inus.

CHAPTER IX.

_The Kansas Division (Kansas Pacific Railway.)_

Conflicting Interest on Location--Leavenworth, Pawnee and Western
Chartered By Kansas--Plans to Connect With the Union Pacific at the
Hundredth Meridian--Supplementary Charter 1864--San Diego Or
Denver--Construction Work--Indian Troubles--Receiverships--Consolidation
With the Union Pacific.

At the time Congress passed the Pacific Railroad Bill in 1862 there
were three conflicting interests contending as to the location. First
that in favor of the Northern (now the Northern Pacific) Route, second
the Central, and third that in favor of the Missouri-Kansas location.
The Northern interest had not developed to a sufficient extent to cut
much figure, only having the support of Minnesota, Wisconsin and
Michigan. The Central Route was backed by Chicago and the railroad
interests centering there. The Missouri-Kansas Route had the support
of St. Louis and the territory tributary thereto. The last two were
sufficiently persistent to have both of them recognized. Accordingly
the Charter called for the one line commencing at the hundredth
Meridian and running west with branches of feeders reaching that
point, one from Omaha (Iowa Branch, Union Pacific Railroad), one from
Sioux City (to be known as the Sioux City Branch, Union Pacific
Railroad), one from St. Joseph or Atchison (to be built by the
Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, later known as the Central Branch,
Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division and then the Kansas Pacific
Railway); this latter in connection with the Pacific Railroad of
Missouri from St. Louis to Kansas City to be the St. Louis line.

The Pacific Railroad Bill of 1862 read, "The Leavenworth, Pawnee, and
Western Railroad Company of Kansas are hereby authorized to construct
a railroad from the Missouri River at the mouth at the Kansas River
where it should connect with the Pacific Railroad of Missouri (now the
Missouri Pacific Railroad) to the hundredth Meridian of longitude upon
the same terms and conditions as applied to the construction of the
Pacific Railroad which it was to meet and connect with at the meridian
point named." Through Kansas it was to be located so as to make
connections with the several railroads through Iowa and Missouri,
provided it could be done without deviating from the general direction
of the whole line to the Pacific Coast. It further specified that two
hundred miles should be built within the fir