Omaha daily bee., 1889-07-28
THAT RAILROAD REVOLUTION,
How thu Late Thomas j. Potter
Cleared u. p. Headquarters.
oEcAPlTATloN OF BIG HEADS
Another Demurrage Bureau 10 be
Established-The Modus Opernndi
Of the old-Arthur's Chance
OF Reelection.
MCCarty's Promo tiou.


Of the Baltimore & Ohio is met with hearty
support IN railroad circles, here, where "Lit-
tie Mac" as he was styled, is we'll and favor
ably known.
The appointment recalls some circum.
stances connected with the past history of
the Union Pacific principally owing to MIR.
McCarty having once been assistant general
ticket agent of the road.
When the late Thomas ]. Potter assumed
the vice presidency and general managership
of the road, 1t was expected that he would
make the official changes, which invariably
accompany every change in the management
of road. Like the great wheels of COM
merce, Mr.. Potter moved slowly yet surely
upon the remnants of the Galloway admins
tration. Days passed into weeks. and weeks
into months, and yet no change was made.
Those who had expected immediate dis
missal, and had all but concluded to ten
der their resignation, began to feel that
danger had been passed. But it was the
calm before the storm. Straight from Mr.
Potter's office went the official axeman to
the general passenger and ticket depart.
ments, where the heads Of these Offices
Messrs Morse and Stebbins, were hurled
into the capacious basket of the vice presi-
dent. Another revolution of the axe, and off
Jones and McCarty. The destroying angel
next visited beautifully furnished parlor
on the second floor of the headquarters
building, and extinguished a collegiate spark
which was shining in the form of G. NJ
Cunning, at that time acting assistant general
manager. With renewed vigor the South
Platte territory was crossed, mormondom
was reached, and p. p. Shelby, assistant
general traffic manager at Salt Lake, was
retired to private life. The next move
was the abolition of the department of
general traffic manager, and the incumbent,
Mr. Thomas l.. Kmball, emerged from the
destruction with the title Of assistant to the
first vice president. With duties vet unper-
formed in this direction the vice president
answered the inevitable summons from
which there Is no avenue Of escape.
-,
There was one man, however, who was u
victim of circumstance, and that was y. p.
McCarty. He was u good man for the place
he filed, concession which was even
made by Mr.. Potter. But the latter con-
ceiveo the idea that by consolidating the
vice might be rendered, and at a much less
expense. MIR. Stebbins the general ticket
agent, he thought, was not sufficiently
familiar to take charge of the passenger bus
the sale of tickets led him to believe that the
retirement of j. w. Morse, the general pas
sengcr agent, would not be inimical to the in
terests of the company. But consolidation
was the original plan devised by Mr.. Potter,
and this was carried out. The parties in
charge must then be experienced men in both
the passenger and ticket traffic, and the
places were filed, by j. S. Tebbets being
placed in charge with K. l.. Lomax as his as
sistant. Morse and Stebbins absented them
selves from their familiar quarters. but Jones
and McCarty remained having been given to
understand that they would be provided for.
They freluented their apartments IN the
headquarters rendering assistance when
0Ql cd and in
weeks anxiously awaiting their new commits.
sion. Finally, McCarty was informed that
the company had decided TO open a city pas
sener and ticket Office in Omaha and that he
would be placed in charge of it. That same
day Jones was given to understand that he
would be appointed general travelling passen-
ger agent at handsome salary, and with
headquarters in Chicago.
This information was impaired by MIR.
Potter, and feeling that the same would be
carried out, the gentlemen in question dis
PEELED the unpleasant recollections of the
past and gazed with an expectant eye upon
the future. But for reason, as yet unex-
planned few days afterward, the vice
president informed McCarty and Jones that
his plans for the future had been re-cast and
that where there should have been a cavity
the metal had 'run solid'' and no opening
existed for them.
They accepted the result as final, and that
afternoon left the headquarters building
both agreeing never to return while Mr..
Potter was in power.
They subsequently left Omaha burdened
with double series of disappontments and
sought another cline where available mate
rial was in demand The fact that Jones is
prominently connected with Chicago road
and McCarty has just been appointed
the Baltimore & Ohio, plainly dem
onstrates that iucompetency did not
bring about their retirement from tho
Union Pacific, as was so openly manifested
IL. l. 1, ~
President Potter, owing to the incumbent
having been placed in the position through
favoritelsm and friendship.
~
A movement is on foot looking toward the
establishment OF a demnrrage bureau in
South Omaha A demurrage bureau is not
money making affair when considered as TO
the money accruing from the demurrage
charged. 1t is simply the means whereby
railroad companies are protected against the
intrigues of the shippers Proof of this can
be furnished in Omaha.
Prior to the establishment OF de-
murrage bureau in this city, shippers
were accustomed to receive freight con-
signments and allow the same 10 remain
in the cars on the tracks sometimes for
weeks and even months. The railroad COM
panies imposed no additional tariff for the
use of their cars for warehouse purposes. A
climax was reached when the Union Pacific
found its tracks occupied by $500 freight
patron shippers. Not only were the firms
which had ample facilities for unloading
their freight utilizing the cars in this way,
but bucket shops were doing a good business
by being enabled to hold their material on
track until they found purchasers. The re-
suit was the establishment of the demurrage
bureau.
Complaints of excessive charges followed,
but when the man who had thousands of dol
lars invested in a plant observed that il
woulo wipe out the bucket merchant who
HAD not one dollar invested, yet who was
doing as lucrative business as himself; and
also that the cars could be unloaded with
in the prescribed time for which retention
no charges would be levied. the case pre-
sented itself in different light and it was
soon fayorably looked upon by all the leading
dealers.
To-day, the yards and side trades In Omaha
are free blockades. A similar abuse Of the
rolling stock at South Omaha has resulted in
the matter of establishing demurrage
bureau at that point being made one Of tho
the possibilities of the future
In the appointment Of john W. Scott to
the position of passenger agent in charge of
the Kansas division of the Union Pacific, a
worthy young man has been promoted. MIR.
Scott succeeded i. W. Miner, us chief clerk,
when the passenger and ticket departments
were consolidated. Since that time, he has
remained at hls desk day in and day out in
the discharge of his duties, until re-
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