The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-26
The Burlington Charged with Conspir-
ing to Create Big Railway Trust,
The Object Being to Control Rates in the West
The Cutting of Rates and the Strike
Claimed To Be Part of the Conspiracy
IN JUDGE GREsHAm's COURT.
The Rock islands Sensational Reply to the
PetitIon of the RurIington.

IN JUDGE GREsHAWs COURT.
The Rock islands Sensational Reply to the
Petition of the Burlington.
CHICAGO March 24.-The Chicago. Rock ISL
and 6 Pacific Railway fled its answer in Judge
Greshams court to-day to the petition of the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railway, that the
Rock Island company be compelled to receive
and handle Chicago, Burlington s. Quincy cars.
Only an inklng was given in court that the an
swer of the Rock Island was sensation of the
first magnitude telling of an attempt. heavily
backed and boldly carried into execution, to
form gigantic railroad trust, having for field
nearly half the American Republic. Compare
lively few people were present IN court and be"
fore either the Burlington complaint the OK
traordinary reply of the Rock Island could be
read, Judge Gresham inquired of the attorneys
either side how much time they expected to
require. Writ Dexter, for the Burlington, an
swered grimly that if the Rock Island was in
the same box with the Wabash no time at all
would be asked by him; the matter could be
settled in jify.
Robert T. Lincoln spoke up for the Rock Isl
and. He said emphatically the Rock Islands
reply was not like that of the Wabash. "Our
answer" he added. ''means fght-a fight with
all our strength"
Judge Gresham announced that he would set
the hearing for Monday, and by consent of all
parties, either Chicago Milwaukee, in whsh-
ever city Judge Gresham should be that day,
would be the place of trial
The Rock Island company, in it's answer,
states the relations existing between the various
railway systems in Illinois. Wisconsin, Mime
sofa, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and Colorado.
and goes on to say that among the systems of
railways traversing the States enumerated ara
the Chicago g Northwesterr. the Chicago, Mil
waukee 8 st. Paul, the Wisconsin Central, the
Illinois Central the Chicago, Alton & ST. Louis,
and the Missouri Pacifc that these systems are
competitors with the complainant, the defend
ant. and with each other at many points for
the traffic which originates at or is destined TO
the same territory, and this competitor between
the systems of the complainant. the defendant
the Chicago & Northwestern, and the Chicago,
Milwaukee, 6 St. Paul companies, extends
through the greater portion of the territory
embraced in the several States above named
that for several months the several railway
companies oo2iPrisina .kose- se-syrtvrns and others
have been organizednto several voluntary asso-
Citations. in which they were severaly repre-
sented By their own officers for the lawful pur-
pose of making and maintaining reasonable
rates which should be charged for the trans
portation of persons and property their
several lines; that while these associations were
In full operation, and in the month of January,
last past, the complainant, the Chicago, Buring
ton & Quincy Railroad Company. commenced
a systematic reduction of rates for trans
portation into and through the. sew
which affected not only its own revenue. but the
revenues of the several railways referred to as
well; that such reduction continued from
day TO day and from time to time during the
period between the 30th day OF January and
the 18th of March, until the average rates
charged were but one-third of the rates charged
for like service before the complainant inaug-
urated the war of rates; that for several weeks
after the commencement of the war the com
plainant persstently refused to assign any
reason for policy which was depicting its own
treasury we'll as the treasury of every other
road which was operating a line In the States
and Territories above named; that late in the
month of February and early in the month of
March it communicated to the managing of
fcers of one or of the principal systems
mentioned its purpose to prosecute the rate war
until the officers of all the roads involved in the
disastrous result of its policy should consent
hands by the stockholders they rep
resented, not to the stockholders. but to
what is generally denominated "a trust" which
should be managed by three men who should be
vested with exclusive and absolute power to
make and alter the rates which should be
charged for transportation of persons and prop
erty over the several railroads above referred
to in the several States and Territories men
compensation
companies from moneys to be provided by all of
the companies which should assent TO such
trust for loss of traffic which might be sus-
tained because of the rates which the trust
might establish, each company to guarantee
faithful obedience to the orders of the trust by
deposting large sums of money which should
be subject to the control of the trust IN paying
fines assessed for disobedience and in paying
the compensation above mentioned; that the de-
fendant declined to submit TO this demand be-
cause they regarded such action as inconsistent
nriTh ha drlfI wi Nhovo
holders of the several companies which they
represented. and involving violation of tbe
laws OF the United States and of the several
States in which their several roads were stu
ated.
And the defendant. further answering. shows
thSton or about Feb. 15 the engineers and firemen
employed on the railroad of the Chicago, Bur-
hngton q Quincy, who were united In brother
hoods which embraced nearly all of the engi-
neers and hremen IN active service in the United
States, demanded OF the Burlington company
that it should compensate them for their
services at the same rates at which certain other
railroad COMPANIES operating IN the same terri
tory compensated engineers and firemen in like
service: that they also insisted that the system
of classification of engineers with regard to the
terms or service should be abrogated or radically
mocfned that united with these were requests
for regulations which. in the general Judgment
of officers engaged in the operation of railwa
were unreasonable and ought not to have been
granteoi that like demands and REQUESTS had
been made upon the managers of other rail-
ways and wsre conceded Ia part and with
Drawn In part; that like result
could have been and would have resulted
In THIS instance had the executive and managing
onlcers OF said complainant been actuatad bv a
desire TO secure an adjustment which would
nave imposed upon 1t the regulations and rates
OF compensaton paid by its competitors for like
service; that instead of seeking or permitting a
practica6ie adjustment it determined to use the
disa1ectlon OF It's own employees TO coerce its
competitors INTO acluiescence 10 its scheme for
the creation of graf Western railroad trust,
aud In the exection IT such purpose delayed a
nual answer TO their demands and requests until
II nad completed its arrangements TO secure the
were not members of said unions or brother
hoods and who were then out of employment,
Intending to force strikes on the lines of its
peutors alter 1t had absorbed the entire supply of
skiilen labor not controlled by the organizations
mentioned; that when the strike was inaEgu-
rated the complainant executed its plans
Tor controlling the supply of skilled
labor with great energy aud promptness;
that -