Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-12-07

sion; second, defensive, WhlcA never
works.; third, keeping entirely still;
making our road a5 good IN It's physl-
cal condition that we can operate as
chear as the cheapest, doing our busi-
ness so satisfactorily lat low rates, II
necessary as to make the puohc
pleased with us. and keeping ourselves
compact till the break comes, winch Ii
is sure TO 10, when we can branch on.
yesterday Mr.. Merrill came here
and called a meeting, and in 1t de-
manded that they have larger share
| OF the business between st. Paul and
| Chicago than they now get, IT helng
Ipooled half and half in gross, or that
| the pool should break, when he could
get it. | empE atically declined this
and told him rather than let him have,
more than half we preferred he should
break the pool. / don't know whether
he will do it or not, but fear he will.
IF they make fight it will be severe
and lasting one which cannot but prove
injurious to all. They seem, however,
Tor some reason, to court 1t. They arc
bold, determined, and, | think, are
reckless, and such fight must be
made very disastrous to ther1 II 1t
comes. Thus we cannot make 1T with
out very severe punishment to our
selves, and we must take the punish
ment like men, simply protecting our
selves all we can"
That breach in the harmonious re-
lations of the rival companies must
come sooner or later is evident from
this letter 1t is just as likely that the
officers Of the other companies foresaw
this. According to the terms of the
pool which the Omaha, st. Paul and
Northwestern formed, q withdrawal
could only be effected upon forty
five DAYS notice. The recent con-
nection which the Rock Island has
made with the city of st, Paul by
means of the Albert Lea route has
complicated difficulties, and by many
is regarded IS the first step taken to
secure the so much desired readjust-
ment of the business Of al four COM
panies. A demand that the --ilwau-
kee and St. Paul should surrender a
certain percentage of Its business in
favor of Rock Island was the next. OF
course, the demand was resisted, as
doubtless the Rock Island expected it
would be. Whether there was any le-
climate ground to the complaints
which the Omaha company nexs en-
tered to the effect that the st. Paul
had been secretly violating the terms
of the pool, the officers of that COM
pany best know. At all events, one OF
these complaints, and perhaps the
principal one, was that the st. Paul
transported grain TO Red Wing and
other milling points, where it was con-
verte1 into flour and then shipped to
Chicago without being accounted for in
the pool. Inasmuch as Dir. Porter adj
mitted in his February letter to Mr..
Brewster that the Omaha COM
pany was not stout enough
to check the Milwaukee and
lSt. Paul's ambitious designs, it is
not unfair to presume that he has re-
Gently received considerable strength
from an unknown source. AT all
events the Omaha and Rock Island
Roads appear to be acting in GENUINE
ton against the St. Paul just at this
particular period, and a plan OF aggres-
sive warfare appears to have been
agreed upon between them Necessari-
iy, the Northwestern company has
come into it, and other companies
must be engaged before peace is de-
clar9d. The Chicago, Burlington &
| Quidcy, and the Illinois Central, both
of whose interests have in measure
been affected by the strife, may be
compelled to enter the arena during
the coming week.
Like all combatants who have not
"canght their second wind" and come
to their senses, they are pitching into
one another savagely. Passenger and
freight rates have been reduced
to laugoable figures, and a great
deal OF pecuniary loss must
result. so far as the rail
roads are concerned The public gen.
orally expresses it's sympathy for rail
road combatants In pratical way. 1t
is doing so now in the northwest. The
| farmers are moving their crops east
ward as fast as they can secure cars for
their transportation. The rival railroads
are doing all in their power to assist
them, and fer once there is a commdni-
ty of feeling between the two. Flour
especially is moving in laage quantities,
and the statistics of transpol tations for
exceed those of a corresponding period
in any previous year. The public itself
is on its travels as well, for ridiculously
low fares have been given it since the
| fight broke out. The casters lines out
of Chicago are reaping a rich harvest
at the expense of the warning c0mpan-
les. The northwestern management
deny that they will begin to cut, but it
is difficult to see how they can avoid It,
for their business has already been
largely cut into by the strife which is
now so fercely carried on between the
Rock Island and the 81. Paul in their
Chicago business.
| - -cS--
Gov. Blackburn, of K entucky, is de
/ 1 frn,,4lr