The morning call., 1891-11-25
WILDER'S SODA POP.
Coils P. Huntington Has Found
a Fresh Victim.
How the Western Division Superintendent
Engaged in Private Enterprises and Neg
lected the Business of the Railroad.

President Huntington will not visit the
coast until spring. but the following will
prove pretty conclusiYely that even at the
distance of 5000 miles he is able to oversee
the practical workings of the great system
which he controls. Though far away in
New Y ork and absorbed in great financial
operations, the magnitude of which would
drive the ordinary brain to distraction, he is
still watchtul of the numerous ramifcations
of minute detail, incident to the manage
ment of vast railroad property.
The ak which he has so skilfully and per-
haps judicously welded since assuming the
presidency of the company continues to
fall here and there with remarkable precis-
ion, and in some cases with splendid effect.
The very latest stroke of the same little
Ratchet that cut the salaries of a dozen or
more inc0mpetents at Fourth and Townsend
streets year ago, and knocked the founda-
tion from the tall monument erected to the
memory of Steve Gage. will fall. it is said.
upon the neck of Division Superintendent
A. ID. Wilder of Oakland.
There are several counts in the indict-
ment, but the trouble all seems about little
soda water. How a great man like Wilder
can be brought to grief by soda water is
something OF an enigma 10 the average NOR =
Nhi, Uul SUlllS ldlIuS III all anu Ills
vengeance is as severe as though it had been
stronger liquid. 1t is true that for some
time Wilder and his assistant, Superin-
tendent Thompson. have been engaged in
the manufacture of soda water.
GREW RICH AND BOLD.
Al first the business was conducted on a
small scale in an obscure portion of Oak
land, and under a fictitious name, but as the
Soda-rairoad combination prospersd and
grew rich, it grew bold also and branched
out exceedingly, painting its true name on
the wagons employed In the business and
floating large red advertisements in divers
places along the highways and bywayS Of
Athens. Wilder devoted great deal of his
time tn the enterprise, and when not en-
gagged in writing letters to the general Office
he was sure to be found at the soda works
experimenting the corking of bottles in
| stead Uf looking after the affairs of the di-
| vision.
So thoroughly absorbed did he become in
| this rcmunerative scheme that be forgot his
railroad lessons altogether, and was wont to
| Steve Gage used to say, Goal, coal"
| While the business was growing Wilder
was taken with the land fever and pur-
chased extensively near Yosemite. His
| partner-ThompsOn-w also in on the
! deal, and this venture also succeeded
Wilder would go away on IAN inspection
trip" and look after his private interests
| Then Thompson would 20 to Port Costa TO
| look after wheat shipments.
In reality he would be looking for a bar
| gain in real estate. SC between the two the
| private schemes demanded good deal of
| attention, and the railroad very little. If
| the happy pair had been contented to ploi
along in obscurity all would have been well /;
but not very long ago they extended the
| soda business, and erected r big manu-
factory at Oakland Point. Huntington
| heard Of it. and dourished his AK He also
| heard of the land Speculations, aad through
| another party tried TO purchase.
OTHER THINGS BROUGHT TO LIGHT.
| Then many other things were brought to
| his notice concerning the management or
| miSnapagement of the Western division.
| His attention WAS called to the many acct
dents in the yard at Oakland pier, resulting
| from lack Of proper supervision and total
| disregard for small details. For instance,
| Wider was accustomed to permit the cleo
| trio lights in the yard to he turned off for
an hour or 50 every night while the ma
| chinery was being oiled. This left the
| place in total darkness, and the trainmen
had no ''jot lights" to guide them in switch
| ing cars.
Recently while the lights were off a
| Berkeley train smashed into the Seventh
| street local, doing considerable damage and
| injuring one OF the trainmen quite seriously.
| This is only one of many accidents that
have occurred at the pier during the past
| lew months, all due, according to high Of
| fetal of the company, to bad management
on the part of Superintendent Wilder. Mr..
| Huntington was also made acquainted with
the fact that Wilder is very unpopular, not
only with employees, but with tue people of
Oakland, and, IN fact, with all whom he
comes in contact
He is charged with being abusive to en-
| pl0yes, and an autocrat in his dealings with
| the people in general. Mr.. Huntington has
made a thorough investigation of all these
| complaints, and as a result it is said that
| the Western division will have a new Su-
| periGtendent on the first day of the new