The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-07-26
Rock Island Begins Work of Re-
laying st. Joe Line.
Will Cost Several Hundred
Thousand Dollars.
DEMANDS OF TRAFFIC.
Nearly All Freight Goes by That
Route.
One Hundred and Fifty Men En-
gagged in the Work.

The Rock Island has started work on
the biggest Kansas improvement of the
year-the relaying of the track between
Topeka and Horton. This big improve
ment which has been contemplated FOR
some time, viii call for the expenditure
of several hundred thousand dollars.
The work which has just begun is be-
! ing done by four large extra gangs Of
track laborers. the full complement Of
men being $50. The work is we'll under
way and viii be completed before the
fail rush of traffic.
| The rails which are now being laid
on the track between here and Horton
are eighty-pound rails. which VIII make
! the track one of the best in northeastern
Kansas. The rails which are being re-
placed are only sixty pound rails
| This Improvement is one which was
demanded by the growth of business.
But two passenger trains-and local
trains at that-run over this stretch of
track daily, but more freight is routed
over the route than over any other Rock
Island line in Kansas. This line is used
as a freight short cut from western
freight from southern Nebraska is rout-
ed over this line. This does away with
the congestion in the terminals at Kan
sas City and Omaha.
Horton is one of the important CEN
ters of the Rock Island Three lines con-
verge there, the one from Topeka. an
other from Fairbury and still another
from Trenton. Mo. The line from To-
peka is by far the most important OF
the three. Practically all of the freight
traffic from the great southwest from
Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas passes
through Topeka and on to st. Joseph
over TOpeka-St. Joseph branch.
Most Of the laborers on this gang
are MeXicans. MeNicans were Sc
for n ri
found to be impossible to secure
American labor. And Mexicans by
the way make the best sort of foreign
Iabors, far better than Italians or
Greeks. The Mexicans are indus
trious and thrifty. They relish work
in hot weather which is more TO their
liking than any other. And above
all they are quiet and peaceabIe and
These laborers draw good money.
The lowest wages paid are $50 per
day. Much of this money is spent in
Topeka where at least one of the
gangs will be quartered a good deal
of the time. The Rock Island fur
nishes many of them with bunk cars,
but for their provisions they will be
dependent upon Topeka.
In the opinion of the Rock Island
officials the traffic this fall viii
eclipse anything previously known in
the west The movement of traffic,
notably that of corn will start later
Bat the volume will be greater than
ever. And the company is looking
for a great volume of traffic through
Topeka. The Topeka-St. Joseph
branch, the greater portion of which
is now being relaid with new rails.
will be the gateway by which all Of
this traffic will find its way to the
Chicago markets.
Still further improvements are con-
templated for this line in the near
future. Estimates and figures are
now being prepared to show the cost
of reballasting the entire line between
Topeka and st. Joseph, which is
nearly ninety miles in length. Should
this work be done this fall burnt
gumbo will be used for ballast The
Rock Island officials take kindly to
this kind of ballast and many Of the
lines through Nebraska have already
been improved with this product
When this is completed the line be-
tween Topeka and st. Louis Will be
one of the best in Kansas.
The old rails which are now being
replaced We're laid years ago. when
the Rock Island first entered Kansas.
This line was the first branch of the
Rock Island to enter Topeka. Tho
traffic at that time however was
small compared to what it is now.
And the motive power at that time
was much lighter. This was IN 1887
and at that time was the main line
Of the Rock Island from Chicago to
the southwest. The system IN the
twenty-five years has grown TO Such
that the little light en-
zines are no longer serviceable. Big
locomotives weighing from $50 to 200
.ons are necessary to haul the traffic
and consequently heavier track is
necessary.
When the new line is completed as
I will be this fall, the amount of
freight passing through Topeka will
pc greater than ever before, and
rains bearing the crops of the great
southwest will be passing through
Topeka every hour.