The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-09-26
RAIL EXTENSION
IS WAR MEASURE
Santa Fe Is Preparing to
Take Care of Needs of
Government.
COST WILL BE $4,000
Route Through Old Usage
Nation Opens a Vast
Area of Wealth.
COST WILL BE $3,1OO,OOO

through Usage county is IN effect a war
measure are contained in statements ot
c. A. Combs, construction chief, and
John Nancy, general contractor 1t IS
the biggest piece OF railroad work now
in progress in this country and IT IS
costlicr from any standpoint than any
other current job.
To Cost 100000.
The cost of the blH miles, from
Owen switch to Rals,on. will not be
less than $4,000 a mile, is said on the
best of authority. This will make the
line, when ready for trains, cost not
less than S,l000OO. The compelling
reason for this great outlay is shorten
ing the north and south main line OF
the Santa Fe fifty miles. Realizing
that the grain and clothing is IN the
north, that the prcponderance OF popu-
iation is north, that the training camps
and many big ports are in the south
il is easy to combine the ideas OF peace
ful building and tremendous war. Then
the cattle and cotton business OF the
southwest means hauling the other way
81 expect the upper end OF the line
to be covered at the end OF the week,
said John Nancy of Nancy brothers, at
the general construction office here
~ have them all sighted and they are
getting in as fast as possible. We are
not promising an exact date for finish
ing. but, apparently, it will be early
next spring The southern end OF the
line will be covered just as soon as
the right-o i-way men let us in.
Twenty Construction Camps.
There will be upwards OF twenty con
struction camps between Pawhuska and
Caney. and probably that many more
between PawhuSka and Ralston. This
valiant army o peface is under com
mand of {. a. Combs. and John Nancy
is field marshal There are several
subdivisions for engineering purposes
and the main work so afr has been
done in the middle division, under In
pineer B. n Ncwlee lie and his as
sistants patrol the ifteen-milc section
like pckets OF the national army, In
cidentally, it is hard task 10 keep
the corps filled for the reason that the
national army is claiming so many
young engineers and young engineers
are essential in heavy work like this in
Usage county.
The Usage line is triumph OF en-
ginecring The problems are not OF
the formidable Rocky mountain sort
but are intricate and trying. The gen
eral trend Of the Usage hills, however,
helped a little, they running from
southwest to northeast as a rule. How
ever, some expert dodging was done to
avoid cutting the long, comparatively
low and slnuouS ridges.
Follows Elgin Trail
-. The first fifteen miles northeast OF
Pawhuska runs along the old Elgin
trail, long Pawhuska's main connec-
tion with the outside world. In many
places the old trail. which caused
oranges to sell for 80 cents each in
Pawhuska. and the new trail, which is
to cost $S0OOO a mile, run along side
each other For ten or twelve miles
more the line follows the old Caney
trail. The grade averages seven
tenths of percent
The road will be something OF a
scenic route as well as one OF the ut
most utility II will run directly from
the wheat fields and smeltcr tracts OF
Kansas to the Usage ranges, through
the fertile little valleys, and III this
same county strike the cotton belt This
combination of industry within seventy,
five miles is probably not found any
where else.
Through Cattle and Oil Areas.
Railroad gangs are railroad gangs
the world over, There is not much diff
ference in the old camps and the new
There are mules and negroes TO do the
heaviest work, and keen young white
men to do the bossing The big steam
shovel biting its way through big hill
in w. T. leahy's whitc-face pasture
near Pawhuska is the newest thing on
the line. The biggest mule outfit is
working through bM pasture which
will be adorned in the center by the
halfway town between Cancy and Paw
huska.
This road runs through the range
and will disturb the cattle. There Is
another disturbing element-the pip,
line men and oil scouts. They are work
ing along the way, too, and oil develop
ment will soon further annoy the old
time grazcrs.
Ten years ago the construction nov
under way would have been from one
third to one-half less than now. Labor
material and food supplies are treinend
ously higher. and this road was pro
jected with full knowledge OF higl
prices. The topography of Usage count!
in the entire siSty-two miles adds ver!
largely 10 the cost over ordinary con
struction.
Pswhusks Gave $4,000.
The right of way is soon to b.
cleared The citizens OF pawhuska pu
up $4,000 for this righ, oi-way, an
will need every cent ot It. The uppe
end was first cleared then the cit
section was cleared and now the settle
mentS are in progress on the lower end
There is no town ot size except Paw
huska on the new line bu, at least iou
townsi,es have been laid off. Probabl
two OF these will be developed IN
year. Bridges and stations are to b
built under the general contract
Eighteen miles out OF pawhuSka, TO
ward Caney. the most progress is an