The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-10-05
RAILROAD xNEWS.
The Trinidad Extension of
ChOctaW Line Certain.
Work Will Be Started Within
a Year.
TAPS COAL COUNTRY.
The Line Will Open New Coun-
try Where Roads Are Needed.
Other Items of Interest to
Railway People.

According to well foH~-Ied rumors
| which have emanated rom the Rock
| Island general offices in Chicago, the
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific which
owns the Choctaw. Oklahoma & Gulf
road will within a short time COM
mence an extension CT the Choctaw
line from it's present terminus, ANA
rillo, to Trinidad, Colorado. Later on
it is planned to run the extension into
Denver which will give the Rock
Island territory in Texas and Okla
homa better connection into Denver
and Colorado.
The Rock Island road will build
into Trinidad and run through to
Denver within the next twelve months.
The object of the entrance of the
road into this territory is due to the
large amount of coal lands which the
Rock Island owns in this section, and
which they wish to open up for the
purpose of supplying their entire sys-
tenn with coal.
The shops of the road for the
western division will be located in
Trinidad, and this place will be made
one of it's important points and a di-
vision point. The road will be run
through to Denver and have it's west
ern terminal there.
A corps of engineers followed by
gangs of laborers are now working
in northern Texas and coming this
way. They will enter Trinidad by way
of New Mexico. Thousands of dol
lars will be spent here by the Rock
Island company, in mining their coal
and operating their road.
This was the statement made by
the engineer in chief of the Rock ISL
and road, who was in Trinidad last
week to confer with Trinidad bust
ness men in regard to the project.
The Rock Island road owns extern
sive tracts of coal near Aguillar, and
in the southern part of the state.
49, 9,.IJ -
found it to be the best they can Sc
cure for their purposes.
The price of coal is constantly go
ing higher all the time, and realizing
this to be the largest item of expense
in operating their road, the company
directors have seen fit to instruct
their chief engineer to run the line
into this territory.
Several years ago the Rock Island
made plans to enter Trinidad and go
through to Denver, but the plans were
interfered with and they never did
more than to survey the pro-
posed route.
The statement that they will at
once enter Trinidad. coming as it
does from the engineer in chief, is to |
be considered authentic and worthy OF |
--..e-
Business men of the city are now
in negotiation with the officials of |
the road.
The Rock Island owns one of the
best coal veins in this section of the |
and it has been said that |
heir holdings in Las Animas county |
would supply them for five hundred |
years to come. The fields near Agui-
ar are rich in soft coal, and are now
worth many times the price at which
the Rock Island bought them.
When the road first purchased these
fields it was the intention to open
hem UP at that time, but something
1indered this, and they put off the
work of developing the mine and
running their road this way until they
could see when it would pay them
better.
Evidently that time is close at hand
'or last week the engineers of the
'oad were in Trinidad with that end
n view. They made surveys in the
over part of the country and then
consulted with Trinidad men who
could give information they wished to
obtain.