St. Paul daily globe., 1892-01-28
500 SHOWS|TS TEETH
Michigan Central and Grand
Rapids Roads Boycott the
500 Line,
lnstigated by Conspiring Of
ficials Of the st. Paul 2
Chicago Roads. =
The 500 Declares Itself Ready
to Thwart the Boy u
colt, Z, y
And Promptly Drops It's
Rates a Peg or q.
Two. r

The 500 road has time and time
again demonstrated its ability not only
20 take care of its own itereSts. but to
make itself an exceedingly unwelcome
competitor to the st. St.Paul-Chicago lines.
The 500 was never looked upon with
very friendly eyes by the st. Paul-Chi-
cagO officials, and, as 4 consequence,
everything that could be done by them
to thwart its officials and cripple its
working has been done. The sole Of
Tense of the 500 is that il affords
cheaper route to the East. and, as a re-
suit, considerable traffic is diverted from
tine st. Paul-Chicago lines. The latest
attempt to ''get at" the 500 road, and,
if possible, make it quote rate to
Eastern points equal to those of the st.
Paul-Chicago roads, is in the shape of a
boycott. 1t is done iD this way: The
500 road mas very large traffic to
Mackinaw, and its outlets therefrOm
are the Michigan Central and the
Grand Rapihs & Indiana. These roaus
also do an extensive business with the
st. Paul-Chicago lines, and the
officials of the latter, recognizing
this, have put this utimatum
before the Michigan Central and
Grand Rapids officialls: ''You can
take your choice-stand by the 500 or
the st. Paul-Chicago lines. If you
stand by the st. Paul-Chicago lines, we
will send all our traffic in your state over
your lines. 1t you stand by the 500 and
persist in having its tickets on sale, we
will divert all our traffic to other lines"
TIE Michigan Central and the Grand
Rapids have, therefore, been brought to
time. They could not afford to lose the
patronage of the st. PauI-Cnicago lines,
and SO the 500 road has received notice
that none of its tickets will be received
by the Michigan Central and the Grand
Rapids.
Contrary to the expectations of the
men behind this boycott. the officials of
the 500 road are in no way Disconnected.
They first announced that it would in
no way inconvenience any of their
traffic; that passengers would be pro-
vided the same facilities as had hitherto
been afforded on their road. Having
then prepared a line of action against the
conspirlng ST. PaIl-Chicago roads. The,
presedt rate by way of the 500 road TO
Detroit. Bay City, Port Huron and
Grand Rapids is SIC, BY way of Chicago
it is sl9. excepting Grand Rapids. which
is 1865. The 500 last evening gave
notice that OH and after Feb. l the rate
to the points named would be.
reduced to S12.5O. a reduction Of
$3.50 below the old 500 rate, and
reduction of $3.50 below the 81. PAUL
Chicago rate. The rates to extreme;
Eastern points are reduced accordingly.
For instance: The rates from ST. Paul
to Hamilton and Toronto are reduced
from S21 to $780, The st. PauleChi-
cago rate is SIS. The rates to Utica
drop from S27.90 to S21.09, and to SYRIA
cuse from $27.50 to S20.03 OH the 500.
1t will thus be seen that the 500
means business, and, SO far as Eastern
traffic is concerned. the St. Paul-Chi-
cago lines will have to cut their rates in
order to be ''in the swim." Experience
does not seem to do the railroad man
any good. This is not the first time the
attempt has been made to bulldoze the
500 into certain policy for the
regulation of its rates. These attempts
have failed miserably. The outcome of
the present boycott is likely to end in
the same way. The 500 holds winning
card from its geographical position, and
in spite of all the boycOttS that could be
invented by the imaginative st. Paul
Chicagoite it is difficult to see how these
natural advantages can be circum-
vented.