Omaha daily bee., 1888-09-13
TALK ABOUT A UNION DEPOT.
Business Men Confer With tho
Union Pacific President.
NOT OPPOSED TO THE PROJECT.
But He Says the State Boards Action
and Congressional Hardness Are
the Distractions to Pro-
Ceeding With IT.


President Charles Francis Adams, of the
Union Pacific, was in the city yesterday, and
a number OF business men entertained him
with "a lunch at the Union Club. After the
repast Messrs. Frank Colpetzer, w. V.
Morse, William A.. Paxton, Joseph Barker,
Fred W. Gray, j. j. Brown and others, ac-
companied the distinguished visitor to his
private car, and remained in conference with
HIM until it was time for his train to leave.
The Omaha gentlemen were a com
mittee to present to Mr.. Adams
the desire and the need for a new union
depot in this city. 1t having been under
stood that the action of the Nebraska board
of transportation in ordering u reduction of
rates had alarmed the railroads, Mr.. Gray
stated the attitude of the shippers of Omaha
towards that action and argued that this
city should not be made to suffer because Of
the order of the state board.
Mr.. Adams said that the boards action
had alarmed the capitalists from whom he
expected to borrow money. for improve
ments and extensions in Nebraska.
He thought people in tho west
did not realize how strongly it had affected
the finunciers of Boston and the east gencr-
ally. IL was an unexpected blow and put Il
stop to a number of projected enterprises.
Mr.. Morse ana others called attention TO
uH5 pTODdDlllly Oh II greatly lHCTcdStu DuSl-
ness during the coming year and urged other
reasons why, independent of the policy of
the state board, whether favorable or not,
Omaha ought to have better depot facilities,
and why the Union Pacific ought for its own
interest take the steps necessary TO that end.
Mr.. Adams frankly conceded the force of
these arguments.
1t was also urged that the matter lies
wholly with him; that he, with the directors
who would be governed by his opinion, had
the owe to give Omaha the great boon Of
a union depot.
MIR. Adams dissentcd from this opinion in
the face of existing difficulties. He said that
orders for a new depot had been given sew
eral months ago, but the delay in congress
in acting on the Cultivate bill, together
with the attitude of the state board
of transportation, had made it nee
essary to call a halt, He assured
the committee that it was his personal
desire TO give Omaha q structure that would
be a credit TO the road, to the city and to the
state. He said the project wonld be held in
consideration, and intmated that he would
do what he could towards its contamination.
AS president of the Union Club DIR. George
L.. Miller has had an extended correspond
ence with President Adams on this subject,
aud a BEE reporter called on the dis
tingulshed Omahan. The doctor was pleased
to learn that the committee of business men
had had a full and frank conference
with Mr.. Adams. The doctor said he
| KNOW from u CORRESPONDENCE GNltlulllS oven
four months that the views add desires of the
Union Pacitic's president were favorable to d
union depot. Mr.. Adams stated repeatedly
that he had Il personal pride in the construc.
ton of Il union station in Omaha that would
all the traffic of all the rail.
| roads ceutering here. But he has encoun.
tered serious difficulties. Chief among them
are the the failure of congress to let the
Cultivate bill come TO Il vote and the order
of the state board in assailing freight rates
IL 10, -, f,4f hAAr NANFAFlAEH IN aBt in illg
matter for two or three months past.
DR.. Miller had an earnest conversation
with President Adams before the lunch yes
terday. The conversation confirmed the
doctor in his view, and he had no doubt Mr.
Adams had been equally frank with the com
mittee, both in expressing his desires and il
stating the difficulties in the way of the pro
iect. DIR. Miller feels confident that Presl
dent Adams will find ways to surnount pres
ent difficulties and give Omaha a union depot
in the near future.
From a source which is positively reliabl,
The BEE learns that General Mana
ger Kimball was requested severa
months ago to go to Boston and sub
NIT plans for II union depot in omaha. III
did so, and his plans we're approved. As Mr.
Adams stated to the committee, Mr.. Kimbal
was to proceed with the work of construc
ton, Just then arose the obstacles of raising
money, and the enterprise was temporarily
abandoned.
Inc DFOleCb contemplated uhuth " Una
the erection of Il station house for the rail
roads on this side of the river. The
plan was to allow the Iowa roads tt
run their trains into and out o
Omaha. The Union Pacific submitted
proposition for tho use of its bridge ant
depot, and at least one Of the Iowa lines, the
Chicago, Milwaukee 81 ST. Paul accepted thu
terms. The Rock Island and the Wabash
were favorable, and it was confidently be
lieved that all of those lines would avail
tlA-,aN1,yAa 80 tlA ,TArtt \ u IN Nnn trnln
direct from and to this city. The Milwaukee,
accepted the proposition about the time i
was reported to be planning a new bridg'
across the river.