The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-02
MOGULS BATTLE.
Flaming Monsters i'm Mad Race
to Kansas City.
Demons of U. P. and R. i. Roads
Burn Rails.
WOULD CARRY MAILS.
Western Contracts to Winner
of Great Contest.
Make Sixty Mile Clip Along
Banks of KaW.
WOULD CARRY MAILS.

About all one hears ct present in To-
peka railroad circles today is the fight
between the Rock Island and the Unior
Pacific to get the first trains into Kan
sas City for the accommodation of the
United States mail. The winner viii
carry the mails.
And 10 the most amateurish railroad
faynaen the fight is one of the most in
teresting and the prettiest that has
happened in western traffic for some
time To imagine two great railroad
systems changing their time tables ev-
cry few days in order to get their trains
out of Topeka for Kansas City ahead
of the other is the tale of the con
troversy."
1t seems that both the Union Pacific
and the Rock Island have a certain
amount of mail out of Topeka for Kan
Sas City and out of Denver for Kan
sas City and eastern points In truth
they have the cream of this work for
Uncle Sam and they have always han
died it in a peaceful manner as far
as the running time from the west ana
to Kansas Citv was concerned.
But the other day Uncle Sam an
nounced that he would conduct thirty
day mail weighing campaign On this
district This district includes prac-
ticaIIy all of the central west Scales
are located at every railway station
and an immense amount of mail is be-
ing weighed in this city for eastern
points as well as western.
The Rock Island and the Union Pa
cific have great time out of Denver
east through Topeka to Kansas City.
The Union Pacific line is east straight
through Oakley, Ellis, Salina, Manhat-
tan to Topeka. The Rock Island goes
a little to the north through Phillips
burg, BelleviIIe and then down to
Mcfarland and to Topeka. The dis
tance is about the same both ways.
Change Arrival Time.
Train No. 104 is the Union Pacific
equipment. Train No. % is the Rock
Islands. Before the scrap took place
the Rock Island used to get in here
leisurely at 2:55. And the Union Pa
ciflc came in later than that But the
Union Pacific saw the visions of the
government contracts and heard about
the new thirty day Weighing scheme.
1t changed time and put its train in
here at 2:20 in the afternoon.
But the Rock Island officials plugged
their guns and touched off another
fuse. This brought them into Topeka
at 2:05 in the afternoon. 1t was quite
job changing schedules, getting trains
out of Denver ahead of the old sched-
uleS and making other trains touch the
meeting points without any loss of
time. But they arranged it and settled
back on the cushions.
Meanwhile the Union Pacific called
another meeting of superintendents
and asked if it wouldn't be possible
to burn up the ties again. They had
the equipment and the rails and the
roadbed-why not do it? Then new
time card No. was fixed up and they
scheduled their Denver train in To-
peka for 2:O5. This was the same
time as the Rock Island was due out
of the South side station this side of
the river. In getting out of North To-
peka at the same time the Union Pa
cif1c had an advantage of ten min
uteS.
And still the war between monster
locomotives. clear eyed engineers, re-
vised schedules and clever superin-
tendents and officials took place. This
time the Rock Island pulled the throt-
tie out another notch and told their
train and engine crews to come into
Topeka at 1:45. Another juggling of
time tables and schedules a little more
Island pulled into Topeka at 1:45.
U. p. Enters New 'sRacer."
Today the last chapter was read
The Union Pacific officials have or
dered their Denver train in here at
1:45, the same time as the Rock Is
land. But they get out of North To-
peka while the Rock Island is getting
out of this side of the river and thus
keep just block or SO ahead of them
all the wa. to Kansas City. There has
road men whereby two trains can pass
on the same track and thus the Rock
Island will have to keep behind the
Union Pacific on the double track all
the way from Lere to Kansas City.
The Rock Island and the Union Pa
cffic both use the same tracks between
Topeka and the Kaw city and thus
only a change in schedule can allow
the Rock Island to go by them. The
Rock Island engineers and fremen are
as interested as the officials-also
those of the Union Pacific.
Beat the U. p. to K c. is the sIo-
gan of the Rock Island and Beat the
r. /. to K. c. is the synonymous slo-
gan of the Union Pacific. The matter
is taken as seriously by employees as
officials and every man who can push
his train out over the road a little fas-
ter than the other is doing it,
The prettiest part of the whole deal
is the manner in which the two rail-
roads will run their trains side by
side at a rate of go miles an hour up
each side of the Kaw river west Of
Topeka They are both due along this
stretch of track at the same time and
tc see both engine crews ''givin' her
all she's got" for Topeka will make
railroading in this vicinity an interest
ing race.
Go up the Kaw in a motor boat and
watch the race. 1t will be worth while
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