The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-04-21
Vanderbilt WAR;.
Duped By tho Wizard, the New
York Central Magnate Is
After Revenge.
An Alliance With the Northern
Pacific Among the Plans
Proposed.
Northwestcrn Extension to Be Pushed
IN all Direction The Alton Hoy
cott-Canadian Pacific Deal.

Much more Importance may attach to the
present visit of Cornelius Vanderbilt
Chauncey Depew and party's visit to the
west than would naturally be supposed from
Mr.. Depew's ~off-handed remark that they
are out merely OH a tour of observation. A
war Of railroad kings is said to be one OF
the strong probabilities of the immediate
future. The Gould and Vanderbilt inter
ests were never understood to entertain
very friendly relations toward each other.
The plan of operation of the two houses
has been dramatically opposite. Gould'a
reputation is that Of a wrecker, while the
Vandsrbilts' 10 that of an up-builaer and
CONSERVATION. The difference in their meth
DDS has frequently brought them into col
lision, and their attitude toward each other
has been hostile rather than friendly. Now
IL is said that this unfriendliness or latent
hostility ia about to break out into open
and bitter warfare.
When the Western Traffic association was
organized at the beginning of the present
year, Gould saw fit to pose in the unusual
role Of harmonizer. He professed to be act
ing for the good of the whole. AS such he
gained for the occasion the support of the
Vanderbilt interests, and those interests
have since had abundant reason to rue that
they were so easily duped. While they were
feeling secure under the agreement into
which all the roads had entered, Gould
went to work, ignored that agreement and
any existing contracts that interfered with
his plans and has succeeded in diverting
to new channels a very large share of the
through e%ast-bound freight which before
constituted a large proportion of the east
bound tonnage of the Vanderbilt roads.
The Vanderbilt roads have perhaps suffered
morsifromF the new state of things he has
tnaugurated than any Others.
Now it is said the Vanderbilts are bent on
revenge, and the object of their present
visit to the west is to form new alliances
with western roads that will regain for them
much of the traffic they have lost. They
propose to carry thu war into Gould's "
particular demesne, and make things hot
for il all through transmissourl and Pa
oiic coast territory. Aclose traffic arrange
ment is to be made with the Northern Pa
ciio road, which can compete on more than
equal terms with the Union Pacific in all
the region north and east of San Francisco
and west of the Rocky mountains. The
friendly relations which have been estsb-
lished between the Canadian Pacific and the
Vanderbilt roads are to be used for the
same purpose. Northwestern extensions
west of the Missouri are to be pushed out in
all directions, and every means that inge-
unity can devise and energy carry out are
to be used to keep trafssnissouri and trans
continental traffic flowing toward the At
lantic seaboards in the old channels and to
prevent it being diverted to Gould's new
southern through route. The perfection OF
the Vanderbilt plans, of which the forego-
ing is q mere outline, and the completion
of the proposed consultations, are expected
to give rise to a rate war compared with
child's play. 1t will be a battle of giants
and will be waged with a vigor that knows
no WEAKNESS or ~dimlnution.
On his part, Mr.. Gould has not been idle.
1t il rumorsd in New York that Gould and
Huntington had telegraphed Chairman
Walker that the roads controlled by them
had formed their new connections to the
ssaboard, n would have nc further use
for the good Offices of Chairman Walker in
managing their bushes. 1t is under
stood that G. P. Huntington has made
new arrangements with the Evans
vile and other systems by which his South
ern Pacific system will be given a good
Chicago connection outside of the lines in
the association. The Gould system of
roads IN Friday completed their connections
with the Richmond Terminal system. ana
all business of these lines will be sent over
the Richmond Terminal to Savannah and
to Washington, connecting at Washington
with the Pennsylvania and Baltimore q
Ohio to New York. The Atchison is not
included in the deal. The Wabash will also
be cut of by Gould. and SO will the Nor
thern Pacific, and all the interests of Gould,
Sage and Huntington will be confined to
their gigantic Southwestern and transcon-
tinental systems, and the roads in the
northwest will shift for themselves.