Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-15
A GREEN LINE WAR.
The Impending Conflict Between ki-
val Railroad Lines.

IL is a fact well known to citizens OF
Nashville that there has been a GOODNESS ex-
listing between the management OF the o
isville and Nashville and Great Southern
Railroad and the Nashville, Chattanooga
and st. Louis Railroad, on the one hand,
and the st. Louis and Southeastern Com
pany, on the other, ever since the last
named road was completed. This feeling
seems to have finally resulted in a declara-
ton of war.
The fight will doubtless be an exciting
one, and will be watched with absorbing
interest by our citizens, as we are all inter-
ested in cheap freights. 1t appears hat for
some months past an agreed tariff from 81.
Louis, Chicago, Peoria and the interior
Northern country to Southern Green Line
points. Under this agreement, each COM
pany was entitled to all the freight it might
contract by reason of its geographical posi-
ton and facilities for transportation. This
arrangement has for some months been
carried out with apparent harmony by all
concerned. However, on the Sd of April,
the following circulars were issued:
OFFICE GENERAL FREIGHT AGENT,
NASHVILLE, CHATTANOOGA N ST.
LOUIS AND WESTERN N ATLANTIC
RAILWAYS, NASHVILLE, Tenn, April 3,
1S74.-A. E. Shrader Esq, General Super
intendent st. Louis and Southeastern Rail-
way Company-Dear sir:-On and afler
18th inst, we shall charge on freight over
your line from Henderson, or beyond
Henderson divisions from Nashville South.
1t is, we presume, hardly necessary TO
! give any reason for this course, except to
say that the interest of our road demands
it. Decreasing revenue and a declining
business compel the protection of our own
extension to the West and Northwest,
which we are unable to do under existing
circumstances Very respectfully yours, etc,
CHAs. w. ANDERSON,
General Freight Agent.
LOUISVILLE AND NASHVILLE AND
GREAT SOUTHERN AND SOUTH AND
NORTH ALABAMA RAILRoADs-OFFICE
OF GENERAL FREIGHT AGENT, LOUIS
VILE, KY, April ), 1S74.-A. Z. Ed
wards, Esq, General Superintendent St.
Louis and Southeastern Railway, st. Louis,
MO.-Dear Sir: On and after 18th inst,
Henderson rates and divisions from Hen
derson, will be exacted on all shipments
from and north of that point, including
those from st. Louis, Chicago, Peoria, In
d~ianapolis, etc. Please be governed ac-
cordingly. Yours truly,
NJ. f. SMITH, G.. F. A.
To explain the effect of this de~cisionupon
the st. Louis and Southeastern Railway
Company and its connections, it is neces-
sary 10 say that
THE RATE FROM NASHVILLE
South TO destination, on business originat-
ing at Henderson, is so much higher than
the rate from Nashville South to destina-
ton on business caused by the Nashville.
TIos.,,o.-o ,p1 Sf InniS Dailu-au o,l
the Louisville and Nashville Railway and
their connections from st. Louis, Chicago,
Peoria, Indianapolis and the interior north
ern and northwestern country, as to leave
no margin for the short line formed by the
St. Louis and Southeastern Railway and its
connections to carry the freight to Hender-
son, thus putting the natural and legitimate
short line route out of the market alto
gether. This, we understand, has been the
case, the St. Louis and Southeastern
and its connections having withdrawn
from every market north of the Ohio river.
This action places the business in the
hands of a monopoly, and, besides forcing
the producers of the North and Northwest
To pay higher rates of freight to the South
by reason of the increased distance, largely
increases the cost to the Southern con
sumer. This is clearly shown from the
fact that as soon as the Short Line was shut
out the remaining roads in the cOmbina-
ton Immediately advanced the rates of
freight, apparently thinking that as soon as
they had shut out a line which could afford
to work cheap, they could charge any price
they saw tit.
At ameeting held in Louisville in March
last, it was agreed by the General Freight
Agents of the Nashville and Chattanooga,
Louisville and Nashville, st. Louis and
Iron Mountain, ST. Louis and Southeastern
and Evansville and Charlottesville rail-
''"t the rate on grain from Chicago
rays, 49, i"es five cents higher
shoild 10 q All we destina-
than FROM st. Louis 10 tha &c..
tiOn. To the st. Louis and SOutheaspes.
and Evansville and Charlottesville railways, |
as the shortest lire from Chicago, was granted
the right Of naifting the rate from Chicago
to Evansville, which, when added to thed
rate from Evansville, would form a through
rate which all lines should maintain.
However, when the tariff from Chicago was
issued from the Louisville and Nashville
office, it was found that instead of making
the rate on grain five cents niote than
st. Louis, it had been made
TEN CENTS HIGHER,
in plain violation of agreement. Up,I
this the st. Louis and Southeastern and
Evansville and CraT fordsviIle Railroads
and connections exercising theft right al
ready granted, reduced the rate five cents
from Chicago to Evansville, q figure at
which they could afford to carry grain, and
would make the through rate as
agreed. Immediately the Nashville and
Chattanooga and Louisville and Nashville
Railroads advanced the rate from Evans
lille FIVE cents; and requested to be advised
Of any future reductions TO Evansville,
IN order hat they might advance the rate
of Evansville, and thus by COMPEL
ing producer and consumer to paw high
-ates, protect their long and circuituous ,
Outes. In this connection the following }
may not be Uninteresting:
OFFICE GENERAL FREIGHT AGENT,
EVANSVILLE AND CRAWfORDvULrRhU-
ROAD, EVANSVILLE, IND, APRIL Z, 1o74.- ,
:. w. ANDERSON; GENERAL. FREIGHT =
AGENT,N Nashville, Tenn: You a dSmith J
t Louisville gave our line privilege of run ,
ling through from Chicago, provided totals :
we're five (5) cents above St. Louis. I'm !
Outstanding your new divisions made it ten =
10) cents above, We agreed to cut our rate !
o as to give Chicago the agreed figures. !
have we exceeded our rights, or 3
'een granted them by you in u new =
Ieal? T.. ). BABCoCK, JR., G.F. A. :
ANSWER. '
NASHVILLE, Tenn, April 6, 1S74.-E. -
J. Babcock, .jr, G.. f. Agt., Evansville: We .
i've ST, Louis and Chicago the same rate !
er mile over our roads, but lines north of =
afro and Jacksonville could not reduce I
D Is cents on grain, and we, of course, :
ould not consent to haul your lines five l
- cents per hundred under them. I
e. W. ANDERSON, G. +. ACT. .
By this it is plainly confessed that, as y
heir lines from these points were long and !.
ircuitOus, they could not afford to haul u
as cheap as other lines were ready to ;
and they therefore place on them an ar =
itraTy advance to =
DEPRIVE THEM Of TIL BUSINESS, y
nd prevent the public from reaping the =
enefit of that for which they had paid, and ="
} which they were entitled.
The effect of the decision of April 8, be- "
lg, as we have already said, to shut out of n
lie market a short and direct route, we lay Il
efOre our readers a few more kilograms:
EVANSVILLE, IND, April &C. w. An
ersOn, Nashville, Tennis report from T.
true, that you propose o o to keep h