The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-11-16


Oklahoma raj roads have been
both builder and trouble-maker in me
past few years bLt '1ss than forty
years ago the first railroad crossed the
eastern section OF ihs siats, from
knns1s to Texts nov the main line Of
tho great Missouri. Kansas g. 7exas
system. passing through great agrr
Viitursl s,lsion OF ihe - tis, and
the east NJ the richest OF, bsll IN
the world, tapping he etNernmost
edges in various places, alsn reaching
Che Miami lead AMI 1inc belt. In
those early days vinlia and raalcuuab
were the cities of.the indian country;
5iher trading stations srrirg;lg ~
Is IL by magic
The great Santa Fe railroad system
vas in Oklahoma bel 20 Payne and
Couch bad forced invasion Of the new
empire. and today II pierces twenty
three counties, splitting the state al
most IN twain from the Gulf Of Mex
leo t. the Kansas radiatlng" Santa
F'e city--Newton. II enters al the
larger cities Of the Central division
Of counties. and owns vast property
Interests other tlan its roadWays
&lill idlilOtQ tNoAtM AAAA hfF
pioneered IN all tae states Of the Cen.
trail west and southwest an which
has terminals In Minnesota arl Texas
is the Rock Island. In the carly lays
this system p-ineered-hqcame path
builder; and behind 1t has followed
tne farmer. merchant. builders. and
proseperty Il crosses the state of
Oklahoma in numerous pieces. even
u 10 & wes' rn ,i'.n traversesI
INC southern section from east q west.
tf.sre m III th-npgh 80 ccniral part
OF the state. and by possession Of the
Choctaw. Oklaa ana and Cuffs Ainar-
lilo. Texas TO Memphis, forms the
north and south dividing line OF the
state ft has its main offices IN Ei
Reno; In fac that 10 known as the
Rock Island wn OF Oklahoma.
The Frisco is another pioneer rail
way system. and Its trains traverse
the state from east to west and two
branches from north to south. Out of
Gapulpa the lines go in three direc-
TONS. branching again at Oklahoma
City. Snyd~r. Alton and ctner points.
~ he III. Smith a Western railroad l
extends from Ft Smith, Ark, to Guth- I
rie, traversing the rich lowlands be-
tNean the two cities and crossing the
Katy, Frisco, Rock Island and Sante
Fc at various points. making dt one OF
the best inetate feeding systems in
the Southwest. and giving II import
ance the short trackage would not in
dlcate being possible.
The smaller railroad systems a.r
tle Oklahoma Central, the Missouri
& Gulf, Fl. Worth & Denver
with small arms In process OF con-
struction that will probably be oper-
ated BY the great systems already men
toned
Over IN the extreme eastern Bection
of the state the Kansas City Southern
strikes the great rich mineral belt
1f the low mountain ranges. crossing
some rich valleys. connecting that pal
d the state litl, Kansas City anu
Beaumont, or the gulf port at Port
Arthur
The nav system that redlyldeu tho
west territory between the n rtl and
south main line Of the Santa Fe is the {
Orient. being built between wichita,
lSans.. and a point on the lower Calf
fcrnia gulf In Mexico. Il enters the
state above Byron, Alfalfa county, and
ISaves at Milton. Jackson county II
pierces the heart of the greatest
prairie of he entire Southwest, from