The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-19
Officers in Topeka to Recruit
Men for Santa Fe Co.
Captain Overpeck Has Orders
to Get Ready at Once.
Is men GO FROM Topeka
All Must Be Santa Fe Men and
Well Qualified.
Work Will Be to Build Up the
Railroads of France.

Headquarters to recruit twenty-fiv
employees, Topeka's quota for the
Santa Fe Railway company of the
Western Railway regiment which. it
is officially announced, has been or
dered to be ready to go to France in
four weeks, have been established in
the storehouse of the Santa Fe shops
by Captain Leroy Overpeck, APP
pointed to command the Santa Fe
company; Lieut.. S. S. Mcconnell and
First Sergeant S. A. Morgan.
This morning a meeting was held
at the StorehouSe and the reasons for
organiza ton of the regiment, and the
duties to which it will be assigned,
were explained to thirty employees.
Twenty men, fired by the fact that the
regiment will be one of the first to
the war zone, volunteered. Only five
were accepted, however, because of the
strict examinations and recommended
tons, the latter from officials of the
railway company, required.
Get Men at Once.
Captain OVerpeck today announced
that he and his detail will be in To-
peka today and tomorrow at the
headquarters in the storehouse. The
officers arrived in Topeka late Friday
night This is the fourth or fifth city
at which Captain Overpeck has stop
ped to recruit quota of men. Twen-
ty applicants have already been finally
accepted from different parts of the
system. Captain Overpeck has in his
possession more than 125 applications
upon which he will act soon.
The Santa Fe company's captain an
nounced Immediately after he arrived
here that orders from the war depart
ment We're to the effect that the regi-
ment would see immediate service in
France on French railroads. Orders,
he said, have been received by Col. L.
Langfitt, commanding the regiment,
that the regiment is to be ready to
move in four weeks.
Volunteers here for the company
should report to Captain Oyerpeck at
the Topeka headquarters. They must
be Santa Fee employees able to pass the
examinations and requirements of en-
gineers and regiments similar to the
one being organized in the regular
army. Recommendation from Off
GERS of the company and records of the
men, made during the time they have
been in the service of the Santa Fe,
will receive much consideration.
Six Railroads Represented.
The regiment to which the Santa Fe
company is to belong is being organ
lied by six big railroads which have
easten terminals at Chicago. The roads
include the Santa Fe, the Great North
ern, the Rock Island, the Illinois Cen
trail, the st. Paul and the North
western.
The duty of the regiment will be to
operate, build and reconstruct rail-
roads exclusively. Captain Overpeck
announced that this would be done in
France.
Before going into actual duty the
men in the regiment will receive but
little technical military training. Ex-
perience they have gained in railroad
service is approved as equivalent to
such training. The men will, how
ever, be trained in entering. occupying
and leaving transports clearly and
properly. That, for their voyage
across the Atlantic.
Officers of the Santa Fe company,
as announced in Thursdays issue of
the State Journal, were picked from
officials of the road. Overpeck and
Mcconnell were stationed in official
capacities at Emporia before receiving
their appointments. Morgan was STA
toned in Chicago. The total enlist
ment of the company, when fully or
ganized. will be 164 men.
The Santa Fe company is being or
ganized under the supervision of ex-
ecutive officials W. B. Storey, vice
president in charge of operation, is
devoting considerable time to the
project in view of making the Santa Fe
unit one of the best to go into foreign
service