The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-18
Kansas Watching the Missouri
Pacific With Interest.
Prayers Go Up That Lines May
BE Improved in State.
TOPEKA ON MAIN LINE
Talk of TOpeka-SOuthwestern
Construction Revived.
Other Items of General Inter-
est in Traffic World.

Kansas welcomes the change in the
head of the Missouri Pacific. For
years the state has watched this valu-
able railroad property rust and decay
and with such thrifty populace it is
hard to see anything go to the bow
vows on account Of lack Of energy and
push.
1t has always been a mystery to the
people Of this state and to the peo-
pie in railroad circles why George
Gould has failed to '-~~rove, connect
up and straighten out the Missouri Pa
cif1c. Everyone admits-even the gen.
eral officers of the big Santa Fe who
sit in their Offices in Topeka-that the
Missouri Pacific taps the richest vein
of prosperity in the Sunf1ower state
Freight agents on other roads look
with envy upon the territory touched
by the Missouri Pacific.
But George Gould did nothing to the
Missouri Pacif1c-except that which
was forced upon him by the state laws.
Now that a change Is in sight the
farmers shippers and residents along
the lines of the Missouri Pacific pray
that the new president Will allow his
private car hauled over the Kansas
lines-if the tracks will hold it.
One trip in Kansas on a beautiful
spring day when the crops are pushing
their way through the rich soil would
make the heart Of any railroad presi-
dent happy And If the new president
of the Missouri Pacific will bump along.
in and out around the hills and through
the valleys he will go back to his Of
fee in St Louis and order a hundred
gangs of men upon the tracks in Kan
sas at once.
And when he makes this order he
will please rem ember the condition Of
the track in Kansas and order out a
few curves-to say nothing Of the semi
circles which wind around the hills.
When railroads are first built-or
rather when they were first built-it
was customary to lay the track on the
ground, hunt for the level land, dodge
around the hills and skim through the
valleys. Grades cost money-both for
construction and operation. Time didn't
count then. Just so train could reach
its destination was all that was nee
essary. The Missouri Pacific was
built on this plan. The rails were spik-
ed in ties that looked upon a hill as
a poisonous serpent. Instead of cut
ting out a grade or ~rading UP a gull
ley the track was laid around the hill
and over the edge OF the gulley. Land
was cheap. Labor was cheaper. Just
so the ends of the rails met there was
no fear Of distance or curves.
That's the way the Missouri Pacific
is today. Il still crawls around those
hills and skins along the tops of the
crests. If the Missouri Pacific adver-
tised a line in Kansas as a route
straight as the crow flies" the patrons
of the road would declare that Missouri
Pacific crows were drunk. 1t is a fact
that on a Missouri Pacific train through
Kansas a compass can't stand the rack
ct. Only when the train is standing
still will a compass settle with the hand
pointing In one direction.
But the Missouri Pacific came
through Kansas ION the ground floor"
and 1t chose the highland route. On
account of this feature it would take
little money to straighten out the line,
go through the hills instead of around
them and bank up and ballast the low
spots.
The so-called main line of the Mis-
souri, Pacific through Kansas is in
fairly good shape-for the Missouri
Pacific. 1t runs in snake like way
from Kansas City to Herington-then
it shoots straight to the west and cuts
the western part of the state into a
short line to Pueblo.
This crooked route around by the
way of Osawatonie and Usage City has
led Kansas railroad men to believe
that the rumor of last year to the eff
will be built from Harrington to Tope-
ka and a line will be built from To-
peka to Kansas City, is true.
The line from Harrington to Topeka
over the highlands is unsurpaSsed-it
follows out the crow-Iike fight of the
Rock Island to that city. From To-
peka to Tonganoxie a line could be
built-and they could get into Kansas
City over their own tracks. This
would shorten the line by many miles
to Colorado-thence to the Pacific
coast. The new president of the Mis-
souri, Pacific will undoubtedly see this
the novice in the railroad world can
see it with the aid Of a map.
Then connect up with the Topeka
Fort Scott line-oh, Mr.. President, it
is easy-too easy to be true
But getting back to the branch lines
In KansaS-a few connections, the
STRENGTHENING of a few kinks, and the
big railroads in the state would fight
for Missouri Pacific patronage and
traffic agreements. And the farmers