The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-02-20
Unusual Activity in Railway Elk.
tension in Oklahoma.
Corporation Commission Has
Not Retarded Development.
LINES PLANNED.
One, the st. L. & O., Will Run
for Over 800 Miles.
Other Items of Interest in
Railway Circles.
Other

Notwithstanding the rumors to the
contrary and the extreme radical atti-
tude OF the Oklahoma corporation COM
mission regarding the railroads, there
seems to be a pronounced epidemic of
railway extension in the new state
Evidently the capitalists who are back
ing the new ventures see a silver lining
to the clouds and regard the present
strenuous conditions as but temporary.
The largest railway enterprise now be-
ing pushed in Oklahoma Is that of the
ST. Louis & Oklahoma which Is project
ed to build from St. Louis to McAlester
Ok, distance of 800 miles The pro-
posed road will decrease the distance
between ST. Louis and points in South
ern Oklahoma and Texas 100 miles. The
company is capitalized both in Missouri
and Oklahoma at SIC, 000 900.
The construction work is being done
by the Monet and Southwestern Con-
struction company, which is to issue
$150.000 in bonds with the privilege of
increasing the issue to $4,000 per mile
The construction company has already
started work southwark from South
west City, Mo-, and it is expected that
work will be begun with 200 teams at
Tahlequah, Ok, within a few days on
construction northward toward South
west City. The city of TahleQuah ar a
OF $4,000 on condition that construction
| begin within two weeks. Thu road is
projected to run from ST. Louis to
Tahlequah, Muskogee ard McAlester in
Oklahoma. and through Texas to Mex
leo. The section of the ROAD now
financed is that to run from Muskogee,
OK, to Joplin, Mo. In the system are
several auxiliary companies, including
the Muskogee & Texas and the Pine
Vile & Northern. The ST Louis Con-
struction company will build the sec
ton Of the road south of the Arkansas
river in Oklahoma to McAlester and
complete the portion between Southwest
City and the Arkansas river this year.
Tahlequah will be headquarters for the
Oklahoma construction work south of
the Arkansas river.
proposed road to run from Sallisaw
to Lawton through McAlester and Ada
is being promoted by William Cullen
and Samuel Wandel1 of New York. rep
resenting eastern capital. Both Ada
and McAlester are considering the pro-
position of offering bonuses The road
is known as the st. Louis, Springfield
& Western and was chartered six
months ago by A. D. Goodenough. The
road will, traverse the Choctaw and
Chickasaw nations and will offer di-
rect route to the coal fields.
Surveyors for the proposed Kansas &
Texas line were at Guymon recently.
Several towns in western Oklahoma
and the Panhandle of Texas are taking
up propositions offering houses and the
road may be started within a few
months.
The Rock Island has finally decided
to go ahead with the building Of the
cutoff from Amarillo, Tex, to Tucum-
carl, N. NJ, which will shorten connec-
ton between Oklahoma points on the
Rock Island line to Amarillo and the
Pacific coast. Some forty teams are
now engaged in preparing the roadbed
for the laying of Steel The engineering
department of Vice President Robbins
district is experimenting the prelim-
mary work, but it Is said that no def
mite date has been fixed for the actual
laying of steel. A part of the grading
was done two years ago and in order
to save the charter for the Tucumcari
cutoff more than twenty miles of the
line Is required to be built before May
10, and the Rock Island evidently plans
to save the charter at least.
The Oklahoma Central road has near
1y completed its line from Purcell to
Chickasha. The fact that the company
is building ''Y'' at Chickasha to con-
meet with the track Of the Rock Island
has led to reports that the latter road
will purchase the Oklahoma Central
These reports, however, are denied by
both companies. The proposed route
Of the Oklahoma Central Is from Atoka
to Chickasha, through Ada and Purcell.
It crosses the Eastern Rock Island
from McAlester, few miles south Of
Coalgate. The western terminus is at
Chickasha on the Rock Island main
line.
The Missouri, Kansas & Texas is
planning extensive improvements to it's
roadbed between Oklahoma City and
Atoka this spring. Engineers are now
going over the line stalking places
where grades are to be reduced by cuts.
A part of the roadbed has been ballast
ed with burnt clay and this will be con-
tinued until the entire line is thus bal
lasted with a view Of establishing
faster schedule.
The property of the Oklahoma &
Northwestern, which had been attached
in a suit by j. D. Goddard. has been
sold on execution by the sheriff of
Beckham county. The principal items
sold were twenty scrapers, which
brought 81 apiece. and a carload Of steel
rails, which brought 81 a ton. about