The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1911-12-08
THE SANTAFE RAILROAD
What They Are Going to do
in Kansas.

The first Monday in May, June,
July and August, 1912, will be NOV.
ing days in southwest Kansas. On
these days four county seat towns
will be packed up on rollers and
hauled to new locations on a new
santa Fe line now building between
Dodge City and Colmar, N. NJ"
Former Lietenant Governor W. J..
Fitzgerald, who has obtained the
light of way for this line through
the railroadless counties of south
western Kansas, and which is to be
rs straight as rule for more thar
200 miles, was telling the Santa Fe
officials Of the plans now under way
or moving of four county seats to
lew sites on the railroad.
The line is to be completed from
Dodge City to the Colorado-Kansas
line, at the extreme southwest cor
ler of this state, by October / next
efore which time the four towns,
with their court houses, jails
churches, banks, newspaper Offices
business houses and residences. are
be moved to new locations.
Santa Fe, the county seat of Has
Iell county, will move six miles to
he south on the first Monday in May.
One month later New Ulysses, county
'eat of Grant county, in one great
recession, will move twenty-five
niles to the new railroad
Then in July, Hugoton, the county
,eat' of Stevens county, will use the
same big moving wagons and trac-
ion engines in moving to new site
Zen miles distant. In August, Rich
leld, county seat OF Morton, the ex-
treme southwest corner county in
Kansas, will load its business houses
md homes onto the big moving out
is and move eight miles to the rail-
road.
This entire region of southwestern
Kansas is as level as a floor, and TO-
more than 100 miles the new cut
off will be as straight as an arrow.
1t will be the main line for ali
through business between Chicago
and the Pacific coast and will shorten
The present route nearly ninety miles.
1t was case of two extremes
meeting when Gov. Fitzgerald met
and chatted about moving bodily
Jour Kansas county seat towns.
ut won't be much of job to do
he moving once the buildings are
acked up and on wheels" Fitzger-
aid said.
THE real problem, however, will
be how to take care of county bus
ness while the procession is moving.
You know there are lot of things
which the law says must be done at
the county seat. Lawyers contend
that there is doubt about the legality
of business which would be trans
icted in the court house while it is
On wheels and moving.
And when the town is moved to
the new townsite, though it is the
same old town, with the same old
buildings, the same old name and the
same old people, it won't be the same
townsite, and 1 don't know whether
it can be legal county seat until the
people take vote on it,"
Notwithstanding these possible le-
gal complications. the people Of San
ia Fe are going to move bag and bag
gage to the new railroad on the first
Monday in May, and the other three
ounty seat towns will follow in their
turn one month later,
santa re lntcuuS W uahc 10 HAO'-
ng day great holiday. There will
re assembled enough traction en-
zines in that great prairie section to
pull the buildings to the town all at
the same time. Editor ]. F, Pierce
of the Santa Fe Republican announc-
of his newspaper on his old Washing
es that he will print a special edition
ton hand press on the way over TO
the new location. A special platform
will be constructed on wheels, on
which will be installed his entire
country printing outfit.
Santa Fei has court house, town
hall. two newspapers. a good school