The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-11-25
Interstate Commerce Commits
sion Valuation Body.
Engineers Here on Survey OF
Missouri Pacific Railway.

one of the five engineering parties,
employed on the Missouri Pacific, in
making the physical valuation of rail-
roads. prescribed by act of the last
congress, has arrived in Topeka after
covering about ass miles of the Kan
sas division of the Missouri Pacific.
The work in this district is ended for
this season, and will be resumed next
spring.
Each of the five parties consists of
twelve government engineers in the
employment of the interstate COM
merce commission. and under the di-
engineer. together with an assistant
valuation engineer of the road, as a
representative of its interests.
The government engineer with the
party arriving in Topeka is H. S. Winn
and the company representative is A.
g. Allan.
Two private cars are used by the
party. which has been on the road
since carly last June. one of the cars
that occupied by the government en-
gineers. was taken to the Santa Fee
shops this morning, TO have a broken
drawhead replaced. The other was
parked in the Missouri Pacific yards.
where it will remain until the party
leaves Saturday for the south
Work by Districts.
The work Of valuation is carried on
IN districts. and the work in the KAN
sas City district is now suspended for
the winter. The government men will
go TO a southern line, and Mr. Allan.
representing the Missouri Pacific. will
go 10 St Louis, and be assigned to a
party which will continue the work on
winter e4AS
The collection and tabuIation of the
udOa required by the commission are
extremely exhaustive. Every foot of
track, every yard of excavation ana
Illlns n Is taken into account as well
as IN, the ties and station equipment.
me company representative. whe
iaNeIs with the party, carries with
MN the documentary proof of owner
ship in all the property claimed nv the
road. and in addition checks UP the
NoIh OF the government engineers
with the records OF the company.
ana crossing frogs. at intersections
with other tracks, must be established.
lie Has the Documents.
For instance" said Mr. Allan. the
crossing frogs where we cross the
street railway there, are not ours, and
we claim no part of them. but a few
blocks farther down, where the Mis-
souri, Pacific tracks cross the Santa
Fe, we own the frogs, and our claim
to them must be verified" In the
car which he has to himself. and
which has constituted his home since
the work was started in June he
keeps the documents necessary to his
work, and copies the daily reports
which he sends to the headquarters
Of the company.
Mr.. Allan and his car are not the
least interesting features of the party.
Mr.. Allan was born in Madras. East
Indies, educated IN England for the
Royal Engineers Of the British army.
and has been employed on engineering
projects thruout the west and in the
Arctic regions He went to the Mis-
souri, Pacific from the Denver & Rio
Grande road. and claims Denver as
his home. He was the chief engineer
IN charge Of the building of the Pixies
Peak highway. and spent several
months there on snowshoes, directing
the work.
He looks after the car himself, de-
clining to have a porter assigned to
cook for him.
Civil engineers are Just educated
tramps," he says of his own fraternity.