Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-11-20
TO THE KNIFE.
The Railroad Strife for st. Paul Busi-
ness Assumes Strength.
MANAGER MERRILL IN THE FIELD.
He More Than Meets the Reductions Of
His Competitors.
RATES ON GRAINS AND FLOUR CUT.
A Long and Bitter Contest Expected on
Every Hand.

The railroad war has assumed formid-
able proportions, and the rattling manner
in which rates have been cut it looks as
though the deal would be whooped up for
what it is worth all around. The sneck,
which week ago 1oomed up no bigger
than a mans hand, has developed into
titanic proportions, and the inquiry is,
now that it is becoming troublesome,
what will they do with it?
To the solution of this inquiry GLOBE mis-
sionary turned his pious wits on yesterday.
Now, it is we'll known that for downright,
aggravating secretiveness your modern
railroad magnate and high muck a-muck
lays clear over the deck. Alongside of
this distinguished parsonage the modern
clam is a paragon of open -mouthed ver-
bosity. 1t was announced in the SUNDAY
GLOBE yesterday that the Omaha railroad
would commence selling tickets to Chicago
at the rate of one dollar, this indicating
that the company had become absolved
from all responsibility in the pool arrange
ment. the forty day 1-otice of withdrawal
having expired Saturday at midnight.
This of course was looked upon as the
gauge of battle, and it proved the signal
for further hostilities. The challenge was
accepted by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St.
Paul railroad, the managers giving it to
be understood that they were prepared to
meet any legitimate competition.
Both companies hung their banners on
the outer walls, and the latter road sized
up its hand and saw the reduction. It re-
mained for the managers Of the Albert Lea
route to show the public that i'll this racket
there was to be music by the frll band,
and this corporation raised both The
other roads one better, and at
3 O'Clock up went placard that tickets to
Chicago by way of the Albert Lea route
would be sold at fifty cents. Considering
that the fare is thirty cents to Minneapo-
lis, only twenty cents remained as the
tariff from that city to Chicago, which
is getting the thing down fine, to say the
least.
AS announced in yesterdays GLOBE,
Manager S. S. Merrill, of the Milwaukee &
st. Paul, and party arrived by special
train from Chicago yesterday morning.
The party switched their car on a side
track in the lower yard, and were not ac-
cessible until afternoon. At O'Clock
they made their appearance at the
Merchants hotel for dinner, and
it is seldom that a more distinguished
party of railroad men are seen together.
They occupied one table, the names being
as follows: ". G. Van Horne, general su-
perintendent of the Canadian Pacific Rail-
road company; w. B. Baker, OF the same
roa>i, j. G. Ogden, same; Geo. I'll. Hazard,
BED Flag ticket Office; S. S. Merrill, gen.
eral manager, Chicago, Milwaukee & st.
Paul Railroad company; D. s. Wegg, Geo.
A. Keafford and P. M. Meyers, railroad
men of the same company; Hoyt Sherman.
Jr., L. S. Allen and John L. Dodge, OF Chi
cago and j. Hill, president of the st.
Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railroad
company.
After discussing substantial dinner, to
which full justice was done, the party dis
persed, Manager Merrill and Con-
feres retiring to the Office of the
company, Third and Jackson streets.
Here at one time Or another during the
afternoon and evening might have been
seen great many men who stand fore
most among the magnates of the railroad
world.
Manager Merrill at once withdrew to a
private apartment, where he was clos
eted with officers of the company until
supper time, In the evening GLOBE
representative sought information as to the
upshot of the conference, and after several
unsuccessful attempts in this direction a
brief interview was accorded with Man
ager Merrill.
The latter was found in cheerful frame
of mind, but expressed himself as non
committal as to the prospects OF an early
adjustment Of the differences that have
cOnspired to bring about the slaughter in
rates. He was averse, he said, to appear
ing in print in a manner to convey the i'm
preston that because of the present disa-
greement, there was to follow wholesale
and general break up Of the pooling
He could see, however, no prospect OF
an immediate settlement; whatever was
necessary to do to protect the interests oi
his road would be done. AS to the rela
tions of the Milwaukee & st. Paul with the
Omaha & Northwestern, he said that il
would be impossible for the latter corpor
alton to control the situation in the west
meaning from st. Paul east,
Hear Them HOtCt.
The cut agreed upon in passenger rate
from st. Paul to points East, demonstrate
more forcibly than columns of conjectur'
that the gauntlet thrown by the Omaha
line has been more than accepted by th'
chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul. The rat
to Chicago and Milwaukee was put at s.
and To other a4s folloxs