The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-18
L1r GorLD,s rNIoN rAcIFIo.
IL should be1nvcstigutcd and Refermed Im-
positions on the Public.

positions on the Public.
To THE EDITOR or THE SuN-Sir: From
week to week articles appear in various news
papers In this city under the style OF " letters to
the editor" In which the public Il treated TO
dissertation on the value Of the Union Pacific
Railroad rs managed by Mr.. Gould and his
friends, and to the injustice OF tho attempts
which are being made in Congress to secure the
return of the money which was loaned by the
Govcrnmc nt to build the line.
These letters IRE signed stakeholder"
Bondholder." Railroad" or any other name
which seems likely to give the public an idea
that they are written by person VINO has
solid interest In the subject. They are really
written by Jay Gould, or at his dictation
and are paid for at full advertising
rates. one Of these articles costs Gould
therefore, at one dollar per line, from
slOO to $50. They are generally placed
directly under the financial articles, but, by
special agreement, are sometimes printed ~
more prominent positions. Goulds object In
paving for the insertion OF these letters is that
they may seem to have been publ ished upon their
merits by ne editor, SO as 10 oe uea1 n{ .ne
on tho editorial page, as iudorsed 10 certain
extent by the paper In which they appear. THIS
Is more especially the case as these letters APP
pear without any ear marks to indicate That they
are advertisements.
Gould thought OF this expedient to attract
attention to his schemes more than two years
ago, when he found himself hardly pressed by
the newspapers excepting the Tribune which.
OF course, he owned body aud soul by virtue
OF hts enormous loans both TO the young
editor and the company. lie therefore,
manages to use the newspapers TO pun or
bear the market with no trouble I'VE that OF
writing out his views, and paying Tor their IN.
sertion In a conspicuous position al the late Oi
81 per line.
Ever since Gould got control OF tie Union
Pacific Railr pad he has spent large portion OF
hts time IN the invention Of schemes TO keep the
Government out Of Its money. IL Is quite evil
dent that the less the Government gets the more
will he left for Gould, and so he mas been striv-
ing to create an impression that his creditor 10
avaricious, grasping, and, In short, perfect
Sbyiock.
Without considering how inadequately he Is
fulfilling his obligations to the pubic, which Is
forced TO travel or send ireight oy nus me, ne
injustice OF n Government which takes measures
to secure for itself the return OF money which IL
lent to assist the enterprise and which VIII GER
tanly he lost unless prompt measures De taken
to secure Its repayment.
The road built great national high
way. and was intended TO be run for the benefit
of the people but now are their interests SUP
servedi he trains which convey passengers
across the continent are run at rates OF speed 50
| low that enormous waste of time occurs. From
Om8ba. the eastern terminus OF the mon IA
| cl1c Railroad, to Ogden, the western one Is
distan @ Of 1H2 miles. The schedule time Is act
| at 81 hours. which would make an average run
ming rate OF nineteen miles per hour. But the
| schedule time Is not adhered to as scrupulousy
| as IL would be were there any competition 10 be
| encountered, and frequently the running ratio
| than fifteen miles per hour. Imagine hrst-cl ~
| passenger travelling from New YORK TO Chicago
| IT, tue caboosc OF freight train, and an idea OF
the rate at which the trains are run ON the Union
| Pacific Railroad can be obtained. No railroad
| man will venture to urge for a moment any JUS
| unratOu Of such service. The reason why the
| trains are run slowly Is because the wear ana
| tear upon the running gear OF the locomotives
| ami coaches sless, the consumntion vi coal and
| oil Il smaller, ana because expenses Ia every way
| are decreased,
| travelling public any more than to trundle pas
| sengers across the thousand miles OF road Ia the
| way which suits the company best the reply
| to complaints Is ever ready; II people don't like
| the accommodation, they can 20 the other way
his abuse Of the charter granted BY
| Congress inures directly to the henent OF
Gould, VINO draws out all Of The SURPLUS cash
stock. The cheaper the trains are run the more
money is left for Gould. Then the longer the
the greater are tue sums which they spend fol
board ON the cars, and at the restaurants and
| hotels, which are sources Of revenue to the
company. Not only do passengers lose In time
| BY GOuld's parsimOny, but the prices charged
are perfectly outrageous. Through passenger,
from Now York TO san Francisco are compelle
| to pay Sl3S since Gould obtained control VI The
Union Pacific, or at the rate OF four and one-hftt
| cents yer mile. But the local charges are worse
yet. aud were II not that the trains Of the Unioi
Pacific are run slightly faster than stage coaches
| II would o prof able to start up the Overland
Mail. The fare from Omaha to Ogden Is $3.50
| mii~ and indeed the charges are mostly at tina
| rate from station To station on the road. hi
charges on freight are also modelled in a Xix,
fashion, and small fortune is required to pa
| tho transportation on box OF merchandi5
sent from New Y rk to San Francisco.
Now, the railroad claims ~ be MAX ing M oney
ami IL ought to with such "a scale OF prices.
also is Indebted to the Government In the sur
OF ABOUT $21.ODOO.O with accrued interest, whtcl
was loaned 70 ~ ia inc Gays OF us incep, u
Jdy Gould declines To nay tue interest on tines
bonds, or to fully provide for either principal d
interest ny the creation oi sinking luna. SeN
| er. 4 lrlpositiuus totally Inadequate have bee
offered AS sort Of SOP to Congress, which nav
tended 70 delay any action on the part OF th
| Government. All the time the road Is stea1il
| sirlpped OF lis resources 10y the payment OF div
| bends upon IL stock, while no provision Is u al
| 10 reimburse the Government.
As long as such a spirit is exhibited OF hot
s sdd' Of DISREGARD f0r the convenience an
| accommodation OF the people whose none
; built the major portion of the road, II seems
= me that Congress should inqui'e into tue MAJ
| agement OF the property, ana see whether II
run according to the letter and slirit OF LIS cha
t Ter, aud whether it has not abused the priv
I | leges conferred upon It. Then II II appear
, | that the Interests OF the people have not Tee
= | consulted. that the road has been run as o. e.
| engine of cXtortiOn, and that instead OIL BEN
, the gamers by this national highway we a
, rather losers, appropriate action can be taken
the PROMISES.
the interest upon the bonds loaned to the foa
by the Government, as II becomes due sea
~ OF prices for passengers and freight can be IKE
= which will at least save something to the Go
G eminent IN its transportation, and TO the publ
l. In its general business There Is no speci
il reason why Jay Gould should pocket mon,
4. which has been wrung from the people by e
tortionate charges totally dIsproportioned
n the accommodation given and service pc
n formed. while these same people are obliged
-, pat their hands In their pockets TO pay near
S2,0O,uOO year IN Interest when Gould oug
y TO pay, -, doesn't.
-, 80 these articles in tho newspapers, WRIT,
aud pad Tor Toy Gould or his agents to iniluen
70 public opinion III favor uf the Union Pdci
,. iailroad as against Congress and the pcOpl
J. should be taken for what they are worth. Gou
Is the enemy OF all the public In his prese
q attitude, and ms such should ne made to undt
h | stand that although the Erie Railroad, the n,
4 Jersey Southern, Pacific Mail, and the NClU 70
- | Tribune may be Oankrupted hy his control, [
American people as o body do not propose
stand 10y and see themselves made the dupes
IN his schemes and be tricked cut Of their mon
Oy bis devices. STlRABOu
Is Arrests in the South for Political PurpOs
p" RALEIGH n. G., Mach l5.-Niuch ind