The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-18
Towns ON Larned Branch De-
clare War Against Mo. Pac.
10 Retaliate for Abandonment
CT Passenger Trains.
FIERCE CONTEST.
Freight Business to Be Divert
ed Wherever Possible.
Other Items CT Interest i'm
Railway Circles.

According to the citizens living along
the Larned branch of the Missouri Pa
cine. that road Is becoming too indie
pendent, also a little too arbitrary to
SUIT tnem Consequently these citizens
are exercising a little independence.
Inc result is a boycott of the road by
the patrons along the line, subsequent
result OF the taking off of the daily and
sunday passenger trains and the SUBJ
Sututlon OF a local accommodation
rms step was taken by the Missouri
racine as result of lack of patron
age coupled with the two cent fare rate
whlch the officials of the road argued
made passenger trains a losing pro-
position.
The line under discussion extends
from Conway Springs to Larned, a dis
lance OF approximately one hundred
miles. Some of the territory which this
line touches is very rich, and there are
other kinds as well. The road was built
some time during the early eighties,
just at the height of the boom in this
section of the state. 1t was originally
known as the Denver. Memphis and
Atlantic. From the initials the road
was known to the residents as the
Darling Mary Ann The road was
later absorbed by the Goulds and add
ed to the Missouri Pacific road.
Very little work has been done
towards improving this road and dur
ing the twenty-five years of it's exist
ence the road is about the same old
places is laid upon the ground, no road
bed being visible to the unaided eye.
The right of way follows the lay of the
land very closely, some times going up
a steep hill and sometimes going down
on the other side, with about as much
of a grade as the Adirondack noun
tains.
Despite the poor track conditions the
line does a good business, There are
several good shipping points on the
line. The line touches six counties,
starting at Conway Springs in Sumner
county, passing through Kingman,
Reno. Pratt, Stafford and terminating
at Larned in Pawnee. The towns along
the line where the company maintains
an agent are Conway Springs, Milton,
Norwich Belmont, Alameda. Kingman,
Penalosa, Colcott, Turon, Nicola, Stat
ford, Bedford, Hudson, Seward, Ray |
and Iarned. There is branch from |
Olcott to Iuka which does considerable |
business.
Some of the shipping points have |
more than one road. They are Milton, |
ia Fe. Kingman with the Santa Fe, |
Turon with the Rock Island, and Larn-
ed on the Santa Fe.
The passenger train which was taken
off deprives the residents of most OF
these towns Of their regular delivery of
mails as the accommodation train
makes a very uncertain schedule. 1t
also deprives the people of Sunday
mails. 1t is this fact which mas done
more than anything else to arouse the
re of the natives and for these reasons
hey have been said to have declared
war against the Gould line.
At Norwich, everything Is being or
Tered shipped by the Santa Fe. A hack
inc is to be established from this town
20 Milton in order to carry the Sunday
nail to Milton. Sunday mail Is re-
,eived in Norwich over the Santa Fe.
F<fngman Is using the Santa Fe almost
entirely. Several. merchants of that
own have sent word to the wholesale
houses along that line that they Will
lot receive goods consigned over the
Pacific.
Turon stanford and Larned have
rood service from other roads and Will
lever be affected very much by the
Missouri Pacific's actions. However the
,ther little towns along the line are
,eIn1ess and must inevitably use the
Missouri Pacific.
The campaign of these towns against
he Missouri Pacific will be watched
With considerable interest. The towns
,ope to win their case by dlVerllns
business to other lines. They argue
hat if the Missouri Pacific mas Lnat '
heir freight business Is falling on TO
nch an extent that 1t is not profitable
n run even a freight train. they will {
70 willing to lose little money sooner
han to lose all their business and Will
bus put their passenger train back. I
10th sides seem to have some Just1na-
Ie claims to support their position ana
he result will be reached only after
considerable working against each
Their.