The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-04-18
THE RAILROAD WAR IN COLORADO.
Between the Denver & Rio Cirande and
A, Il. l. =. T.. Il H.

Between the Denver & Rio Grande an'
| A, L. 4 >. +. II. II.
United States Troops Called for, bu
Can't Respond
We clip the following from the Den
yer Daily Tribune, April 8:
For the past few days there have beer
| rumors af1oat of an extraordinary NOV,
contemplated by the Denver s. Rio
Grande minority, and yesterday they
took definite shape. 1t involves on at
tempt to seize by violence and force the
line which they leased legally to thu
Atchison, Topeka g. Santa Fe, and which
line that road has held peaceful posses
sion of, as per agreement of both con
tracing parties, for four months. The
fact that an order had been issued yester
day to the night freights not to go out
for fear of an attack, and that the paSSen
ger train had come in ahead of time
were the first intimation of the gravity
of the situation, and a reporter of the
Tribune Immediately went TO work to
discover what more he could of the pros
pective outrage upon law and order. 1t
appears that preparations for the con.
summation of the scheme have been in
progress for ten days. The plan seems
to he to trump up charges against the
men who are now running the trains
swear out warrants for them, and have
them arrested while at their duty. A
circular, it is believed, has been issued
to the old employees of the Denver s. Rio
Grande, instructing them to be ready to
take possession of the trains and hold
them, and another circular has been pre-
pared for the coal miners at FL Moro,
Coal Creek and Canon. The suppose
ton is, too, that the men working on the
grade above the canon will be moved on.
On Friday, the fourth, a stranger to the
express agent at this point delivered
eight or nine boxes of arms and ammu-
milton, consigned to G.. G. Davidson, Sill
yer Cliff, care DR.. Craven, Canon City.
OF course the arms can only be delivered
on DIR. Craven's order, and he refuses to
have anything to do with them. The
party who took the receipts here stated
that the boxes contained hardware.
Men are being imported now, and ev-
cry lawyer between here and Pueblo has
been retained in the interest of the Den
yer & Rio Grande, while all the leading
counsel of the road are centered at Color
ado Springs, ready for action.
The plan is evidently to make a stimuli
taneous move all along the line, arrest
all the employees, take possession by
force and hold it until Ousted by the
courts. Yesterday Mr.. Borst, superin.
tendent of the Denver & Rio Grande di-
vision of AtchisOn, Topeka & Santa Fe,
telegraphed to Fort Garland for troops
| to protect the United States mail, in view
of the threatening assault, but the ans
wer was that the officer in charge had
no authority TO send them, on account
of the posse cOmitdtus clause. Under the
oil nSfo IL
PEELED to protect the mail in their charge
themselves until they get aid from the
general government.
The Topeka Commonwealth of the
the 10th adds the following information
Our readers know that some time last
year there was a strife between the Den
yer 81 Rio Grand railway and the Atchi.
son, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad as to
which company should first get right of
way through the Grand Canon of the
Arkansas river. The Atchison, Topeka
Il Santa Fe railroad got in first, and this
fact was so decided by the state courts of
Colorado. The case was carried to the
supreme court of the United States, and
decision was expected last Monday, but
1t was not made. Some four months
ago, or last December, the Atchison, To
peka & Santa Fe leased the Rio Grande
railroad for term of years, and took and
have held possession of il ever since.
They have fulfilled their part of the con-
tract in every particular, but now it seems
from the above that the original ID. & r.
Il. Go. are trying to get possession of the
road by force.
1t should be understood that. even if
the United States court should reverse
the decision of the Colorado courts, and
decide the A, 4. & S. F. railroad were
not entitled TO the right of way through
the Grand Canon, that does not affect the
lease of the Rio Grande railroad to the
Santa Fee company. We cannot see
where the Rio Grand r. r. Co, has any
right whatever to interfere at the pres
ent time. If the United States courts
should decide that this company has the
right of way through the canon, there
might be some excuse fora show of fight
to get their rights, always excepting that
the lease to the Santa Fe did not cover
this very point, and of that we know
nothing. News from Colorado will now
be looked for with a great deal of inter.
est. We can't believe that the authori-
ties of Colorado will allow any such
high-handed outrages as are foreshadow.
ed in the article from the Tribune to be
committed. 1t would be an injury to
the state, which it would not soon get
over.
1t has been an open secret in topeka
for the last month that trouble was brew.
ing over the railroad situation in Colora-
do. The exact points have not been
known till now. 1t has also been an
open secret that the A. T. & S. F. r. r.
was prepared for any contingency that
might arise. AS we said above, news
from that state will be anxiOusly looked
for.
PRESIDENT NICKERsON's LETTER
The following letter, written by Thorn
as NickersOn, president of the A, T. s. S
F. r. R., in regard to the contest for the
possession of the Denver & Rio Grande
railroad, throws considerable light on
the matter. 1t was written to Mr.. S. P
Schlesinger, one of the leading bond.
holders of the Denver s. Rio Grande
Mr.. Palmer, of whom the letter speaks,
is the coup de etGt president of the said
road. He has so far failed to GUST the A.,
T. & S. F. from actual possession:
BosTON, February 10, 1879
s. p. Schlesinger, Esq:
DEAR SIR:-Your favor of the 7th
inst. is at hand
do not intend to undertake to refute
the "harsh things General Palmer and
his friends have said about me- l am
satisfied 10 wait for my justification till
time shall show who is right.
wish only to give brief history OF
our transactions with the Denver and
Rio Grande while il is fresh in mind
and if l fall into any errors, / will thank
you to correct them now.
Some time in September, General
Paine received letter from Col. Potts
proposing that some of our people should
go to New York and meet representa-
tives Of the Denver and Rio Grande, to
see if something could not be done to
stop our competitive construction and
make peace.
Il called the board together at once and
| laid the matter before them. 1t was not
thought advisable TO go to New York,
but 10 propose to meet any representa-
tive of said road in Boston. l then stat
ed to the board that wished to know
their views as TO the terms on which ]
could treat with your friend on his ar
rival
The whole situation was discussed foI
hours, and resulted in the unanimous
passage of the following note, which was
offered by Gen. Paine: THAT no propo
sitlon from the Denver and Rio Grande
railway company should be considered
which contemplates abandoning the ex
tension from Pueblo to South Arkansas
| or IeadViIle or the control thereof"