New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-14
THE RAILROAD WAR ENDED.
ALL QUESTIONS IN DISPUTE SETTLED.
FORMER RATES TO DE RESTORED ToDAY-THE
OMAHA ROAD TO BECOME A PART OF TIE

iHc railrolu war III tho Northwest has ended. n
treaty OF peace was signed late last night at tho
| windsor Hotel by officers OF the different com
| panios. Before the agreement signed, how
ever, orders sent to subordinate officers in the
West to restore rates to-day. The former schedule
OF rates on all traffic will be in force this morning
Inc precise terms of the agreement were not made
pubic last night. bat it is understood that
all the roads accept them with great satisfaction
| 1t was the verdict of tho officers OF all the
panies that tie settlement had brought all the lines
| into more harmonious relations than ever before
| had existed between them. They all had made
concessions to each other
The territorial question, upon which the Omaha
Road laid great stress at the beginning Of the con-
test, was virtually laid aside, but the opinions of
| the officers of the companies were found
to be in effect so nearly alike
| upon this question that the Omaha officers
| were satisfied to postpone absolute settlement
of it, The division of traffic at ST. Paul and Mime
| apolis was made III manner that is agreeable to
| the Rock Island line. although the percentages to
be allowed the different routes were
| not fixed. All the companies agreed
to maintain former schedule rates, and at fu-
| turc time. when the business of tho new Rock IS
land line to st. Paul shall have been developed the
division OF the traffic there viii probably be made.
lhe mos5 important result of tae war,
gagged in il. Will be to make the Omaha road part
on the Northwestern system. 1t is certain that the
Northwestern Railway has secured majority OF
the sto Of the Omaha Company. While nothing
has been done yet toward actually uniting tho
roads, either by lease constellation, the change
OF .ower5hip Of the Omaha road has been
fully recognized and it is probable
that within short time a formal
change OF management will be made. That
the road should become part OF the Northwestern
Is said to have been the hope OF the Omaha diTec-
tors for the last two years. The road ha' afforded
the Northwestern an entrance into st. Paul, and for
other geographical the friends OF the COM
pany have believed that practical unIon of the
two roads would be advantageous to both 1t Is con-
sidered probable that the form of union Will be the
leasing of the Omaha TO the Northwestern, but this
| has not yet been determined. Seats N the Omaha
directory viii be given the new owners as soon as
| they desire TO be represented III 1t.
| RESULTS OF THE CONFERENCE.
| The meeting OF the presidents and general mana
gers o the four roads began at an early hour yester
| day morning. Thcrest of the day up TO nearly 10
| D. III. was spent in arranging the details and form
| of the peace agreement. The subcommittee re-
ported the progress they had made on Tuesday, aod
| it was received with favor by tho full meeting.
| Further discussion then ensued with regard to the
points no, covered by the agreement as reached on
Tuesday but it was soon evident that satisfactory
| conclusion of tine conferences was inevitable The
only tning that remained to be done was to formu-
| late tue understanding arrived Az Inc
| agreement finally was completed and was signed
| 10y all the presidents in the evening. III cJud
not be learned what the terms OF peace were III de
TAIL They were announced to be satisfactory 10 all
the interests involved in the contest and 10 cover
| settlement OF all the disputes. The principal pro-
vision is understood to DC fer tho restoration aud
| maintenance OF both freight and passenger rates
! Rates ate - be restored at once and strictly
4 from I
| 1853. Penalties are provided for any nfraction
of the agrc ,memt. From the best information Oh
taina1e 10 was learned that the penalty was fine
OF 1900 for every proved case No division OF east
| bound business IRON ST. Paul and Minneapolis IN
specified percentages Is made urder th2 contract;
IL was found that the views Of the Rock Island ana
the st. Paul roads this point cOuldnot be recon-
was the only one which threatened to to
peace but it was decided yesterday that 1t was not
necessary to arrange percentages aJ thc present con-
ference preparatory to putting oaeK tnc GA rates
ihe pJol agreements on we5t, bound Iresnt ou0 cI
Chicago are not changed, aud the percentages re-
| main as they were agreed upon some tme ago III
is provided that each road shall receive OF OF
| would come 10 it, with rates main
taiaed, through its natural advantages. If
after the time covered by the agreement Is deemed
| advisable definitely TO divide tine east-bOund Ousl-
ness, provision ID made for such action
| Inc agreement does not provide for the restrlc-
ton of any future extension OF the systems OF the
| iour roads the territorial question practically
| was eliminated from the nego Iatons on Tuesday.
| The understanding Is that new CONSTRUCTIONS
| arc not needed the Northwest at
| present. Each road is leit at liberty to
| build new branches whenever the proper occasion
| for their construction arises " lth regard To the
relative advantages OF the three lines from St PauI
and Minneapolis, it is believed that satisfactory
cOnrse will be taken by castb0und traffic under the
present rates The ST. Paul route and the NorthWe5t-
| eIn and the Omaha route from 81. Paul aud Mlnhc-
apos to Chicago do not vary In distance more IMAM
few miles. The distance IRON 81 faul Oy tnc NIL
| Yankee and IT. Paul road Is 400 miles. The
| Albert Lea route of the Rock Island Company 10
about l2U miles longer than the otnef two routes.
But this Is offset by fact that the tOwusnear CHI
| caRo are more numerous on the Rock Island than on
the other nues 1t is also claimed that tue Minne-
| apos and ST. Louis road, which forms the northern
link in the Albert Lea route has loser connec-
| tiOn with the flour mills OF Minneapolis than nave
| the Omaha and the st. Paul Ihe heaYy
| local traffic of the Rock Island between the two
! nriucipaI Minnesota cities and Chicago IS also re-
| garded an element to onset the disadvantages III
| distance For through travel also the Rock Island
| makes practically tho same time 10 CncaBO ds It's
| rivals.
HOW THE AGREEMENT IS REGARDED.
II was not unu evening hat the railroad officers
interested in the settlement found leisure to express
| their views Oh the situation. They were lOath,
! however, to talk at great length upon it, 5. s.
| Merrill general manager of the st. Paul Company
said: 1--WE have reached an agreement anu rates
will be restored Tomorrow. Inc puOllc are LOt III
tcrc ted in the details of the contract Dut can say
that Il is equitable to all interests. am greatly
| gratiled at the termination oil the war r,,
r. K. Cable, general manager of the Rock Island.
said laughingly: ' am very glad 10 be done win
| al the talk we have had to indulge III III the
last few DAYS. Everything is settled satisfactorily
There is no pooling of oast-b0und business
but the west-bound pools remain as before" ~,
President Porter, OF the Omaha, was reiicent with
regard TO the settlement, and declined 10 speak
about the abandonment OF the territorial question
| lust raised. prominent director or inc ROCK
Is ana road said, " Ii is true that the Albert Lea
route is longer than the others, but the kocA island
enjoys advantages that offset TINS. IL his tne as
vantage of reaching all the towns near Ch,lcago,
where tine country is most thicAly settled. AN
Important west-bound traffic arises from these
| towns for about thirty-two miles out Oi Chcag0'