St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-18
How the Different COMPANIES Have
Fallen Apart and What They
Are Doing.
The Northeren Paciflc's New Plans. The
Wonderful TranscontinentaI Company.
m. Y. Cor. Philadelphia Times

company was the first to drop out of the part
nership, taking itself off to Boston and as
suming an attitude towards its late senior
partner, the Northern Pacific, not altogether
cordial. This Oregon concern is in reality a
Boston corporation the form of an official
organization being kept up in Oregon only
to comply with the laws of that state The
board of directors meets out at Portland, but
all the power is in the hands of the eXecu-
tive committee in Boston, the board doing
whatever the committee telegraphs it to do.
The company appears to be in tolerably in
dependent fix financially, although its stock
has been ratified down from $50 to less than
par during the past six months. 1t is ex-
tending its main line across the parched
plains Of southeastern Oregon to make a
junction with The Oregon Short Line, which
the Union Pacific is building. When the
junction is effected next summer the Ore
gon railway and Navigation will have two
eastern outlets and viii then be in position
to make its own terms for traffic connec-
tons, playing the Union Pacific against the
Northern Pacific. 1t will no longer be mere
" the western link Of the Northern Pacific,
which will then get only half Of the cake of
the Oregon business.
THE NORTHERN PACIFIC'S NEW LINE.
Under these circumstances, the Northern
Pacific is bound by the instinct of self pre-
servation to build its own line from The Up
per Columbia to The tide-waters of the Pacifi-
ic Ocean. 1t has the choice of two routes,
both covered by its charter--that down the
Go1,,, ,1@;o fhn Oh do
Mountains to Puget Sound If it were to
build on the former it would have parallel
215 miles of the Oregon Railway and Navi-
cation Company's Columbia river division,
building down the north bank of the river
all the way to Portland, in sight of
the road on the south bank, and through a
narrow gorge most of the way, where the
local business would not pay for fuel for the
locomotives. Consequently it turns to the
short but difficult route across the Cascade
Mountains, originally intended to be the
main line of the road. The Northern Pa
cifc directors see that they must construct
this line without delay. 1t will not do for
them to stop in the desert at Wallula juno
ton and be dependent for access to the Pa
cifc upon another company having another
eastern connection. The Northern Pacific
now owns the road from Portland to Puget
Sound, but from Wallula to Portland its cars
must pass over the track of the Oregon Com
pany, which now has no special reason for
showing it favors.
The Cascade Branch, as the direct line
from Upper Columbia to the sound is called,
will be an exceedingly expensive road to
build, owing to the difficulties of getting
over the mountains and the two-mile long
tunnel required at the top of the pass.
Last year twenty-five miles of it were built
across the sandy Yakima plains, just to show
that the company meant to go ahead and
earn its land grant on that division. Thirty
miles on the western and from Tacoma up
to the Wilkeson coal field were built as long
ago as 1877, when Charles B. Wright was
president of the company. There remains 1855
miles to construct. 1t is a poor time to
raise money to build railroads in the far west,
but the Northern Pacific dare not risk delay
in this vital matter. 1t must get line of
its own through to place where it can meet
the ships on the Pacific. When it completes
its Cascade division it will command the sit
uation. The Oregon Company having its
interest centered at Portland, will be anx-
ious and obliging, fearing that the CONNER
cial entrepot of the Pacific Northwest will I'LL
timately be Tacoma, unless it makes con-
cessions 10 keep the Northern Pacific friendly
to the route down the Columbia.
THE WONDERFUL TRANsCoN TINENTAL.
Meantime, what has become of the wond-
erful Transcontinental Company, with its
''liquid capital" which was to tie the North
ern Pacific and the Oregon Company toget-
her in such bonds of brotherly union that
there could be no clashing between them I?
A large part of the liquid capital ran out at
both spigot and bung in Wall street opera
tons. A few days ago the company made a
hasty retreat from its handsome offices in the
Mills building to the comparative seclusion
and safety of State street, Boston. Its eff
forts will be absorbed henceforth in tying up
the wreck of its broken fortunes and as a
ligature between the other two corporations
it will amount to nothing. 1t is a case of
sauve qui peut, or rather save what you can,
with Mr.. Endicott and the Transcontin entail.
The Oregon Improvement Company,
another of the ex-Villards, still remains in
old quarters near the Northern Pacific, but
has few if any interests in common with the
latter company. In fact, its interests are
mainly quite diverse, for the centre of its
operations in Seattle, rival town to the
Northern Pacific's terminal town of Tacoma,
and its coal development is carried on some
what at thexpense of the Northern Pacific
interests. The Oregon and California Com
pany is now established in the Post building,
on Exchange-place, where is also the office
of Henry Willard. He is still president of
this company, but as all its lines are leased
to the Oregon and Transcontinental he has
few official duties. If the lease should be
thrown up as is predicted on the street, he
~ ,lao,.o 1a s,,
at the head of single local road in Oregon.
He is going to Europe early in April, to re-
cruit his health he tells people-to put on
foot some magnificent financial scheme,
people believe. He looks well, physically,
and begins to walk once more with the con-
fident tread of man with resources and a
hopefulfuture.
THE LAND GRANT.
The Northern Pacific managers are trying
to protect their land grant from the raid in
the house at Washin gton. 1t is safe enough
in the final outcome, being peculiarly guard
ed by the terms of the charter as well as by
the failure of congress for four years to take
any action on the expiration of the time lin
it, which amounts to what the lawyers call a
waiver, but any legislation attempting to alb
rogate the grant would hinder the selling of
the bonds for the Cascade division until the
question could be carried up to supreme
court decision. So the managers are max
ing the best fight they can at Washington, in
the face of an opinion particularly strong
among the Democrats of congress that it
would be good card for the presidential cam
paign to declare all land grants forfeited, no
matter on what basis of law and contract
they may rest.
A Conductors Yarn.
From the Chicago Herald
s'I have been running train for thirty
years. said gray haired conductor on the
Wabash as he sat down by my side and sort
ad ont his tickets and commons CT startad in