The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-17
New Kansas Interurban System
Assumes Proportions.
Topeka Electric Officials Con-
fer With Promoters.
R.C.RAWLINGSIN TOWN
Gives Out Interview of the Re-
cent Merger.
Will Connect COffeyvilIe With
X. c. and Topeka.

| That Topeka will soon be the ter
minus of an interurban railway system
which viii comprise all the stations be-
tween Topeka and Kansas City, with a
branch line running to all the principal
points of southeastern Kansas is now
an assured fact. Two rival companies
which have been chartered under the
state laws, and were backed by R. c.
Rawlings of Chanute and c. E. Sutton
of Lawrence, respectively, have been
merged, and the combined interests
will proceed at once to the construc-
tion of the new line
There Is a strong probability that the
tracks of the Topeka Railway company
will be used by the new company as an
entrance into Topeka. The officials of
the local system have been in consul
tation with the officials of the new
company, and although they will prob
ably have no financial interest in the
new venture, they will likely maintain
friendly relations and allow the use of
their tracks within the city.
Tuesday night a conference was held
in Lawrence between the promoters OF
the new companv- including Mr.. Raw
lings. and Mr.. Sutton and President E.
w. Wilson of the local system, Treas
urer f. G. Kelly, and General Manager
Albert Patton. At this meeting the
various interests talked over the situa-
tion and parted with the most friend
ly feeling. The Lawrence World in
commenting upon the meeting in their
issue of Wednesday afternoon, said:
e. w. Wilson. president of the To-
peka Street Railway company; F. g.
Kelly, treasurer. and A. M Patton, su-
perintendent, all three Of Topeka, were
in Lawrence last night going over the
street railway proposition with the 10
cal company. All of these men are in
terested in the proposed interurban
route which the local company Is plan
ming to build between here and Topeka
and it was that road that they took up
last night.
"A number of the local men interest
ed in the Sutton franchise met with the
Topeka men and talked over the de-
tails of the plans together. Mr.. Sutton
seemed very much pleased over the
prospects for the route and said every
thing looked in better shape than ever
before
R. G. Rawlings, one of the promoters
of the interurban system, is in Topeka
today. He is exceedingly opt Inistlc
over the prospects of the new system.
This afternoon he gave to the state
Journal the following signed interview:
Mr.. Rawlings said; ''The PROPOSE
ton upon which l am working Is
known as the Interstate Railway and
Power Co. an electric interurban
railway projected to run from Kansas
City TO Topeka via Lawrence. and
from Lawrence south to CoffeyVflle
touching at Baldwin, ottawa, Garnett,
Parsons, Cherryvale and Indepen-
dence. having a total mileage of 800
miles.
monized our interests with those of
the Lawrence people represented by
Mr.. Chas. E. sutton of that city who
had been planning the construction
of a similar road from Lawrence to
Topeka and Kansas CITY The road
from Topeka to Lawrence will go out
of the city southeast through the Deer
creek valley crossing the divide into
the Deer creek which runs into the
Wakarusa river, thence down the
Wakarusa valley to Lawrence, from
Lawrence the line will go east through
Eudora, De Soto, Merriam and Rose
dale into Kansas City. The road Will
be constructed under the supervision
of the Interurban Construction Co. of
which Mr. Chas. z. Sutton of Law
renee will most likely be president.
1.-THE interview in the Lawrence
paper last evening to which you refer
is one that l know nothing about, but
suppose was prompted by the fact
that Mr.. Wilson, Mr.. Kelly and Mr..
Patton came down to Lawrence Tues
day evening to have conference
with Mr.. Sutton, and myself. regard
ing our road using the Topeka street
railway tracks as terminals in this
city. They are as yet in no way in
in the financial side of the
building of our road, nor do we
know that they will be, naturally
however, they are interested in secur- |
ing as many interurban railways as
possible for Topeka and heartily |
willing to cooperate in every way |
with such a. road.
eve have nothing further which |
will be of interest to your readers at |
present, and will merely say in con-
clusion that our affairs are progress |
ing very favorably, and that without |
doubt large portion of the road be- |
tween Topeka and Kansas City and |
possibly all of it will be built and in |
operation within twelve months
(Signed.) "R. c. RAWLINGS
F. G. Kelly, treasurer of the To- |
peka Railway company, also denies |
that the local street car system has |
any financial interest in the new sys-
tenn. Mr.. Kelly thinks that the use |
of the tracks will be allowed the new |
He also says that the local !
officials have gone over portions of |
the survey and that the road will be |
a prom ounced success.
1t is understood the best of |
that the construction work |
of the new interurban system will be |
let to one of the largest and best en- |
gineering firms in the east.