The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1886-11-22

Why the Gulf & Pacific Sub
scriptiOn Lays.
(Cor. Fort Worth Gazette.)

much less encouragement at Dallas
than from less pretentious points along
the projected route, and much less
than should be expected considering
the booming that was done about a
year ago for the scheme known as the
Dallas & Northwestern, and which
the public was led to believe was SUI
perceded by the Gulf & Pacific when
that corporation came to the surface,
and the Northwestern went into OBJ
livion. The Gulf & Pacific appears to
the DISTINGUISHED observer to be mer-
itorious scheme, and its poor encour-
agement from Dallas wholesale mer-
chants, real estate spectators and cap
atilists is sort of conundrum to the
people. Perhaps The Gazette
correspondent can give the pub
lie a pointer as to the cause of the ill
success of the Gulf & Pacific. A man
who keeps pretty well informed on
local railroad matters has outlined the
reason to the correspondent. He says:
ut was intended to build the Dallas &
Northwestern when the charter was
secured. Its promoters were in dead
earnest at that time, because the
wholesale trade Of Dallas in North
west Texas had been seriously de-
creased by the building of the Fort
Worth & Denver Road to Wichita
Falls. Dallas having to ship over the
Texas e. Pacific thirty-two miles to
reach the Fort Worth & Denver was
at disadvantage in two respects.
Freight rates were trifle higher and
goods generally were one day longer
at least in reaching their destination
along the Fort Worth h Denver line.
This was Of great advantage to the
Fort Worth wholesalers in that Sec
ton, and they were not slow to avail
themselves Of the favorable situation
Finally, Dallas capitalists, many of
them and the leading spirits-devel-
oped the Dallas e. Northwestern pro-
jcct as a protective measure. The Fort
Worth Il Denver people saw they
were menaced by q rival road in
country that was paying them hand
somely, and set about to defeat the
building of the Dallas & Northwest
ern. So last December a delegation
of Fort Worth q Denver people came
to Dallas and held meeting with GER
tain wholesale merchants, asking them
to abandon the Dallas e. Northwest
ern scheme, claiming that the road al
ready in operation was doing well, but
two roads in the sparsely settled ter
ritory could not make anything if left
to depend on a division of the local
business, and promising that if the
Dallas e. Northwestern scheme was
abandoned the wholesale merchants
interested should have the same
facilities extended them as were EN-
joyed by the Fort Worth merchants;
that rates should be the same, al
though thirty-two miles haulage was
necessary over the Texas & Pacific.
and that trains would be
run on such schedule as to allow of
the delivery of Dallas goods on equal
tint, with those sold by Fort Worth
houses. This was Just as good thing
as the Dallas wholesale merchants
interested in the scheme wanted. 1t
gave their small circle monopoly of
the Dallas business in the Panhandle
and Northwest Texas generally, while
a road from Dallas direct would let in
the public. The Dallas men insisted
for time upon the Fort Worth g.
Denver bringing their headquarters to
this city and running a daily passen-
ger train into Dallas, but this they
could not secure, but the Fort Worth
& Denver people agreed to make their
time schedules at Fort Worth meet the
emergency, and should future circum-
stances shape themselves so as to make
the Dallss request feasible the matter
would be given proper consideration.
Since then the Dallas wholesalers into
the understanding have been getting
all that was promised by the Fort
O. 4 -.