The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-10-15
Topeka & Southwestern Getting
Ready for Grader.
New Force of Engineers Put to
Work at Topeka.
HERBERT rs COMING.
Consulting Engineer viii Ap'
prove the Plans.
President Taylor Says Minor
Changes Will Be Made.

This is to be a busy week on the
eka-Southwestern. The engineer
ing department has now got the line
permanently located to Eskridge, Kan.
A new corps of engineers has started
at Boles avenue setting the grade
stakes for the graders. These engineers
will also measure up the quantities so
that the right of way agent can secure
deeds for the right OF way at once.
Mr.. W. T. Denton of Cleburne, Tex,
and J. II. Maxwell of this city have
formed partnership and secured the
contract for the grading of the first
seventeen miles.
Mr.. Denton said: Mr. Maxwell and
myself are just waiting to get a con-
firmation on our contract. We expect
to put two hundred teams to work yet
this fall. November is generally
good month to work in Kansas and we
want to get all done we possibly can
before the extreme cold weather sets
in, then we will move our outfit out
on the summit where there is consid-
cradle of rock work to do. I prefer to
do this rock work during the winter"
Mr.. Taylor, president of the Topeka
Southwestern, who forwarded the con-
tracts to the financial people Tor their
approval, has received word from Mr..
Herbert, their consulting engineer,
that he would be here Immediately and
look over the work and suggest some
minor changes before he would ap-
prove the contract let to Denton &
Maxwell. When asked if he thought
his changes would be anything serious,
Mr.. Taylor smiled and said: 'You
know Mr.. Herbert is consulting en-
gineer and if he did not suggest some
changes it would not be long before the
financial people would not need any
consulting engineer. I am not afraid
10 Mr 4Nh - zl, al
us any at all. He is a practical rail-
road man and while we have furnished
him with contour maps and all of the
data necessary, he can pass upon them
more intelligently if he comes upon the
ground. He will probably suggest
some changes which will assist us ma
terially in getting the line completed ar
his FORMER stimats. Among some or
the changes he will suggest will be
two or three six degree curves instead
of four degree. We have good prac-
teal engineers in charge of our location
and they have advised me all the time
that it would be almost impossible to f1t
a four degree railroad on the country
we are building over.
Mr. Herbert's estimate for the en-
tire line was s1S,4oO per mile, that is
completed and fenced, and according
to the data our chief engineer sent
Mr.. Herbert on the first seventeen
miles or from Topeka to Dover, it
shows the expense of $19,605 per
WHICH Is $1,ZUo per mile more
than the original estimate, but if Mr..
Herbert will permit one or two six
degree curves we can eliminate some
expensive cuts and probably one or
two expensive frame trestles. We are
expecting Mr.. Herbert out here any
day this week as he has wired me he
would be in Topeka on Sunday the
goth, without fail and probably a few
days earlier. We are pretty well pre-
pared for him to come. We have now
raised nearly a sufficient amount of
money to buy all the right of way that
it will be necessary for us to acquire
from Topeka to Eskridge as our part
of the contract was that we were to
furnish the right of way for them to
build the railroad on. We have Sc
cured considerable right of way for
nothing but from Topeka to the west
line of Mission township has been very
extensive and we lack about $4,000
OF having enough money to acquire
all the right of way that we will need.
Some of the business men in Topeka
who are very much interested in this
have not yet subscribed
for our bonds and we feel confident
that we will have no trouble in meet
ing our part of the contract. For
Dover township and the other town
ships On west, they are taking care OF
themselves in good shape.
1--WE are starting today at the west
line of the city limits to set the grade
stakes and getting everything in read
mess. We can do this as Mr.. Herbert
will not make any changes in the
right of way until we are eight or ten
miles from town or what is known as
the divide between the Shunganunga
opd the Mission creek.