The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-02-09
HUGE HAUL.
Jay GouId's Reported Acquisition
OF the ~ Louis and san Fran-
cisco RaiIroad--HOwi az Will
Affect the Atchison,
Topeka and SAN
Ia Re.

II 10 ScbcIhllN DcilcNeu III rhlifOuu
circles that the reports regarding
the acquisition of the st. Louis aud
San francisco railroad by JAY
Gould are founded upon facts. II the
report is true il will prove severe
blow to the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe railroad company, as Il
will deprive il of an independent
outlet To the Pacific coast via the
Atlantic and Pacific railway. AS is
generally known, the Atlantic and
Pacific railroazB better known as the
Thirty-filth Parallel route, is being
jointly built by the st. Louis and
san Francisco, which holds the char
ter for that line, and the Atchison.
Topeka and Santa Fe. With thesSt.
Louis and San Francisco interest in
that road, Mr. Gould will
be able to control il, and
the Atchison, Topeka and Santa
Fe will have to submit to Gould's
dictation. Ii is stated that Mr..
Goulds intention is not to complied
the Atlantic and Pacific TO San
francisco, but TO run il to Los An
geles merely, and then connect with
the Southern Pacific. This goes to
show that Gould and the Southern
and Central Pacific people are again
working hand in hand, and that II
is their object TO maintain control of
all the lines to the Pacific, and
crowd out all competitors. 1t ere
ated considerable surprise among
the railroad people here that the
owners of the AtchisoD, Topeka and
Santa Fe should thus allow the ST.
Louis and San Francisco road to
slip out of their hands. Ii is stated
that the road was offered to them
some time ago for S6,000,000, but
they refused To- accept the PROPOSE
ton, evidently thinking to strike a
better bargain. They seemed to
have lost sight of the fact that jay
Gould was lying i'm walt for the
prey, ready to jump upon IL as
soon as an opportunity offered.
The st. Louis and San
Francisco people did not care wno
controlled their road as long as
they got their price for IL, and when
Gould made them good offer they
let hIn have il. The Atchison, To-
peka and Santa Fe repeated the
same mistake regarding the st.
Louis and San Francisco as IL did
few years ago regarding the Denver
and Rio Grande, which IL also al
lowed to slip out of its hands after
it had good hold on it, and had
built the most expensive portions of
its Leadville line, just as II had
built large portion of the Atlantic
and Pacific, which Gould is now
SAID TO have wrested from ats con-
troll. The Denver and Rio Grande
could have been secured by the
Topeka and Santa Fe at
less money than it afterward spent
i'll litigation. So it Could have well
afforded to pay the ST. Louis aud
San Francisco people the price they
asked for their road. IL will now
cost them twice that amount to Sc
cure another independent outlet TO
the Pacific, and Mr. Gould's tactics
may prevent them from securing
any other outlet at all.
There is but one way for tho At
Gibson, Topeka and Santa Fe to get
out of this dilemma, and this Is by
securing control of or striking
hands with the Denver and Rio
Grande railroad. 1t is understood
that negotiations are now in pro-
gress to bring about such O result.
By getting control Of the Denver
and Rio -Grande, the line which the
latter is now constructing from
Denver to Salt Lake City could
easily be turned into a standard
gauge by laying q third rail, and
then extend the line TO San Fran
cisco. BY this means the Atchison,
Topeka and Santa Fe would secure
even q better and more direct outlet
to the Pacific coast than it would
have by the Atlantic and Pacific
route. This line could also be used
as western outlet from Denver by
the Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy, the owners of which are
also interested III the Atchison, To-
peka and Santa Fe. But to secure
this end the owners of the Atchison,
Topeka and Santa Fe must not
dicker long about the price, or
else Gould may again snap away the
game. 1t is well known that Gould )
has also an eye upon the Denver and
Rio Grande, and if by any possible
means he can prevent it from falling
into the hands of the Atchison, To-
peka and Santa Fe he will no doubt
do so, no matter what the cost may
be. With this line in his possession,
Gould will have all the possible Pa
cific outlets under his complete con-
troll, and he would be in position
to crowd the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe so badly that ultimately II
would be compelled to surrender to
him. He would then control every
line west of the Missouri river, and
all competition on Pacific coast bus
mess would be at an end.
Besides wrestling from the Atchi-
son, Topeka and Santa Fe its At
lantic and Pacific outlet, Mr.. Gould,
by the purchase of the st. Louis and
San Francisco, gains another valu-
able point. He deprives the Atchi-
son, Topeka and Santa Fe Of its
direct outlet to st. Louis via Sedg-
wick and the st. Louis and San
Francisco. He also prevents the
completion of the latter through the
Indian territory, and thus leaves the
field clear for his Missouri, Kansas
and Texas and his Texas and Pacific
lines, and will therefore be able 10
control most of the Texas cattle
trade.