Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1880-01-24

There are q great many railroad rumors
in the air to-day, and q which il being
encouraged by the employees of the Dakota
Southern 10 to the effect that the Milwaukee
company has purchased the line of road
known as the Dakota Southern. That there
is to be q change in the management of the
Dakota Southern inside of ten days is evil
dent, but our information, and it is of the
reliable sort, 10 that it is to be absorbed BY
the Chicago and Northwestern. The Mil
waukee company and the Northwestern com.
pany we're both bidding for this line. It
happened, however, that the latter procured
. controlling interest. through the purchase
of John !. Blair. Mr.. Wicker was ready
to sell at the figures offered by the Milwau.
kee company, but Mr.. Blair was not willing.
though the price was fully as much as the
road was worth. So the bargain fell through,
at least for the time, though we cannot Tell
what may turn up in the future. MI. Blair
will be in Yankton in q few days and by the
time he arrives something definite may be
known.
The above contains some truth and con.
si1erable conjecture. That there Is likely
10 be q change in the management of the
Sioux City and Dakota road is probable.
but what the change will be the employees
of the line have no more knowledge than
people in general. 1t is we'll known that
Mr.. Wicker has for a long time been willing
to dispose of his railroad interests. When
he built the Dakota Southern he never ex.
pected to operate it for a single day. He
built the line upon an understanding with
President Newell of the Illinois Central that
the latter company would take the road offhis
banda "a ANN 90 hNfJf h,t th1 -os.,-.- r
MIR. Newell from the presidency of that
company brought q new management to the
front, which declined to carry out the agree.
ment. Later John l. Blair bought a con.
trolling interest in MI. Wicker's roads. and
ever since then the opinion has been quite
general that Blair would sooner or later sc.
cure full possession and operate the lines in
the interest Of the Chicago & Northwestern
and Sioux City & Pacific, in both of which
roads he is largely interested.
In the meantime the Chicago, Milwaukee
and St. Paul appears on the scene, and
makes no concealment of its desire to pur.
chase the Sioux City and Dakota road, espe.
cially the Pembina line. We believe The
company would pay literally,
and 80 far as Mr.. Wicker is concerned there
would probably be no trouble in making a
trade. But with Mr.. Blair it is different.
He is undoubtedly looking to an extension
Of the Pembina to a connection with the
northern branch of the Northwestern. and
would not be willing to see the Pembina
pass into the hands Of the Milwaukee com.
pany.
Messrs. Blair and Wicker ARE now in
Chicago. and something definite is likely TO
be heard from them any day, though it may
nothing more than that Mr.. Wicker has
disposed of his remaining interest and that
Mr.. Blair assumes full possession. In the
after event it is not improbable that the
Sioux City and Pacific and the Sioux City
md Dakota would be operated under one
Management, in which case division head
for both lines would De at Sioux
City.
Even though the Milwaukee COMPANY
ioes not secure possession of the Pembina
Dad, it cannot be shut out from doing Sioux
jity business.
The probability is that the four great
ines, the Northwestern, the Illinois Cen.
the St. Paul and Sioux City and the
Milwaukee and St. Paul. will 20
nto . pool, with Sioux City az the initial
the same arrangement that the
Dads centering at Omaha have made
hat IN initial point. This of course would
increase the. advantages Of Sioux
5ity as . jobbing point, for freight. to and
com the east over all the lines would be
made uniform to this city and points be.
'ond reached by either road. In event
the pool being formed, the
could not give rates
which would operate against Sioux City
obbers, because that would be hurting the
central and Northwestern, in that it would
iivert traffic from those lines. In
'hort, whatever becomes of Mr.. Wicker's
interest in the Sioux City and Dakota, the
abroad system is developing in q manner
shich can hardly fail of being of great I'D.
to this city.
This is to be the initial point of four
yreat lines Cor the business Of the northwest.
md whateves rates may be adopted they
sfe likely to be uniform to this point, and
graduatsd to all the county tributary 20 a.