Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-28
RAILROAD TROUBLES.
HITCH BETWEENST.P A VI d PACIFIC
IND THE NORTHERN PACIFIC.


Interview With Receiver Farley. Of the
st. Paul & Paciho-He States the Rum
ming Arrangements Between the Two
Roads-Don't Think the Building of a
Road on the West Side of the River is
Practicable.
| Rumors have been rife for weeks past, that
a serious disagreement had occurred between
the st. Paul & Pacific, and the Northern Pacific
railroad. Fuel has been added to the flames of
discord, by further statements that the North
ern Pacific intended to construct a road of it's
own, on the west side Of the Mississippi river.
from the terminus Of the Brainerd branch at
Sank Rapids, to Minneapolis and St. Paul.
This road of course, would, if completed, create
another railroad, in direct competition with the
branch line Of the St. Paul and Pacific. In
other words, such action on the part of the
! Northern simply indicated war to the
| knife, and knife to the hilt In view of these
| conditions between the two roads, a GLOBE rep
resentative was detailed to wait upon Mr.. J. P.
Farley, general manager, as receiver, of the St.
Paul & Pacific. The subject having been
preached, Mr.. Farley told his own story in his
own way, without interrupting questions, and
it was substantially as follows:
| Mr.. Farley placed little, if any, credence in
the rumors relative to the purported intention
| of the Northern Pacific company to build a
road the west bank of the Mississippi, for
the simple reason of the engineering Difficult.
ties that such a scheme would encounter. It
was a "heavy country" on the west of the Mis-
sissippi, and hence any road on that side of the
river would have to be constructed at vast
| expense. On the east side Of the river, how
ever, the country com paratively level and
! therefore, free from the difficulties presented
| by the west side. For this reason, the
primary cost was so much less, the st. Paul &
Pacific could afford to do the work of the
Northern Pacific over it's line, better than the
latter could afford to build line on the west
of the Mississippi and operate it. But the
| Northern Pacific claimed that the St Paul 4
Pacific was treating it arbitrarily and unfairly
and would not give it fair show. It was but
justice, however, to state that all such talk was
uttered principally by the employees of the
Northern Pacific, and might not be authorized
in any sense of the term.
| During the latter part of last summer, when
the Brainerd branch was completed, Gen.
Stark came to st. Paul with Mr.. Sargent, both
| of the Northern Pacific, their object being to
make arrangements respecting the running of
train, ETC., from Sank Rapids to st. Paul.
They desired the St. Paul & Pacific to permit
the Northern Pacific to come into st. Paul and
! transact it's own business in it's way by it's
| own employees in the yards and warehouses Of
the St. Paul & Pacific, and asked what would
be the expense of such arrangement. TO
this it was replied that no such proposition
could be entertained. Two companies, repre-
| scented by two sets of hands, could not transact
their business Independently Of each other in
the same yards. Confusion would inevitably
result, and worse still, there would be con-
slant danger of collisions for two sets Of
GVV1f hnInfr of fha
time and on the ground Such ar
rangement, in fact, was a thing unknown in
railroad management. The switching and gen.
eral yard management must be under the con-
troll of one company, just was the case with
the West Wisconsin railroad. All it's yard work
was performed under contract by the ST. Paul
d Pacific in the latter's yards. No confusion
arose, collisions were avoided and everything
was satisfactory, under this system, to all con-
cerned. counter proposition made to the
Northern Pacific by the st. Paul & Pacific;
when was TO the following effect: Joint
trains were to be run over the branch Of the ST.:
Paul & Pacific and the Brainerd branch the
former to manage all matters at this end of
the route and the latter at the other end. This,
palpably, would divide the yard expenses about
equally. Then the expenses Of running the
trains were to be dividen pro rata on the dis
tances travelled over each line, which were rs
miles on the St. Paul & Pacific and 81 miles on
the Brainerd branch. This arrangement, of
course, only extended to Brainerd. Under this
plan it is evident that the share of expense for
Paul & Pacific than upon the Brainerd branch,
as the distance-76 travelled over the
former was greater than over the latter. To
this Gen. Stark and Mr.. Sergeant replied that
they sought an identity for their company in
cede to them by allotting specifically certain
space in the warehouses of the St. Paul & Pa
! NV t1t1r HON To CIR 1>xy
using when necessary, the blanks of the
Northern Pacific in St. Paul, and by the agents
of the St. Paul & Pacific being ordered to act as
agents for the Northern Pacific and, in all re-
specte, to act directly for it. This was deemed
satisfactory, the arrangement was entered in
to, and was found to work most pleasantly.
The two companies had scarcely more than
commenced to work reciprocally under this
| system when MI. Sergeant came to Mr.. Farley
aud desired to enter into an arrangement for
points on the Northern Pacific beyond Brain
erd. Mr.. Farley said he could not enter into
any agreement wherein a shorter line would
pro-rata with a longer one, as would be the
case IN question, wherein the st. Paul & Pacific
would be pitted with rs miles, and do the yard
work, handling of freight, etc., in St. Paul
against the l6O miles of the Northern Pacific.
The latter railroad, too, forwarded all its full
cars to Duluth, and sent the empty ones off
here, for handling which nothing would be re-
ceived, and standing room for them could not
be afforded. Such an arrangement was alto
gether unknown in railroad history and man.
agement-a short line never entered into pro-
rata agreement with a long one. Finally, how
ever, he did enter into Pro-rata agreement, the
rates being somewhat as follows to Bismarck
First class freight, $1.25; second Glass; $l.lO;
and third class Is or 80 cents. With this
agreement however, there were two
sSond contnn on the
w hnc1 c1o
second, that Mr.. Farley reserved the right to
cancel the agreement upon giving one days
notice. AS the empty cars were ginning to
come in, and business was commencing to
brisken, Mr.. Farley gave the stipulated notice
in May last and then all this present fussing
arose. Mr.. Farley claimed his road was en-
titled to a little advance. He did not wish to
exorbitant demand, but wished to treat it
with all fairness. He desired an advance of
| the proceeds from Is per cent, then received,
to ~ per cent. Mr.. Sergeant kicked against
it, and had most steadily refused to accede to
the advance sought. Meantime the St. Paul
& Pacific had made up its settlements with the
Northern Pacific on the 20 per cent. basis,
| while he latter had My paid on that Of Is
per cent. These payments had been received
right along by the St. Paul 4 Pacific
but the receipts therefor had only stated the
sums were received 'in account'-receipts in
| LUZ Ae1A ucVel Uteu g1Veus ana SO on Mr. Slr-
geant had persisted in never paying a single
dollar, excepting upon his own basis, and
growing all the time. The differences between
the two companies was only about 81 ,OOO but
Mr. Farley proposed to have a day Of clear set
Element, and that settlement would have to be
in the courts, which would be accomplished as
| soon possible.
On Nov. % last, the general freight agents Of
the two roads came together and fixed joint
freight tariff, which worked satisfactorily un.