The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-02-18
DOWN COME RATES
Lively Railroad War in
Prospect.
GET READY FOR BATTLE.
The Atchison Will Challenge the
Southern Pacific.
BOTH ROADS HAVE OLD GRUDGEs
Probably the Boston Company Is in
the Better Position for
Bitter Fight.

CHICAGO, Feb. 17.-Unless all signs fail
March 1 will see the beginning of one Of
the bitterest railroad wars IN recent years.
The action Of the Southern Pacific in boy
cotting Atchison tickets has aroused the
the latteT's wrath, and as soon as Vice
President Robinson returns from the Pa
cifc Coast, about next Thursday, active
preparations for war will begin. 1t is not
likely the fSht will open until the South
ern Pacic's boycott goes Into effect, but
possibly before the trouble is over people
may go from the Missouri River TO the
Pacific Coast for So. Being in the hands
of receivers and not compelled TO earn
more than operating expenses. the Atchi-
son is 10 good shape for fight, while the
Southern Pacific is obliged to be more
conservative. It's officers declared to-day
they had not been the aggressOrs. but if
forced into fight they would be there to a
finish.
Trouble has been brewing between the
Southern Pacific and the Atchis0n for a
long time. In fact, there has never been
any nearer approach 10 peace between
them than armed neutrality. This,is true
of necessity. The AtchsOn was the first
intruder into territory considered by the
Southern Pacific exclusively its own. When
the Boston company built its line from San
Diego TO Barstow and acquired the At
lantic and Pacific it broke tine California
monopoly of the Southern Pacific so far as
trade with the Southwest was concerned,
and from Mojave it was in q position to
threaten an entry into San Francisco at
any moment. Again. when the California
h,flS inf
from San Bernardino another hard blow
was dealt the Southern Pacific, and
the intense bitterness between the two
systems again made itself manifest in more
ways than one. Still, there were common
interests, and these common interests kept
the Atehson at .Mojave and induced the
Southern Pacific to grant concessions
which would not have been made TO a com-
parry less strong than its rival. There
have been rate wars in the past. of course,
one notable one when tickets TO Los
Angeles from the Missouri River were sold
for 81, but the big companies have shown
more yielding spirit ard each has made
sacrifices for the sake of peace. This has
been true particularly Of the Atchison,
which. while having the more combative
spirit, has been compelled by its financial
necessities to yield. 1t is claimed by the
Atchison that the Southern Pacific has
shown q tendency 10 take advantage of
these necessities, and the feeling that this
was true has had not little to do with the
present trouble.
Now that the receivers are in. the Atchi-
son has free hand. There has been CON-
plant made in the past about the S3
local rate which the Southern Pacific has
claimed in its own favor in making book
ings in LathrOp, and now that there is put
upon the Atchson the further indignity
of refusing passengers going over its lines
to San Francisco via Los Angeles from
points east, il is felt that the limit of for
bearance has been reached. and there can
be no recourse but war.
The trouble among the northern lines
adds complications to the situation, so
that, altogether, lively slashng of rates
may be looked for once it has begun.