and |
the opportunities for profitable invest |
ment.
On these trains no one is importuned |
to invest, but every opportunity is |
given to show the possibilities and the |
desirability for the placing of surplus |
funds to create a good revenue.
Those who were invited to go on the |
seventeenth excursion of this nature |
assembled in Kansas City on Saturday, !
May 18th They numbered sixty and |
in the main were men seeking invest |
rnent. A few were officers of the COM |
pany, newspaper men and special |
friends of Mr.. Sti1well, who were not /