Bent County register., 1886-10-30

1t is now freely predicted in rail
road circles that the present year
will witness the most relentless and
disastrous rate wars ever inaugu-
rated, and that even now the cutting
of both passenger and freight tariffs
is being INDUCED in to much larg-
er extent than any but those on the
inside have any.eonception of. The
Struggle in the Southwest will likely
be the most bitter, and, when once
begun, will be prolonged for an in
definite period. The Atchison has
perfected all its plans for absorbing
Il large share of the business for-
merly controlled by the Misso ari
Pacific alone, aud especially in the
struggle for territory being waged
in Texas, where, with the compile
tion of few extensions, spurs and
{ links, the Atchison will have secured
a system which will sap The vitality
of the Gould lines to such an extent
that swift retaliation will follow and
render war without quarters newt
I able. The Northwestern lines reach
ing out into Southwestern territory
I form another irritant which can re-
suit in nothing but war, and all
I hopes of forming a successful pool
have been abandoned even by the
most sanguine believers in the eiiica-
cy of that useful Institution There
are many little things which are
carefully added to the list of griev-
auccs, eyideueing the fact that the
I slightest provocation will precipitate
the conflict. One of the incidents
Preferred to is the announcement bv
the Chicago, Burlington and North.
ern that it will accept all tickets on
is limited trains. This win compel
competitors to abandon the old-time
rule providing for special tickets on
limited trains, and the Northerti's
action has already been productive
of open threats of throwing all re-
straint aside The immense amount
of new construction and the paral-
leling OF hundreds of miles of track
is given as the prime cause for the
present threatening aspect of affairs,
as for instance:
The Atchison's rapid strides in
Texas, have compelled the Gould
system to inausurate building cam
paign in that state which would
fotherwiSe not have been necessary.
IL is now stated on good authority
that the Atchison is IN the field to
remain and will not only complete
the projects now IN hand, but is even
now preparing to secure line of its
own between Kansas City aud St.
Lonis, which will put 1t on an equal
footing with the systems invading
IT'S territory. The trouble in the
Southwest will be seconded by the
Northwest, in direct sympathy and
i'll such position as to be compelled
to participate in the conflict, and
there is no limit to the magnitude to
winch the war may grow. But the
troubles are by no means confined
to this section named, for even now
the Pennsylvania and the Baltimore
and Ohio are quietly waging war
ON passenger business, which will
inevitably grow to large proportions,
and eventually involve freight bust
NUS as htli. ltstAS DNliIB
with brokers in St Louis and else
where, with an effort to hide the fact
at present, but it is believed that
within less than sixty days the strug-
! gle between these two great systems
will resolve itself into an open scram-
BILE for the business, with the sole
object of gaming the supremacy and
Gripping the competing line. There
is more in the Pennsylvania's threat
ened withdrawal from the Trunk
Line pool than has yet reached the
surface, but the fight rs now virtually
on and will grow with each success
sive move of the aggressive Balti-
more and Ohio. The placing of the
responsibility will. come hereafter,
as it is now alleged by each line that
the other threw the first stone.--
I Globe-Demoerat.