St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-03
Supreme Court Decides That a Railway
Is Not Common Carrier for an
Express Company,
And Chances Favorable for the Election
of the Wells-FargO From the
Northern Pacific.
Rumor That Several OF the Eastern
Trunk Limos Are After the Free
port ~ st. Paul.
Increase in the Omaha's Equipments
1.-The Grand Trunk and Gen.
Iral PnciEc Deal.
Anscisinn of Interest.

The question of the right of railroad COM
panies to refuse to carry express matter ana
the agents and messengers OF the express
companies over their lines, which was de-
cided bv the United States supreme court at
Washington on Monday, is of general IN
terest, and especially TO the Northern Paci-
fc Railroad company, which, a short year
AGO. was ordered by the supreme court of
Oregon to furnish the Wells-Fargo Express
company the same facilities for doing busi-
ness over its line as afforded the Northern
Pacific Express company. This decision
practically sustainS the position taken by
the Northern Pacific at that time IN eJectlng
the Wells Fargo from its line. The ruling
made by the Washington supreme court
was that one common carrier is not COM
mon carrier of another common carrier, and
the railway company can, if it pleases, re-
fuse to the express company the privilege
of operating over its line. When the
Oregon supreme court decided against
the Northern Pacific Railway company
and the railway company appealed To the
United States supreme court, the Wells
Fargo was obliged to put up S25, 900 which
il was to forfeit should a second decision be
in the Northern Paclic's favor. The case
has not been brought up for hearing yet,
but the case of Monday which was decided
against the Adams Express company in
favor of the Missouri, Kansas d Texas rail-
way was a similar case to that of the North
ern Pacific and WellS-Fargo. The North
em Pacific now feels certain that it will
come ont all right in its suit, and that the
Wells-Fargo will be compelled to abandon
its line. This case has been very inter-
esting one to ST. Paul people. 1t is only
year since the Wells-Fargo commenced
OPERATING OVER THE NORTHERN PACIFIC
from Helena to ST. Paul. having come as
far as Helena before the decision was rem
dered by the Oregon supreme court. Before
that time the Northern Pacific Express
company carried all express matter
from St. Paul destined to points on
its line, both the American and United
States companies feeding it. With the de-
but of the Wells Fargo INTO st. Paul, the
American Express company gave all its
Western business to it to the exclusion of
the Northern Pacific Express company and
has continued to do this ever since. This
was because the American and Wells Fargo
are pretty closely related, James Fargo of
New York, holding the majority of stock
in both companies. AS the American EX-
press company brings most of the Western
consgnments from the East, the business
of the Northern Pacific Express company
has been very limited, and couple of
months ago certain Northern Pacific direc-
tors were considering the ACCESSIBILITY of
turning their express outfit and franchise
over to the American Express company at
a nominal value. But Vice President and
General Manager Cakes of the Northern
Pacific objected to this, and reasoned with
the directors, showing them tgures that the
Northern Pacific Express company was not
losing anything. but was making little
over the cost of operation, and the directors
decided to wait for period and no action
Cakes will now be seen by the cOmpany's
directors, vino can now await with patience
the action of the supreme court in the
premises.