The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-01
Men RebeIIed at Last Minute
and All Hope Fled.
ROAD GAVE UP FIGHT.
General Manager Stopped Rush
When Situation Was Realized.
Sedgwick Commissioners De-
manded Entire Completion.


lost the long struggle. The overcoming
of countless obstacles, the constant
fight for materials and the efforts of
the laborers have in the end availed
nothing toward the winning of the
$12O,0oo in bonds offered by Sedgwick
county and Wichita should the railroad
finish its track to the Red river by
January 1.
1t was believed for a while Monday
that perhaps the railroad might win
providing train be sent over the track
the first of the year, but in a confer
ence last night between the officials Of
the road and Edward Martin, s. B.
Herman and Garrison Scott, commits
sioners from Wichita, the officials were
told that the contract provided that
track must be laid between Dill City
and the Red river on or before Decem-
Der 81. That would give until midnight
to finish the work. This was impossi-
BILE and as soon as Edward Dickinson.
the general manager, was told that the
tracking must be finished last night
he ordered the late work on the track
to be stopped. A whistle blew and $50
men who were working trying to short
en- that gap OF six miles stopped work.
working Monday night there might
have been chance of win
ming. When they stopped work there
was six miles of track yet to lay and
that distance was decreased very little
yesterday. When work stopped last
night there was still a gap of more
than five miles. When Mr. Dickinson
getting a train through today the bonus
might be won, there was some hope.
The men would have been willing to
have worked last night and there SEEM
ed a possibility of laying as much as
four miles of track.
Everything started well and then
came the rlisnaps. A bridge, newly
built. gave way and it took the efforts
of nearly a II the men until late Monday
to repair it so that the material could
be taken to the other side. Before that
there had been a chance. a long chance.
But when the bridge went, hope went
also. The men, who had been working
all the harder because of their sleep or
last night, now became slower in their
efforts and did not seem to take the in
terest in the struggle that they had
shown formerly.
There was not a day during the
construction that something of SER
ious nature did not happen to delay
the work and make less of a chance
to win Even the county commission
ers who came here yesterday ex-
pressed their sorrow that the road had
lost Every day it seemed that every
thing that could hinder work had al
ready happened and that there would
be a chance to get some good work
done on the track. The men were
willing, but half the time there was no
material. and every few hours some
thing new would come up to stop the
work When the order came to stop
work last night the men were just
starting on a level stretch of ground
that would make track laying easy,
but the easy places came too late.
"And 1 have bet a hat we'd win,
he said slowly as the train pulled out.
I'VE did everything we could and 1t
was not our fault if we lost
E. E. Dickinson. general manager
of the road, said: I'VE made failure
of winning the bonus. but it was be-
cause everything imaginable happen
ed to keep work from progress. L
thought yesterday afternoon that the
commissioners would allow US the
bonds if we got train through today,
able to do even that. I believe the
line will be finished about January 2,
Notwithstanding the failure of the
road to connect in time, the work will
still be rushed
Mr.. Dickinson sent this telegram
last night to A. E. StilweI. president
of the company, informing him of
Everything wrong. but have done
best we could. Will close gap in two or
three days"
There is a slight prospect that the
ommissionerS may relent, surrender
the bonds and not be technical if road
is completed in a day or two.