, 1865-08-14
Chicago Qr,bnnee
MONDAY, AUGUST Il 1898,
THE PACIFIC RAILROAD.

NHAAA ~ n AAk@VAUH
Our readers cannot have failed to notice
letter publihhsd in our issue Of Saturday dis.
closing the reasons for change in the route
ofthe Pacific Railroad westward from omahar
TIE Principal reason is that 1t is for the IN
terrst Of the contractor to haya the ron
built On 1he longest possible route. A SIC
cndaly reason is That the proposed changed In
The Toute, while increasing the number o,
miles. will enable the contractor to save a
lalge amount In The #ay Of grading. True
the road will be shamefully dcfaced by ma-
king It bend sonthe1sttaard from Omaha, and
the cities Of Omaha and Council Blutfs will be
der1avtd IN great mfasure Of The benefit In:
tended to be conferred upon them by the
original location Of the road, but
Tie contractor viii make a million
Of dollars by The operation, end that
million will come out Of the public treasury.
When Congress yielded, most unwlse3y AZ
We think, 10 the opportunities Of the Com
1,any, twbatercr that may bel and consented
TO Allow Its OWE first mortgage upon the
read to become second mortgage, giving
the Company the right to issue Other bonds to
the amount Of I'll, 900 per mile having prior
lien upon the road, 1t virtually gave from The
public treasury *2 900 Ter mile beside the
lands 1or, In order to make Its OWE mott
gage aysi1atle hereafter, it will be obliged 10
lake care Of The superior mortgage held ty
pltvatc individuals.
Il is a very natural inquiry at this point,
why the Pacific Railroad Company should
be 50 snxtouB to pu: an extra million Of dol.
lars !nlo the pocket OF the contractor, after
having arranged to give him profit Of three
millions, on his j9b Of one hundred miles,
originally. There can be only one answer.
The Directors are the real contractors and
nre binding the read At the largest possible
cxperBc to the Government Aud the least
possible expense TO themselves. Nr. b. n.
Ho1ic, the contractor, has been known here
toforc as United States Marshal for
the State Of Iowa, and as 8
very clever gentleman, but he has
not btcn known to the country, or to
his own nelghbors, as distinguished
capitalist. We have Lever teen his
income ,etu,n in my list Of htary men in the
cnterptls!ng State wbese h1 resides. 1t is
hardly P; ssible that the Directors Of the Pa-
ci6c ksilroad would make him . present oi
1our millions Of dollars In the beginning ot
their great work. We recognize among the
names Of the persons who made this
contract with 1Ir. Hoxse some gentlemen,
who are not in tn habit Of doing business In
this manner.
It is our c7nyic1on that the Pacific Rail
road is in the hands Of a set Of unprinciplrd
sTipdle1s, and thai Congress will ba obliged
10 exercise the power, reserved in the act OF
Incorporation. Of repeating the law, and
passing new enc with p:cp.r safeguards
Ss{.arn}nst such proceedings SIS have been had
EiAe existing Law, Under the present
: ef fnB &33xEfnment is building the road,
and, EQMpE1y. or contractors, reaping 4
i pfodt IN addition equal 10 u4e enfirt cog Of he
: road. The fret one hundred milds Of the
road arc to cost the contractor
s3O4l, ,016. The same one huadred
miles are to cost the people 6,1oo, ,o0o,
or little more than double the
amount the work really costs. That such a
contract could be made at all is monbtrous.
That Congress can allow 1t to be coasummAted
Is incredible. We call upon the Secretary Of
the Interior to put his foot upon this con-
tract. We know that he possesses both the
honesty and the h1mness to project the peo-
rle from such an outage.
1t h proper that We Ehould add TINT the
writer CT The letter which We published on
Saturday Is perfectly truthful md trust
The Dctf, snd hasfng 10 p ean =. s-.----4 - - -
the matter except that wh.ch every citizen
has, who will be taxed to pay the interest on
The Pacific Railroad bonds