, 1883-10-18
Rival Express Companies
WILLS FARGO ATTACH TIE NORTHERN
PACIFIC

'Aa'N'' 3 az II fttH '..t' t.st. y
PACIFIC
4 ?. 'hran'-'s.I
Wells, Fargo y Co. have brought "a
suit IN equity against the Pacific
COas: Steamship Company and ask
an injunction against the latter com
pauy IN the United States Circuit
Court, 1t appears from the com
plant that on August y. 1SS3. Man
ager c. H Prescott of the Pacific
Coast Steamship Company. notified
Wells. Fargo n Co. that after OctU-
Der lst that the other duties which
will be required Of pursers Of
steamships and steamboat, run by
the Pacific Coast Steamship Company
and Of station agents along the line
Of the railroad under their control,
would be such that such pursers and
station agents could not continue to
act in the capacity of agents and EN-
ployees Of Wells, Fargo n Co. and
that the latter corporation must III axe
other arrangements to have its bus,
mess transacted
The bill of the complainant sets
out in full its character, mode Of
transacting its express business;
states that ii now occupies the rail
way facilities over 100 miles of road
for the conduct of its business, and
upon 1000 miles of inter- state steam
boat lines, 1000 miles of stage routes
and 1900 miles of ocean steamship
lines; and that it has LOO employees
and 1000 agencies. 1t is averred
that for more than five years past it
has had afforded it blythe defendant
all the facilities needed by the com
plainant for the transaction of its
business, for which fair price has
been paid by the express company
and received by the steamship com
pAny. (which the former are still
willing to pay. Further, it is stated
that the steamship company now
pretends that no contract, either I'M
piled or express, exists between the
companies, and that it is under no
obligation to grant complainant any
further enjoyment of the facilities of
its lines.
The complainant also alleges that
On or about September 1st, 1883, a
corporation known as the Northern
Pacific Express Company was organ
ICED for the purpose of carrying on
the express business, and has begun
such business on the defendants
steamboat lines; and that the stock
of the new express company Is held
by the same persons who hold the
capital stock of the Northern Pacific
Railroad Company, and that the
,,,oonsDr, "a Eha 1oFap1onfsI oof1On in
refusing to allow its agents and en-
ployees to act as ageLts for complain
ant is to discriminate against Wells,
Fargo & Company, and in favor of
the Northern Pacific Express Com
pany.
The bill further sets forth that in
the conduct of its business generally
and over the steamship company's
lines it merely acts as agents of the
people and does not own the property
committed to its charge; the defend
ant as public corporation has i'm
posed upon it all the duties and OBJ
legations of common carrier.
It is asked that the defendant be
decreed to carry the express matter
of Wells, Fargo & Co. and to per
init its pursers to act as express
agents; that all persons acting under
the defendants authority be both
preliminarily and perpetually re-
strained from interfering with or dis
turbing the facilities enjoyed by
Wells, Fargo & Co.
A preliminary writ of injunction
directed against the defendant,
pending the hearing and the deter
mination of the suit, has been grant
ed by Judge Sawyer.