The evening world., 1921-01-03
o. m NV ToIt avuaias WoIldl

would pay TO build the railroad for
the Pacific business. II there was
a wall at the Pacific and no business
could ever leave Dat port It would
pay to build the railroad for the great
iocdl business" And 1 am positive
after years OF study OF the territory
that he was right
Mr.. Creel, the second day I was In
Chihuahua, agreed to become one OF
the Vice Presidents OF the road. and
he promised TO come to the city OF
Mexico in a few days and help me
with President Diaz in any way that
he could.
We left for the City of Mexico and
found to my great surprise that
President Dlaz knew l was coming
and had one of his family to meet me
at the hotel to take me to the palace
for an interview. l shall never for
get that wonderful interview. What
man! He was the most wonder
full man ever met in my life. and
words cannot describe my years Of
business relations with him His
great friendship is one Of the things
that l love to dwell uPOn. How he
looked me over! l thought / could
feel his eyes reaching into my brain
and looking over its cells to see just
what kind of brain 1t was. He had
dered II he could see your back hair.
must have passed muster at the
first interview, for he afterward said
he was my friend before l had spoken
word. And what a friend he was!
President Diaz went over my maps
and plans with great interest. lIo
told me that the building of this rail
road and the opening up of the har-
Dor Of Topolobampo had been the
D u Of 10 Na1
| that twenty years before. President
Grant had organized a company with
this same object in view, and wus
President OF it for two years, but
that Mexico was too poor to grant q
subsidy; that after President Grant
resigned, ex-Secretary Window had
taken the Presidency OF the en-
terprise, and had for seven years at
| tempted to get financial aid and
subsidy in the building of the line,
| He then told me that later Mr.. Hunt
Ington for several years had at
tempted to find line over the noun
tains. He said, 1T has the greatest
value as transcontnental railroad
! Humboldt has visited this section
where you intend to put this railroad.
Senior Stilwell, and he pronounced II
the treasure house Of the world"
was thrilled by the story OF other
men who had seen this hne as had.
He then asked me what I des! red
from the Mexican Government. l told
| him that l wanted national and fed
eral aid that would equal three mil
| lions OF dollars or five thousand dol
lars a mile. He said that he would
request the State OF Chihuahua 70
give us 100000, and that a conces-
SION would be sent me the next day
at II o'clock, and in that concession
the Mexican Government would give
us enough federal aid TO equal about
what | desired. AS he promised. the
next day at IL O'Clock the concession
| arrived.
asked President Diaz how IL Nras
that he had known that l was com
ing TO Mexico. Why" he said. from
kilograms from the Governors.
! What Governors ?" asked. II do
not understand what you mean"
He was surprised that 1 did not
know about it He then brought a
bunch Of kilograms from the Cover
mons OF the following States: Texas,
Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Louis-
lana and Iowa, all telling OF the
wonderful work that / had done in the
, upbullding Of the West; also one from
Assistant Secretary OF State Ryan,
who was in Topeka at that time.
had never before read such wonder
I fully complimentary kilograms. They
were grand. President D!az said:
/ Senior Stilwell, no man has ever
come TO Mexico with such an endorse
ment as you have in these kilograms.
l VIII always do all in my power 10
aid yor."
The next day, as I stated before
the concession was in my hands, and
l made the deposit with the Govern
Lnent The concession I had started
Shortly after this / left the City
OF Mexico and returned to Kansas
City to start building the railroad.
I cannot describe the satisfaction with
which laid all of my documents be-
fore DR.. Woods and Mr.. Rule and the
directors OF the Bank OF Commerce,
The 100000 was subscribed at once
to help start this work, and my sub
scription was on the same basis as
that OF any one else, receiving no
compensation whatever at that time
for the ownership on the concession.
Engineers were started out over the
railroad, and the Kansas City, Mex
leo and orient was really born.
II lie needless to 50 over the his
tory OF the road. Edward Dicken gin
General Manager OF the Union Pacific
? Railroad, resigned and became Vice
President and General Manager OF
the orient Gas II was called Ninety
per cent. OF all those I had inter
ested in the Kansas City Southern
Railroad became interested in tho
new venture. When the Mexican
I trouble arose, about 1000 miles OF the
1900 then finished, I had over 4. 600
stockholders in the road and the va
rious enterprises connected with Il.
My list Of stockholders was equal to
the Blue Book OF this country and
, Observation-Disclosures OF names OF noted
railroad men, financiers. &C, and
] among the names on the Board OF
{ Directors of the road were some OF
the leading men OF the United States
! The road made rapid progress, con .
? sidering the opposition OF other rail
. roads and the difficult problems OF
, | engineering TO solve.
: But when the Mexican trouble
arose we had Just reached the Con
tlnental divide, with the track $500
! feet elevated, and the promised land
the Pacific port-was in sight.