The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-21
NORTH SIDE NEWS
In Early Days of Santa Fe Rail-
road
When G. X. Holiday, ST., Pre-
dicted It's Great Failure.
ANDERSON LAUGHED.
Didn't Think Road Would Ever
Amount to Much.
Other Incidents of Pioneer Days
of Santa Fe.

The work of raising the Santa FL
bridge across on Soldier creek and the
tracks north and south of the nrlogt
which was begun this week, recall'
many anecdotes of the early days o.
the . railroad. Much of its history Is
interviewer with the history of Topeka
and the great southwest. 1t is story
OF a wonderful growth. from the hVt
small engines, two coaches, two nag
gage cars, 20 small boxcars, 80 gon-
dolas and 20 flats which constituted lht
equipment of the Santa Fe when the
road had been built from Atchison &c
a little south and west of Burlingame
in 1870. to its present enormous equip
ment and interests.
The charter to build the Atchison d
Topeka railroad was granted by CON
gress to Gen. B. F. Stringfellow of Atch-
ison, George S. Hillyer of Muscotah and
Col c. K. Holiday, Sr, of Topeka, IN
1866. The company was known as the
Atchison & Topeka Construction COM
pany. The stipulation was that the road
must be built from Atchison southwest
through Kansas to the line of Kansas
and Colorado and in the direction OF
Santa Fe.
1t was provided that if the road was
completed by December of 1877 a grant
of ten square miles on each side of the
road would be given each alternate sec
ton being school land held for school
purposes. Soon afterwards the IRAN
chise was transferred to the Topeka,
Atchison & Santa F'e railroad.
In 1868 the building of the road began
It reached Wakarusa via Topeka in 1863.
In celebration of the achievement the
road gave picnic and free excursion
from Topeka to Wakarusa. Col Holl1-
day, who was the speaker of the day,
predicted that the Santa F'e would not
Only reach California, but Mexico as
well. At this. Major Tom Anderson,
then station agent for the Kansas Pa
cific, (now Union Pacific who was pres
ent, laid back on the grass and yelled:
'Oh kind Lord, give us a rest" He
future.
In 1871 the road reached Newton. At
this time it was found that the net
earning of the road would not pay for
the building of the remainder of the
road in time to save the land grant.
Col, Holiday was sent to Boston to in
duce capitalists to finance the line. All
he had to offer was a. land grant of
alternate sections for 20 miles on each
side of the proposed line through wild
and barren country. However Colonel
Holiday accomplished his purpose and
what was called the NicEerson syndi
cate financed the line. The road reach
ed Granda in time to save the land
grant.
In 1874 came the grasshoppers and
the hard times. 1t was all that could
be done to keep the line going. The
grasshoppers were said to have been so
thick that they settled on the rails
and made the wheels of the engine slip
until brush was invented to sweep
them off. $50
In 1880 the road reached Las Vegas.
N NJ. Since that time the road has
Grown and prospered until it is now one
of the greatest in the United States.
Now Chi-NameI doesn't cost so much,
But the Improvement made by it is
such,
That all who use it on the floor
Cheerfully give it praise galore
For sale by H. H. Bair.
Notes and Personal Mention
1t is probable that something will
be done by the county commissioners