Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-04-21
WHAT D0ESIT MEAN?
Gould and the Vanderbilts Come
Together in Colorado.
MAINTAINING SPECIAL CARS.
The Subject Discussed at the Master
Mechanics and Master Car Builders
Meeting-GouId's Big Law Suit.
Other Railroad News.
WHAT DOES IT MEANe
The Huntington and Gould officials in


one to the belief there is either gigantic
consolidation On foot or that the Vanderbilt
and Gould interests are at war and about
TO draw the glittering sword for battle
that Will cast far in the shade any railroad
disagreemeRts heretofore known. Chaun-
cey NJ. Depew, who is president of the
VanderbiltS principal road, the New York
Central, and who gets more money Tor the
job than Benny Harrison does as presl-
dent of the United States, and does bet
ter job, IS at Salt Lake and will be in Den
yer tomorrow. Cornelius Vanderbilt and
number OF other railroad magnateS are
with him. Jay Gould is somewhere on
the Union Pacific lines, no one
knows Just exactly where. IL this
hurried and unexpected visit OF Depew
and Vanderbilt 10 the Rockies is said to
be a scheme TO get the Wizard 5 scalp. II IS
said by those who are supposed to be near
the throne. that the failure OF Gould TO
attend the meeting of the Western traffic
association in Chicago IS what has
brought about this move. President
Hughitt of the Northwestern had a rod
in pickle for the Wizard and was intend
ing TO have 1t out with him at this meet
ing The cause of Mr. Hu"hitt'S anger
lies in the fact that the Northwestern
had made very close traffic alliance with
the Union Pacific by which all transconti-
mental business was handled by the two
between Chicago and San Francisco, and
New York business was handled by the
Vanderbilt lines from Chicago. This
alliance was u very profitable one to the
Northwestern until Gould took the Union
Pacific. Then the Wizard began diverting
the traffic to the Missouri Pacific, and init
mated he didn't care picayune Tor the
contract The following from the
Caicago TRIBUNE gives some further insight
into the matter. 1t is from an interview
with Western railroad official:
Said he: 'Depew's statement that Gould
has The interests of the Western traffic as
sociation at heart is all bosh. 4 sufficient
answer is that he told several persons be-
fore he left New York that he would not
attend the Chicago meeting, but carefully
concealed the fact from any member of the
association. Then l know that he is and has
been in better than his average health, but
he plead sickness as his excuse for staying
away, when he had been informed his pres
ence was necessary to make u quorum.
"Now I'll tell you something that very
few people know. Gould raised S1O,O00,00O of
the 3,O0O, coo necessary to pay the floating
debt and secure control of the Union Pacific
from the Equitable life insurance company.
He had TO borrow the money necessary first
TO buy u large block of Union Pacific stock
during the panic. Then he gobbied the
rod. But the dear public was too suspi-
ciUus to buy his load of stocks, ana his fer
tile brain conceived the Western traffic as
ISOLATION scheme. 1t was Systematically
doomed as the savior of Western roads and
in the mOmentary confidence inspired he
unlOaded $4,000, 600 in a lump on the Equit-
able and enough besides to pay the Union
Pacific floating debt.
Then the figures show that he began
Immediately diverting former Union Pacific
traffic to his Missouri Pacific he having $40
il the latter to 81 in the former. The West
ern traffic has now served his purpose and
he gives it two able-bodied kicks with the
sugar tariff and his absence from the meet
ing.
But don't believe for minute that De
pew thinks what he said. and also don't
believe that the Vanderbilt party has any
other object in its western trip than to
again get for the Northwestern the traffic
formerly turned over to II by the Union
Pacific
II is said that when Hughitt found
Gould was determined to ignore the meet
ing ut which his proposed consolidation of
the SOuthw estern lines into one system I'M
der one financial management, he at once
wired Depew. The result was that Depew.
Vanderbilt, ROssiter and Twombly started
al once for the West in a special train
stopping at Chicago only long enough to get
dinner. From there they went direct to
Ogden which bears out the statement of the
Western railroad official quoted in the I'ri-
buue. Ii 5 evident their object was to be
first i'll the field.
When the traffic alliance was made with
the Union Pacific the work of construction
on the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri
valley was stopped, the western terminus
remaining at Fort Casper, Wyoming. From
this point it is only necessary to lay some
200 or 300 miles of track in a
southwesterly direction 10 connect
with the Central Pacific at Ogden.
When this is done the Northwestern will
i II
and will have an immense advantage over
il in the possession of Chicago terminus
and close connection with the Vanderbilt
lines for New York at that point. Now
that there is no longer any reason TO doubt
Goulds dupicity, the above is the result to
be expected. II is thought the Vanderbilts
are too incenSed to consider any compro-
mise. Should this surmise be the true one,
il is not Ut all likely the Vanderbilts will be
content with paralleling the Union Pacific,
and thus limit the power Of the Gould
Huntington combine, but they will, in all
prObility carry the war into the South and
throw lines out paralleling Gould where
ever possible, and thus force him TO the
wall. While the Gould-Huntington and
Vanderbilt interests We're in harmony,
the power Of either of the trinity was well
nigh supreme, and it is possible this battle
may accomplish what long legislation has
failed to effect. Vanderbilt and his con-
freres are needed in Texas.
WHAT GOULD SAYS.
Special to the Gazette.
New YORK, April 20-The following
statement was yesterday made by Jay
Gould to member of the Denver press:
$50 much has been printed concerning this
present trip of mine that have no obiec-
ton to being placed in the right light l
wish to emphatically deny that l am seek
ing to disrupt the Western association.
While do not deny that such a thing has
entered my mind more that once, still it
would not be policy for me to do so. Don't
think for a moment that | am afraid to at
tempt such thing ! dare anything. The
Santa F'e and Rock Island are often in print
as great rivals. 1t is bosh. for reasons both
Messrs. Marvel and Gable can explain. Nei-
Their one of these two roads dare make a
move without consulting me As for my
diverting traffic that naturally belongs to
the Union Pacific to the Missouri Pacific
story is absolutely untrue; l know 10 my
own knowledge the Missouri Pacific has
turned over TO the Union Pacific twice as
much business as the former has received |
from the latter There will be no change
in the present traffic arrangements with the
Chicago and Northwestern because i.
would not be policy. As for extending the
Missouri Pacific west, work is progressing
favorably, and within year hope to have
a short line from Denver to Ogden whereby |
over 800 miles will be saved. l am amused |
al the reports in various papers in which |
my trip is connected with that of the Van
derbilt party. | will not meet them West.
They not a Measure trim raD0rfad