St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-07
STEVENSON CASE BEGUN.
TESTIMONY THAT c3E1T NOR Them
CcST 5000 A MILE.
THE CASE CONTINUES TO-DAY.

Bout Between Steenerson and Col.
Crooks as to Difference Be-
tween Guessing and Approxi-
mating-Folsom says st. Paul
Iermiua al Facilities ofthe Road
Cost $25O.OOO.
The state railroad and warehouse
commission yesterday heard the case of
Elias STEVENSON, of CroOkston. for a
reduction of rates on the Great Northern
from Polk county points 10 st. Paul
and Minneapolis. The complainant
asks that the rate be reduced from l6 to
1919 cents per hundred. The petitioners
submitted their testimony at meeting
held in November, and since that time
the railroad company has been prepar-
ing its answer. The witnesses called
yesterday were A. Guthrie, railroad
contractor and formerly division super
tendent OF the Great Northern; W. a.
Scott, general superintendent of the
Omaha; S. p. Folsom, who has beeu
connected with the road some years,
and Col. William Crooks, tax commits
sioner and right OF way agent of the
railroad. c. B. Yale, claim agent Of
the Great Northern, and w. ii. Fisher,
president of the Duluth IL Winnipeg,
were also called.
The testimony taken was almost all
on the cost of equipment and mainte-
nance of the road except Mr.. Guthrie's.
He gave very little information as to
nf q
would need the plans in front OF him in
order to be able 10 testify.
Mr.. Folsom gave some information in
regard to the cost of terminals, saying
that the forty acres or which the ter
minal facilities belonging to the Great
Northern ia this city were built cost in
the neighbOrhoOd of $3.50, coo. The land,
being swamp, had TO be filed in, and
this work is very expensive. In addi-
ton to the cost of filling. the company
had incurred court expenses TO the
amount OF S50.0U0.
oupt. Scott, of the Omaha, informed
the commission as to cost of equipment,
and stated that the cost of ten miles,
built last summer in Nebraska, includ-
ing equipment, but without ballast, was
about $4,000 per mile. He also stated
that the cost of an ordinary passenger
coach was s.. 800; of parlor car, $4,000,
and dining car $4,000. A freight loco
motive, with Westinghouse ar brake,
was $1,000. Mr.. Scott said that, as the
cost for the past few years had in
creased. he estimated that of the Great
Northern at about $4,000 per mile.
Col. Crooks stated that these figures
were about right, and gave a great deal
of valuable information concerning cost
Of construction, FROM laying of ties TO
final equipment. he said that the road
as built in Minnesota. outside of the
terminals in st. Paul and Minneapolis,
might be reproduced at S25. 0G0 per mile,
but not any less. He and Halver Steen-
erson, the attorney for the complainant,
in the crosS-eXamination got into a
wordy warfare as to the difference be-
tween guesses and approximations. Mr..
Crooks had prepared q table to show
the cost or construction of different pacts
OF the road OIL which he has done work,
and the figures he gave certainly go to
prove that railroads are not built for
nothing.
Col. Crooks said in conclusion that in
his opinion il would cost more to repro
duce the piece of road under discussion
than almost any other line of the same
length in the Great Northern system.
The hearing will be continued this
morning.