Omaha daily bee., 1882-09-20
HEADLIGHT CLEANS.
PreSage of a War in the World Oh
90 Wheels,
How Pooling Difficulties Are
Overcome by Intelli-
gent Agents.

Times of Monday:
The recent purchase of the Hanni-
bal & st. Joseph road by Gould has
little significance to the Burlington
road, so far as the Wabash is concern
ed, as it does not give the latter any
advantage over the Burlington which
this road can not overcome in sixty
days. II will necessitate the building
of a branch from Laclede to Kansas
City, and 1t is stated that work has
already begun on this branch and will
be completed before the close of the
season. No bridges will have to be
built either at Kansas City or Leaven-
worth, as trains can be u ove the
bridges now existing by the payment
of a toll similar to the II paid by the
roads running over the bridge at st.
Louis. The fight which is imminent,
however, lies between the Burlington
and the Union Pacific, and many well
Informed railway men ~shrewdly sus-
pect that the Hannibal & st. Joseph
is now held as a menace TO the Bur-
lington. In case the Burlington
should take advantage Of present cir
cumstances TO carry war into the
enemy's territory, tho Union Pacific
would find an invaluable auxiliary in
the road recently purchased. As an
excellent authority states, the Bur.
lington, up TO the present time, has
not been in q sufficiently
WE'LL INTRENCHED POSITION
to make a move, but has improved the
time in strengthening its forces and
securing powerful allies. The Rio
Grande, with all it's extensions, in
GLIDING the new ons now being built
to Utah, is so strongly bound to the
Burlington that the latter has become
virtually it's owner. The Santa Fe,
upon a very gauzy promise Of a share
of the business which the Rio Grande
has in Its power to give, has linked its
fortunes with those of the Burlington
and It's Narrow gauge ally; and this
triumvirate is now ready to wage re-
lentless wal upon the Union Pacific.
The Rio Grande willingly threw itself
into the preferred embrace of the big
Chicago road. Financial disability
and q hatred of the Union Pacific,
which was of prenatal influence, made
the narrow gauge road willing to offer
Itself, BODY and soul, to a corporation
that wac rich enough to lift it
U OF A FINANCIAL SLOUGH,
and to offer its services, however in.
significant, in "downing" the Union
Pacific. The Santa Fe had not much
to loose, and an opportunity to cripple
it's old rival, and perhaps make a
slight temporarily gain, was improved
without hesitation. The hundred and
one delays which have been brought
about just az the three were in condi-
ton TO enter a pool, have all been
looking to this end--to prevent the
forming of q pool so that the two
roads could begin the fight and escape
the odium of breaking a contract.
The Burlingtonnow believes that with
its harrow guage acquisition, and by
the Md of its ally on the south, it is
In fighting trim. Its division from
Denver to Kansas City has opened for
freight business. This puts tho road
on an equal footing with the Union
Pacific so far as the Missouri river
business is concerned, with the excep-
ton that the last named road has
shorter lines and better tracks-some
OF the Burlington road being laid
with forty. eight pound steel, little
better than that used on narrow
guage roads-to both Omaha and
Kansas City. The plan of the cam
paign will be to put the Union Pacific
to rout, to slaughter rates at every
point, and to not declare peace until
all three roads shall be permitted to
enter a pool for Colorado bushes on
SUCH ARBITRARY TERMS
as they themselves may dictate.
There has been an oppressive calm;
there will be a fearful storm. No one
has been deceived by the outward
sign of peace which the Colorado rail.
roads have assumed for the past four
months. ThereIwere certain tempest.
uous features that could not be kept
beneath the surface, no matter how
great ar effort The officers made to
look unrufl cd and u"nconcerned, or
how loud they talked about their
peaceful intentions. The newspapers
OF the entire west are cognizant of the
alliances that have been made, and
have for the past month predicted war
as inevitable. 1t is feared that, no
matter what the result may be to the
railroads, a reckless cutting of rates
will do much to unsettle the stability
which Colorado commerce is Just be-
ginning to assume.
POOL LINE AGENT.
According to The Wall Street News
this is the way in which railroad man.
ayers expect their general freight and
passenger agents to carry cut pooling
agreements:
The scene is laid in a railroad office
any railroad office you may have in
your minds eye. The president sends
for the general passenger and general
freight agents and says:
"Geatlemen, l have gone in with
the other roads on q pool"
81 tumble" replies the passenger
agent.
II observe" adds the freight man.
"Hsving signed a solemn contract
not to cut rates, what is your duty,
MIR. Passenger Agent"
$40 carry passengers at half fare,
if needs be, to get ahead of the other
roads,"
"And your duty, Mr.. Freight
AGENT"
"To charge the pool rates and re.
bate 20 cents per ton"
"Gentlemen, accept my thanks foI
the prompt manner in which you see