The Oskaloosa herald., 1913-03-20

tIpinpltsthb property Oh 11VU acres.
Here he erected fine residence and
there he resided to the date of his
death. Mr.. Price was fondly referred
ito in the town which he chose as his
last residence as the Father of Tu-
rom not because of any pioneer con-
'nection with the place, but rather for
the reason that he was the towns
leading citizen, and the fact that he
was identified with every venture
that made for its betternent and be-
cause he was the oldest citizen. AS
builder of railroads Mr.. Price is
credited with the construction of 81
600 miles of operated lines in United
States and Old Mexico, most envia-
BILE record. In addition to this Mr..
Price has constructed many miles of
roadway in the mountains, the road
way to the summit of Pixies Peak in
Colorado, being one of his best
known achievements in this direction.
Working with members of the family
In Wales, John r. Price early acquir-
ed a knowledge of construction and
the handling of men and material.
The age of twenty.one found him
experimenting the construction on
he Merthyr Il Abergavenny railroad
!, in South Wales. His first railroad
work in the United States was at Os.
kalosa in 1872 on the line of the old
Iowa Central and later on the Des
Moines valley line, through Beacon.
He superintendent the construction of
the Keokuk Locks and then made his
headquarters at Topeka, Kansas.
where he managed the construction
of the Santa Fe lines through Kan.
saS, Missouri and the southwest, in
Guiding the A. & p. line through New
Mexico and Arizona, which took four
years to complete and is now a part
of the Santa Fe line to California;
the Gulf line from Arkansas City
through Oklahoma to the Texas line;
sixty miles of main line of the Santa
Fee line to Chicago and several Kan
sas branches, including the line be-
tween Independence and Wellington,
the Kiowa branch the line from
Florence to Lyons and the "Kinsley
cut off, the line from Hutchinson,
Kansas to Kinsley, distance of "a
miles. The Santa Fe had been hav-
ing difficulty with this piece of work.
Hindered by legal fights, embarrassed
by weather conditions and harrassed
by competing lines the company
found itself with but one hundred
days in which TO complete almost as
many miles of track to come within
the limits of the contract, or lose
what had been accomplished in ehr.
lier work Mr.. Price was called in at
this juncture and he took the contract.
He finished the work in ninety days
and trains were in operation ten
days before the contract time. This
is said to be the record for fast work
in Kansas and one of the best records
anywhere in the west. The Santa Fc
Is said to have paid Mr.. Price a
handsome bonus for this unequalled
piece of work. Otner railway con-
struction work was done for the
Rock Island, the chicago & Alton and
the st. Louis & Omaha companies.
He built the Rock Island into Colora-
do Springs and portions of the Colo
ado and Midland in Colorado. Pos.
Isibly the most difficult and one OF
the biggest pieces OF construction ac-
complished by this intrepid steel path
maker was in Old Mexico, from San
Luis Potosi to Tampico, for the Mex
lean Central Railway Co. This was a
four million dollar contract. And an
other long piece of Mexican track
from Venandito to Tampico. South
ern, California also bears witness OF
some of his best and most daring
featS of engineering. He was called
upon to build from Kansas City east
through Missouri for the Santa Fc
people. He was resourceful and far
seeing, as was fully set forth in his
last piece of work. AS a private en-
terprise he constructed a line OF road
from Usage City, Kansas, which he
later Sold completed to the Santa Fee
system, at his own figures. Retiring
from the rougher experiences OF COLI
struCtion work lie was not content TO
IquietIy enjoy the fruits of his toll but
became a prime factor In citizenship
and other business enterprises. lie
promoted the Kansas Salt Company
and for years was the largest stock
holder in the corporation and he own
ed and operated large Touring mill
at Turon. He was vice president and
heavy stakeholder in the Central Kan
sas Fair Association and the Kansas
State Fair at Hutchinson. He was
also a stakeholder and interested In
innumerable lesser concerns and bus
mess enterprises each and every one
of which knew the value of his per-
tsonal effort and attention. Mr.. Price
! is survived by two daughters. Mrs.
Henry Stephenson and Mrs. George
stephenson, both of Turon. The son,
Rhys r. Price, died several years
ago. Mr.. Price died the possessor OF
an extended estate, which goes to the
two daughters at Turon."
The death of John Price marks the
passing of a remarkable family OF
brothers, of which line he was the
Youngest and last. There were Jen-
kin r. of Beacon. the father of Mrs.
Thomas Davis, and grandfather of the
Davis Brothers" OF this city. He
died November 8, 1884. Joshua, OF
Beacon, father of Thomas J. Price, OF
lOskalosa, and Mrs. Homer Fry. of
Beacon. He died in 1894 William r..
of Hyde Park, Pennsylvania, the only
one of the brothers not locating in
the west. He was the father of Mrs.
Broke, of Des Moines. He passed
away several years ago. Watkin r.
Price, of Beacon, father of John w.
Price, of Beacon. Watkin died June
1904.
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