Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1888-11-30
A Combination of Railroad Kings
Arranging to Pool Various
Trunk Lines.
The Rumor is Denied in Chicago and
New York, Though the
Meeting is
Significantly Strange-Congressmen
Say Dakota's Show for Ad-
mission is Good.
A Big Combination.

. CHICAGO, NOV. E7.-FOr several weeks
past Jay Gould, C.P. Huntington, Charles
Francis Adams, w. B. Strong and other
railroad magnates interested in western
railroads have been holding conferences in
New York in which Chairman Midgley of
the Southwestern Railway association has
taken prominent part. The object of
these conferences has been kept a profound
secret. Saturday the announcement was
made that the conferences had come to an
end and that an agreement had been made
whereby the troubles among the south
western roads would be ended and rates be
advanced from 25 to 50 per cent. as soon as
possible. But this announcement was no
nearer the truth than the previous reports
regarding the mysterious conference. The
railroad magnates evidently desired to keep
everybody in ignorance of the actual i'm
portance of the proposed agreement until
all arrangements had been perfected ana
the new scheme put in operation. 1t has
been learned however that the project con-
templates nothing more or less than the
formation of gigantic railroad trust or
clearing house comprising all roads
OOOWOCA POAuW5 WCSU VI ~ lllkc uCdWn
through Chicago and Milwaukee on the
east, Minneapolis and st. Paul on the north,
Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming on
the west and Arkansas on the south. All
the existing freight and passenger asSOcia-
tions within the territory named are to be
abolished and merged into the new trust or
CLEARING HOUSE AS IT is NAMED.
There is to be an executive board of three
which shall devote it's entire attention to
the affairs of the clearing house and be in
trusted with all matters connected
Herewith. One of the three is to be
elected chairman of the clearing
house and the other two are to be
known as vice chairman of the freight de-
partment and vice chairman of the passen-
ger department. respectively. The chair
man, it is understood, is to be j. w. Midg-
ley, who, under terms of the agreement
would be greater man than Commissioner
Fink. virtually having full control of the
management so far as traffic affairs are
concerned of all the roads between Chicago
and the Rocky Mountains. Three prOpO-
sitlons, it is understood, were presented at
the New York conference, one providing
for division of traffic, another for divi-
sion of earnings and third for clearing
house. 1t was finally decided to accept tie
latter because the former were more likely
to bring the roads into conflict with the
Interstate commerce law. 1t is believed,
however, that the trust or clearing house
place is as much in conflict with the law
as the other propositions. as it is nothing
more or less than a pooling Of all the raif-
road interests in the west.
CHICAGO, Nov. 2.-The Times to.mor-
row speaking OF the scheme will say:
.The preponderence Of opinion among
local railroad men seems to be that the
plan will never go into effect. It is too
much in the nature of a trust, and in fact
is practically the same scheme that was
agitated about We ar ago, but had to be
abandoned on account Of the vigorous Op-
position of members Of prominent railroad
companies" 4
New York, Nov. 27.-1n reference to re-
ports from Chicago that a big scheme was
on foot to form vast railroad pool west
Of that city, Mr.. Depew Of the New York
Central said: "That story has probably
only existed in somebody's Imagination.
suppose it is one Of the many schemes
that are daily proposed for the. settlement
OF the railroad question. had not heard
of it BEFORE"