The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-28
Santa Fe Is at Work. on New
Southwest Lines.
Graders and Men on Ground
West of Wichita.
PRE-EMPT TERRITORY.
Many Branch Lines Proposed
Through Developing Country.
Gossip and Matters of Interest
in Railroad Circles.

Wichita, Jan. 2S.-Three hundred
scrapers. hundreds of shovels, plows
and other tools used in grading road
beds for railways have been unloaded
at Englewood by the Atchison, Topeka
& Santa Fe- Railway company.
That the company has long been
planning for the extension of this line
as far west as Liberal has been known
for some time.
This line is proposed from Engle wood
through Liberal, the western part of
Beaver county, Oklahoma, to Ration,
New Mexico, where the Santa Fe has
extensive coal lands. Never has the
company given official recognition of
the report
Civil engineers in charge of the route
to be taken have let it be known that
the extension of the line will be in a
southwesterly direction from Engle-
wood into Beaver county, crossing the
Cimarron river in the northeastern part
of old No Mans Land.
1t is proposed to touch Beaver, the
county seat of Beaver county, and from
this city the road will be. graded in a
northwesterly direction to Liberal,
Kan, passing through or near the post
OFFICES of Hfbbs, F'loris and Beatrice.
What direction the line will take west
from Liberal cannot be learned There
are two routes that have been proposed
to the company and it is understood
that both have been run out by survey
ing parties. One of these routes is in
a westerly direction about on the south
line of the state of Kansas until the line
separating Colorado and Kansas is
crossed. Thence southwesterly to Ra-
ton.
The other line proposed is southwest
erly from Liberal to about the central
part of Beaver county. Thence wester-
ly and southwesterly to Ration or Trim
idad.
This extension will give the Santa
Fe new outlet for it's coal interest in
New Mexico and Colorado by reason
Of the fact that it will have direct
line to Wichita from the coal region
ana also an outlet into Oklah oma by
the Denver. Enid & Gulf branch
which is to form a juncture with the
Englewood branch at Belvidere
That 1t is ultimately the intention
of the Santa Fee to give local service
to all of Woodward county, part of
Beaver county and Woods county is
evident from the fact of this COM
pany's activity in railway building in
western Oklahoma.
A large. force of graders are now at
work throwing up a dump fer the
ton, small station on the Panhandle
line just east of Woodward, south
easterly to Selling, an inland town in
the northern part of Dewey county.
This line will be little over 40 miles
in length. A large part of the grad
ing in Woodward county has been
done and the work is being pushed as
rapidly as the season will permit.
Selling is within a few miles of the
southwestern corner of Woods county.
1t is in a rich farming region and is
far removed from a railroad. In fact
the only road in Dewey county is the
Kansas City, Mexico & Orient, which
touches the eastern part.
Another road projected out of
Woodward is one by the Santa Fe to
Fort Supply, the site selected for the
location of the Oklahoma state insane
asylum. Whenever this extension is
the asylum will be located
at Old Supply. The company has an
nounced that the road would be built
as soon as possible.
This road is not doomed to be a
Jerk water" branch, however. 1t is
to extend it northwesterly,
touching Buffalo, the mythical county
seat of Harper county. which was re-
Gently formed out of the northwestern
portion of Woodward county. From
Buffalo the road is to connect with
the extension of the Englewood
branch at Beaver or to the branch
proper at Ashland or Englewood.