The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-10-25
LIVELY FIGHT TODAY.
Atchison Troubles Must Come to
Focus at Once.

Focus at once.
Topeka, Kan, Oct. 24-The fight for
the possession of the Atchison, Topeka
& Santa Fee railroad looks decidedly un-
certain today. No one-not even the rep
resentatives of the two opposing fac
tions-can positively tell which side will
win at the meeting tomorrow.
This is not a fight for immediate con-
troll, but for the ultimate possession of
the property. So long as the system is
in charge of the United States court, it
matters little who it's directors are, but
when the property shall be re-organized,
the party which will win tomorrow will
reap the reward. If it is the so-called
general committee there will be few
changes. McCook, Peck, Robinson, Will
der. Gillett, Foulks, Hogeboom and their
assistants and thousands of employees
will remain in power. But if the social
led protective committee wins, two
months after they get possession there
will be strange faces all along the. sys-
tenn from Chicago to California, and the
Kansas people who have known the
Santa Fe officials for years will have to
get acquainted with new set Of men.
Identified With the People.
A man not familiar with Kansas people
ana the Santa Fe railway can hardly
imagine how closely they are identified
ana IN! now essential they are to each
est that is being shown in this contest
Is not aroused by the fact that it is one
OF the greatest fights for possession in
because many thousands of people along
5000 odd miles of railway are dependent
upon it for employment.
The Santa Fe. since 1856, has been al
lied with the history of Kansas, POLITICAL
~ and otherwise. Topeka lives off the
Santa Fe general offices and shops The
offices which are In the magnificent build
Ing near Capitol square, have long been
fear If there is a change of management
the offices may be hauled off to Chicago.
Possesses Great Interest.
From railroad standpoint, this fight
possesses remarkable interest because
there has never been just such a fight
before Tor great stake: The Ives fight,
on on the Northern Pacific, resembles it
session of the Reading, was similar in
many respects, but they do not interest
such large number of people and are
not D, SO 90. close; Many people in London,
in Boston and all of New England, are
interested In this fight today. They have
given proxies for the shares of stock they
hold to representatives, with privileges
night, and II some big stockholders
should be won over from one side to the
other today it might change the whole
course of events at the meeting tomor-
$4,000 shares of stock, which has been
talked, SO much about has finally been
secured by the general committee in
favor of perpetuating the present man.
agement. This proxy is even now
claimed by both sides, but member OF
the present board today showed a re-
porter cablegram from Amsterdam I'M
conditionally surrendcring this proxy to
| the general COMMITTEES.
| The Cheney holdings of Boston, COM
prising even more shares than that, are
ent board. The protective committee, .
represented here by Theodore Meyers,
General B. F. Tracey, ex-Secretary of
the Navy Newman Erb; William p.
of New York, are In the state law library
digging up legal support for a plan of
cumulative voting. which they will un-
doubtedly spring tomorrow.
May BE n Big Fight.
This may cause legal fight that will
postpone the result for several days or
weeks. 1t is said the protective COM
stock. This multiplied by 13, the number
| of directors to be elected. would give
them a voting strength of $500, 600 or
enough to elect two directors, and nearly
mise be proposed, the ''protectiyes'
would, of course, demand three directors.
General Tracey would be acceptable TO
| the majority as one Of the minority di-
rectors. Theodore Myers wants to be on
| the board, and as he Is fighter, he will
make a tremendous effort, but the major
| ity people say he made such a fight on
the old management that his presence
| on the board would be cause of trou-
BILE and dissension. Newman Erb also
wants to be a director, but he. too, is
| Objectionable to the minority. The men
who hold the majority proxies are not
talking compromise. So far as they per
| ing to elect the slate prepared in New
York. The only speculation is about the
names of the men who will succeed Alden
| Speare, of Boston, resigned, and L.
Severy. of Kansas, who is to be drop
| ped Candidates for Speare's place are
! said to be H. L. Duval, Walter l.. Oak
man and Bayard Cutting.
| Colonel G. K. Holiday, of the old board,
will surely be elected.