, 1877-12-20

TnE ST. Lt,t,1s nn1nGE.

nrrr the Mtasssppi which wns IN unite them
with the 0rcnt State OF Illinois nnl civilization.
The mighty Mississippi hal kept them teofatc't
from the rest Of the civilized world 10 long that
they haJ run fur behind tho aRc an1 were un-
able 10 kcep up with the peuple OF younger
Western titles wbo with unparalleled audueify
ha.l penetrated their territory unh taken away
ali their trade. While Cliragn waa getting
larger and of moro Importance every tay, their
rlty MAS continually getting smaller and Of less
importance. But all this WIS to be changed
wifi, the completion Of the bfE brt,lye. Once
united with The rcst OF the Cnittl States tticy
felt confident that they nnudretrere their fallen
fortunes and that tic Ehicay,ans and ottlcrs
who lad Intru.let' IN their domains would atatn
BE- driven ffon tho Act,l. and Ut. Louis would
finally triumph over MI rnrt;@ttttrs and bectMe
tho rfIcf city ri the Western nor!,i. The bridge
has now been completed fur saf1u years, but
nome VI thcse Wild llopcs l,aVe been realized.
They might just as we'll have remained .lthn,A
bridge fyr all tie gtrNl It has dune them. Not
only has trfr business not Increased eince Its
rsnnpIcttnn, but tho },'c that was left to them
stan'ts lh dangcr Of being diverted into other
channels. Uf co,issc the untuturcl 81. Louis
rreat an,lcipatlons. In their c.lli1llkc honesty
isiS ni}t o i"s Il. t. nes 'sf e the ns' ptoe sgSs
1t large. They hail no kn'wlcdre Of
MIN tauE8 aL4 Iu!IstTlEtaQu EQH1-
parties, who hare ma'le the. art Of
pervcrtfng public rrnperty 10 private uscs
speciality. How eon'd they knuw, in their tt,-
nuetttc. that tie Directors am! managers who
Laf bern chosen tD manage tie bridge for tho
people woul1 .nanagc for tI,ctrown private ben-
rlt uniyi II thu luu.d pcnple Ut st. it,uis
have not Jet fealizc,t these facts. they will un-
lunbtrtltr hcgin to do ~ hfter reading III TtlH
TnmrSE the snbioinesl revelations ubout the
management II the s,Fg brttlgc.
T!'e original ls'dg- Company In. gone into
bankruptcy, and liz aifais are tnw administered
t,y tile Receivers Agent, Mr.. T.. ". Woodward,
formerly preshicnt oi tho indianapolis j. st.
Louis Iioau. l,cfurc having tle affairs Of tic
Company llsc,l IN the llat.ls of the hccetscrs.
the Directors anil managers lcasc,l tho exclusive
right To control the railroad trains crossing the
bridge t" corporation known a. the E1ion
Hallway and Transit Company, which ow1s Its
own engines, ny well as tl,c dcpots nj
each en.l Of tbs bridge, 30 tint the ttocktuilcrs
nj tlIc Bridge Cnnpany arc completely nt the
merry IT the Transit Cunlp4ny. The 1ease pro-
vulra tt.at the Transit cofnlany shall ray 10
car crossing tllc hrtIcu ami going through the
tunnel. Tue contract is, tl,ut III ease the net
earnings result In nlorc tllnu IL per cent OH the
Investment OF the Transit Company, tho residue
is to 70 to tic Brldge Company. hut the former,
III ors'cr u nyo!,l paying anything, votes IT.
officers such InlfletlAe salaries tint the net
carltnga nrc kr1,t below tle limit. Tue nurs-
tion will t,e nske,', lIow was u possible that the
cnntrncti This qteation ID easily answered. BY
stating tint It Ia the general impression thnt
the Directors and 1tircrs 0t the Bridge COM
pany have snltfout to themselves, theY the
Transit Company. Ae lar a. csI>t lie ascestafncd
the Transit tu,nrany consists of tho inl'uwIng
gcntlclncn; William II. Clrincnt, William. u.
Griswultl, .Iu.cph y. K,nncS, 4, ". Shoemaker,
William Tauasie. Satlsuct 0aty, aud Henry
tla1lIIa These kA1np gentlemen arG snt1 tu l,u
the parties who IIIa.le the c'htract with t!lc
| 1rans|t Company. Moreover, ttcse rery men
/ have nanagrl tu obtain coiltrol Of the unton
Depot, ot Which theS arc also tho officers md
Directors.
Tic railroad companies md tho public who
arc compelled tu truBs the hritcu urc taxed 1,y
thE r1r IN un unft'ereitui fnatis!er. a circular
published in yesterdays TRIBUNE. sllowrt. that
81. Louis ou account OF the cxlartlonatc elar...s
| tr,ulc by the Transit Company. The railroads
and the people must submit tn'ncly IL this out
raGcas imposition, l}ecas,se t!lcr must Use the
its earnigs with tl!e WlsEin's Ferry Company
and Ut relief ca,l ic l,a, fl that direction. The
ta1ee for usfug ttIc tniun Depot arc equally as
cxtortiOhatr ~ these fur uang tilu bridge an,l
ranas .t p pay s !" ,i G'on DeD @ cu'npsny :SS any
IN annl4ul renial fur the uae III thu depGt
nmountin.. tb Ihturrst at 10 Icr cent on The
tulal uscertnillcti outlay fur The actual cost 0i
Nafl depot ard npuurtcnances, md also their
troportiusatu eltares VI tho taxes, iususnnrt,
alNi expenses thereof, such rental. taxes, and
cxvcrsts 10 be rAtuly asscsse'l against the sew.
| Crut rn,art,at! COMPANIES.
AS long n st. lotlfs allows Its commercial
Interests thus 10 b: controlled by rnE.-tltu
members of Which have tU Other motiyt thar
| to iurltIcr thUlr uwn tntcresls,-tie ppopIs Vi
that city casIlut expect ercr to bc u''lc to cot-
1,uto With their inore wtdc-nwake rivals, who
1nakc extra eisorta 10 bn lbcfa with tlIose from,
| wl,t,nh they get ther trnJe ann business There
arc rlngs IN Al cities, but rings whusu object 1t
Is To ,trtye AWAY business an1 ruin trade are