The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-08-12
HIS MODEL TOWN
Leads MIR. Pullman Into
Trouble.
MAY LOSE HIS FRANCHISE
Because He Wanted to Own His
Workmen.
ILLINOIS HAS TAKEN A HAND
To Revoke the Charter of the Conn
pany Which Builds the
Palace Cars.
ILLINOIS HAS TAKEN A HAND

The Attorney-General in his petition
and information SETS forth that the Pull
man Palace Car Company was organized
under special act of the Legislature of
the State Of Illinois, approved February
D. 1867, with q capital stock OF $780, 600
and with power to increase it at will The
act grants the corporation power 10
manufacture, construct and purchase
railway cars with all convenient append
ages and supplies for persons travelling
therein, and tn same may sell, or use, or
permit to be used in such manner and on
such terms as the said company may think
fit and proper" and ''tO purchase. acquire
and hold such real estate as may be deemed
necessary for the successful prosecution of
their business. and may have power to
sell and convey the same"
The information quotes these provisions
and continues: THAT under and by virtue
of the power conferred by section 2 OF
said act, the capital stock of said company
from time to time has been increased until
1t has a capital stock Of millions of dollars,
the exact amount of which is to the petit
TONERS unknown"
The petition further gives the court to
understand and be Informed that notwith-
standing the fact that said act of the
Legislature limits the power of the said
company, it has not regarded said limita-
ton, but has Withou authority or war
rant of law usurped and exercised and still
usurps and exercises the right to buy and
own large tracts of real estate within and
adjacent to the city OF Chicago. in said
county, and to erect thereon churches,
schools. hotel apartments and dwelling
houses and a large and valuable business
block in the city of Chicago; that said CON-
pany rents the said buildings which 1t so
owns as aforesaid, for large amount of
money the exact amount of which is to your
petitioners unknown; that the erection Of
said churches, schOolhouses, theater or
theaters, hotel or hotels. apartment and
dwelling houses. and said large and valua-
bic business block 10 Chicago, are not in
cident or necessary to the manufacture,
construction and purchasing of railroad
cars, with all convenient appendages and
supplies for persons travelling therein, or
to the sale or use thereof, and that the
purchase of said real estate and the erec-
ton of said buildings and houses thereon
by said company is wholly without and
foreign to the purpose for which said CON-
pany was organized by act of the Legisla-
ture. and il is an assumption of right by said
company to exercise privileges not cou-
ferred on it by said act of the said Legisla-
ture, and that said company, in exercising
such powers and privileges, has willfully
and persistently violated the conditions of
its incorporation, and has been and is
guilty of usurping such powers without
any warrant or authority Of law.
The petition then proceeds to set out in
detail.the character and value of the COM
pany property, including an office building
iu Chicago, worth 100000, three-fourtns
of which it has no use for as a corporation,
and rents TO other persons without right or
authority or law; that it owns, at Pull
man, fifty acres of land covered with
dwellings and apartment houses, which it
rents without authority of law. receiving
a large sum therefor as dwellings of
1900; that in the town of Pullman its
owns the streets and alleys and ornamental
grounds, fifty acres in extent also with
out warrant of law, together with fifteen
acres on which stand the Arcade building,
the Hotel Florence, two churches, and sew
eral sehOolhouses, all of which are not nee
essary for the conduct of its business and
use, therefore illegally held. Various
other tracts of land are cited as unwar-
rsntably held, not being needed for the
transaction Of the company's business.
All this is in addition to the 10 acres of
ground at Pullman. which the company
uses for shops, storage yards. etc.
T. BESIDES this the petition alleges that the
Pullman Company is usurping powers
not granted it, and controls the Union
Foundry and the Pullman Wheel Com
pany. and furnishes power TO the factories
of the Allen Paper Car-wheel Company;
thatit owns water and gas companies, from
which it derives a revenue.
The, petition continues: "Your petit
TONERS charge by reason of the purchases
and improvements of the real estate by
said company, as before charged, it has
become Immensely rich, and that byreason
of the premises it owns millions # dollars
worth Of property which it has acquired
unlawfully; and that said real estate held
by it, and which it owns and rents, was
acquired in open defiance of the act which
created it, and with persistent disregard
for the law Of the State of Illinois.
s"Wherefore, the said Attorney-General
for, and in behalf and in the name and by
the authority of the people OF the State Of
Illinois, prays the court here for leave to
file a petition in quo warranto against the
Pullman Palace Car Company and that
said Pullman Palace Car COMPANY may
be required to appear at day TO be named
by the court and required to show by what
warrant il has so misused and perverted
its powers and franchises, and by what
warrant it has assumed and still assumes
to exercise the aforesaid assumed powers,
liberties, provisions and franchises and to
show cause why its charter shall not be
revoked, and that such further proceed
ings may be had in the premises as shall
be agreeable to law"
The petition. while virtually asking that
the charter be revoked. is legally petit
ton for leave to file quo warranto pro-
ceedings. This is proceeding TO compel
the company to show canse why its char
ter should not be revoked. The petition
will be taken up on August %. 1t is not
known what Judge of the Circuit Court
will hear the matter. but it will come up
before the Judge sitting for emergency
business.
An effort was made to see Attorney
General Maloney in regard to the case,
but he was not in the city.
THANKS FROM ALTGELD.
The Militia OF Illinois Has NobIy
Done Its Duty.
SPRINGFIELD. H., Aug. 11.-Governor