The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-01
TAYLOR TELLS IT
Explains His Resignation From
Topeka & Southwestern.
Stepped Aside for Good of the
Project.
HEAD MEN ARE COMING
Messrs. Herbert and Curnick
Here in Few Days.
Says That Success of Project is
Assured.
HEAD MEN ARE COMING

the Topeka & Southwestern railroad.
received word today that II. NJ. Her
bert president of the construction
company which is to build the line,
will be in Topeka early. this month in
company with F. j. Curnick. The To-
cal members of the company have
been busy during the, week in raising
funds to pay for the remainder of the
right of way to the west line of Shaw
nee county and the indications are
that the work of constructing the line
will commence within short time.
Much has been said pro and con
since Mr.. Taylor was ousted from the
presidency of the road and afterwards
from the construction company and
for the first time Mr.. Taylor has stated
his side of the. proposition in an inter-,
view which follows. .
II have been asked a great many
! Zines why 1 resigned from the presi-
'ency of the Topeka e. Southwestern
railroad company and afterwards
rom the board of directors" said Mr..
Taylor.
'In the past have refused to dis
cuss the proposition, but L feel in JUS
tice to myself that 1 should say some
thing at this time as It now seems that
the success of the road Is assured. A
number of men whom 1 considered my
friends came to me during the past
year and told me that Topeka inves-
tors were losing confidence in the
proposition on account of my inability
to finance it, These same men went
to the members of the board of direc-
tors and prejudiced them against me
to such an extent that 1 felt that 1
could aid the project more by resign
ing than remaining in the company.
These men we'll knew that nothing
could be accomplished towards build
Ing the road until the local company
had complied with their CONTRACT and
furnished the right OF way Stories
were started to the effect that there
was friction between Mr.. Curnick and
myself. When these stories reached
the ears of E. A. Austin. the local at
torney for the company he wrote Mr..
Curnick and asked for frank state
ment OF the facts in the case.
Mr.. Curnick wrote Mr.. Austin the
following letter which should set at
rest these stories: Mr.. A. E. Austin.
replying to your letter in regard to Mr..
Taylor will say: Il beg to take pleas
.ure in stating that there is no friction
worthy of word between this end and
Topeka. Mr.. Taylor undoubtedly has
been unable to accomplish some things
that he thought he could and may
have handled some matters that might
have been attempted In some other way
but certainly feel he has done the
best he could and in good faith. No
one is to blame for not being able to
do everything successfully that he sets
out to do
he closes tnlS Dy saying, L
sincerely hope that there is no friction
In Topeka but If there is that it can
all be wiped out and confidence MAIN
tanned to the highest degree
The contents of the above letter
We're read to the directors of the rail-
way company and the directors of the
Commercial club as well. 1 could see
that there was a certain clique whose
whole aim was to get rid of me and
would resort to any method in order to
accomplish their end. The hard work
of promoting the line had been done.
that being the case they wanted me
out of the way.
IT went to New York and had con-
ference with Mr.. Curnick on the sub
feet and told him that I would resign
in order to promote peace and har-
mony here, for if 1 had made a fight
or had permitted my friends to do so.
It would have caused the withdrawal
of Lamprecht Bros. & Co, and Messrs.
Herbert and Curnick from the PROPOSE
ton which would have been the end of
the Topeka Southwestern forever. l
resigned about the goth of February,
and at that time the board of directors
knew Just what was expected of them
in order to get the railroad built. 1t
was then the same as it was last Mon
day. 1 had preached to our board of
directors that we must furnish the
right of-way and when that was done
work would begin, but my opposition
had prejudiced the bond subscribers to
such an extent that 1t was useless for
me to urge them to pay up. therefore
stepped aside, the matter was turned
over to a new management last Feb
ruary at which time the Construction
company was ready to go to work.
Nothing had been done by the railway
company until last Monday at which
time they paid the Trust company who
= trustee for the bonds. AS soon as
AIox- 4 hot he Gt nti
pany qualified under the Kansas law.
This would have been done six months
ago had the local company needed my
requests.
"As I have stated I resigned last
February and UP until last Thursday
afternoon l took no part in the affairs
of the company. On last Thursday a
member of the finance committee came
into my office and solicited my assist
ance in raising the necessary money to
deposit with the county treasurer, /
assured him that / was positive that
the money could be raised in time If
the proper course was pursued and all
1 asked was for him to get the strong
est business men of the city together
and endorse what 1 have represented
to the people for the past year con-
corning the Southwestern proposition.
If after they had carefully Investigated
my representations and found them to
be correct all I asked them to do was
to so state to the people. wrote an in
terview for the papers giving the his
tory OF the promotion of the South
western together with a statement of
what was needed and If the people
would meet the need Of the company
what the result would be. When the
strong business men of Topeka got UP
and verified my statement it made
bond selling easy. / sent a $500 sub
scription up to the meeting Friday and
secured $1,000 more at the luncheon
1aN
Saturday should have been done ter
? days after the commission had filed
their report with the county treasurer
instead of waiting ninety. At the
luncheon Saturday Mr.. Robinson read
from a letter written by MIR. Curnick
rr.lo he ~ al