The Leavenworth weekly times., 1875-08-19
THE RAILROAD FIGHT.
THE RAILROAD FIGHT.
What Talmage Of the Missouri
Pacific Road has to Say
About the Natter.
The Expressed opinion also, CT
Col. Artfu' Of re NGrth
Missouri Line.
4 CODclave OF the Magnates Of
the Leading Western
Ri roads.

Ri roads.
The great railroad war inaugurated some
time ago by the St. Louis roads still con-
tinues to be the chief topic of conversation
now, and the end seems no nearer than at
FIST. In order 10 learn the facts of the
case as given by the directors and manag-
ers Of the two leading St. Louis roads, the
Missouri Pacific and North Missouri, these
gentlemen have been Interviewed by a re-
porter, with the following result:
THE TALK WITH TAIMAGE.
Reporter-Mr Talmage, as the public at
large and especially the people in the West,
are greatly Interested in the fight now GO
ing on between your line (the Missouri
Pacific Railroad) and that of the st. Louis,
X an-as City q Northern Railroad, and as
there have been various and conflicting
statements as regards the cause OF this dis
agreement, / call upon you to-day to pro-
cure from you an official statement; provi-
ded. however, that such statement is con-
sistent with your wishes, it not being my
desire to interfere in this matter or to take
any part, except
TO GIVE FACTS
as they are, and in order TO do this your Of
| fetal statement Is desired.
Mr.. Talmage-I have no statement to
make, sir, except that this is none of our
| fight; it was entirely provoked by the St.
Louis, Kansas Civ d Northern, followed
by the Hannibal * 81. Joseph, without any
cause whatever on our part. We did moth
| ing TO bring it p 0ut, and will ta '.e no part
liz causing 1t to cease. Our loca. business
| will keep us up, and if the other lines, the
H. & S., Joe and St. L., X. c. q n. rail-
roads, desire to haul freight and passengers
for nothing, let them do so
TO THEIR HEARTS CONTENT.
| I am pls ed here TO look after the interests
| OF the stockholders Of this company, and
not for the sake Of some imagined injury
or petty spite to drag down an institution
like the Missouri Pacific Railroad
Reporter-Then you state, LIr. Talmase,
that your company had nothing whatever
/! to do with bringing about this great reduc-
ton Of freight aud passenger rates now in
augu,ated ON the s.. L., X. {. * y. and III.
d ~. Joe railroads?
Mr. Talmace-No, sir; and / only re-
gi'a N4lt hllOit bNaoi.IrS1
scheme from the beginning 10 the ending.
The reporter then proceeded to the Office
OF Col: Arthu-, Gene.al Superintendent OF
the St. L., K. c. * \. T.. l..
COL. ARTHUR's SAY.
TIE reason for dissensiCn on the part of
the Missouri Pacific l. L., in the fist
place was the making of an arrangement
between the K. T. T. l.. and our line, 10
To haul through caIs from st. Louis 10
Denve,, ard liEewi from Denver TO St.
Louis, which the Missouri Pacific claimed
was an rnderhanded way of doing business
and that the X. u. was rs an independent
line, making an unjust discrimination in
favor OF The 81. L., n. c. * \. X. X. The
unjust discrimination | did not dispute
and was not in favor of it from the COM
mencement, but the whole business ema-
naled from the X. T., without any TeIu, I
on my part. This latter arrangement gave
tie NJ. z. Il. r., an excuse for entering il
| to contracts with the principal and largest
houses in Colorado and that part OF TIE
county for all of their freight at a
SLIDING SCALE OF DISCOUNT
OF II per cent lower than any other liz,
Notwithstanding the TACT that they agrIed
at meeting held in Chicago in July, Is. :,
TO give te.l DAYS nG.,ce 10 all intel Isl ..
lin before departing from The rates agreed
W "a at that meeting. Their tickets We.
rcs.ored upon the X. p. l.. Il. and thin =
would have been put back to their orig;
basis had it not been ior The contracts p1s-
viously spoken OF.
A meeting was then held between the
general superintendeuls OF each road, iyE
the purpose OF agreeing upon some definite
and correct understanding of what had al
ready been done.
THE ~ SUE..ON
not settled at this meeting was the matter
Of contracts, Nix. Talmage, however, agree
ing TO decide in regard 10 that BY the next
day. He failed 10 do So and put il eli
from time TO time until i week had elapses..
During all this time he, through his agent,
had been making fresh contracts, getting
business at largely reduced rates. Not
withstanding his promise TO give not less
than ten days notice 10 all interested line,
Of his intention TO withdraw from the
| agreement previously entered into. Seeing
HOW THINGS WE'RE WORKING,
\ further hope of affecting any compro-
| mise by which they could be settled salts
| factorily TO all concerned, OF course such
| action on his part decided the course Of the
ST. L., L. {. 4 " X. r., and after having
waited so long to endeavor TO keep peace,
| patience ceased to be a virtue, and as a
matter OF SELF preservation We went down
at once to BOTTOM figures. This is the situ-
alton of affairs at present. and how they
came to be SO. The future policy OF our
line in this respect will be governed princi-
| pally by circumstance, but an any ereRt we
will
PROTECT OUR OWN INTERESTS
in the fullest possible manner, and give
our patrons and the public generally as ma
ny advantages as our competitors.
Reporter-Do YOU have any idea how
long this "cut" on rates will continue
This subject the public is most interested
in, a great many contending that it will be
suddenly stopped, and those who have tax.
en- the advantage of the $500 rate to St
Louis viii be caught there and made to pay
the regular fare to return.
Col Arthur-This is not the case, sir.
assure YOU that
DUE NOTICE
will be given in the Kansas City and St
| Louis dailies of our intention TO restore the
usual rates, thus giving them fgs days to re.
turn in. Could they ask more?
Reporter should think this as fair as
it is possible for you TO offer, and with this
assurance travel will lie largely augmented
| over your line, and il cannot but be be.
lieved will lie sufficiently large to be self
sustaining. What is your opinionj
Col. Arthur-This Twill allow the pub
| lie to draw its own conclusions.
/ Pan,r.a,-no I ,-pJarcfapl you cn-racf.