The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-12-03
Santa Fe and Union Pacific
Fight for Mail Traffic.
Bid for Coast to Coast FavOrs
From Uncle Sam.
NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO
Ninety-Six Hours From Attain
. tic to Pacific.
Reason for California Limited
Going Round Topeka.

At last, the reason for the recent
action Of the Atchison. Topeka &
Santa Fe railway in running its crack
California Limited around Topeka. is
solved. The new time card Of the
Santa Fee which goes into effect Sun
day eliminates this city from the map
Of the California limited service. On
the other hand this train is held forty
minutes in Kansas City when formerly
only ten minutes were required to at
tend to the Missouri city's patronage.
The reason Is this: The Santa Fe Is
at the present time engaged in speed
war with the Union Pacific in an eft.
fort to obtain the government mail
contracts from the Atlantic coast In
holding the California Limited forty
minutes at Kansas City, the Santa Fe
will be able to connect with the Mis-
souri, Pacific from st. Louis and cap
ture the valuable bags of mail en-
route to the Pacific ocean ports.
In other words the Santa Fee is re-
quired to make fast time through
Kansas and the Emporia cutoff is a
over the cutoff, Topeka reposes peace
fully on a ''side-track." 1t is init
mated in railroad circles today that it
will not be long before the California
Limited comes back through the CAPT
once more.
Topeka, in reality, would rather
lose the California Limited than any
other fast train through this city. The
limited takes only a few passengers
comparatively to the patronage ac-
corded the other Santa Fee trains
through this city. In other ways the
service, east, west, north and south,
is in excellent shape. The simple
looked in both the Limited and the De
Luxe, caused q little lump in the craw
of Topeka.
Across the Country In 90 Hours.
The fight for the coast-to-coast mail
contract is being watched with inter-
est by railroad men all over the west
The Atlantic mail-the part Of It
over which the two big railway systems
are contesting-is now being routed
over the Union Pacific by the way of
Omaha Ten tons Of this matter are
being carried to San Francisco by the
Union Pacific and allied lines. The
Santa Fe wants the contract for this
mail and the new program of the
Limited il one Of the steps toward the
capture of the prize.
The new schedule Of the Santa Fe
has taken the Union Pacific officials
from their feet. In the general offices
in Omaha today there is q meeting for
the purpose OF cutting the Santa Fe
time. When their plans are made
known it will be interesting to see what
new move will be inaugurated by the
Ripley road.
OnoeI the present tiiHe Ca1u ~ tdneS
So hours for a mail pouch to make the
distance between New York and San
Francisco. The Santa Fe has a big
hold ON the government contracts for
Southern California. The Union Pa
cific has held a good share of the
northern California business.
Mail Weighing in this district begins
in February. This is a crucial period
for the railroads. The four year con-
tracts are made on a basis Of the
weight Of the mails during this period.
The speed race for contracts is a cur
tain raiser to the real test after the
weights are given.