The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-10-25
FUTURE POSSESSION OF THE LINE

TOPEKA. Kans.. Oct. 24.-The fight for
the possession of the Atchison, Topeka
and Santa Fe Railroad looks decidedly un-
certain to-day. No 0ne-not even the
representatives. of the two opposing fac
tions-ean positively tell which side will
WHO at the meeting tomorrow. This is not
night Tor Immediate control, but for the
ultimate possession of the property. So
long as the system is in charge of the
United States court 1t matters little who
its directors are. but when the property
shall be reorganiZed the party which wins
tomorrow will reap the reward. If it is
the so-called general committee" there
will be few changes. McCook, Peck, Rob-
inson, Wilder, Gillet. Foulks. Hogeboom
and their assistants and thousands of en-
ployes will remain in place.
A man not acquainted with Kansas
people and the Santa Fe Railway can hard
" imagine how closely they are identified
and how essential they are to each others
existence. The remarkable interest that
Is being shown ia this contest is not
aroused by the fact that 1t is one of the
greatest fights for possession in the history
Of American railways, but because many
thousands of people along the 5000 odd
miles of railway are dependent upon it for
employment. The Santa Fe since 1855 has
been allied with the history of Kansas,
politically and otherwise. Topeka lives
off the Santa Fe general offices and shops.
TIE offices, which are in a magnificent
building near Capitol SOU are, have long
been the pride of Topeka, and Topeka
people fear if there is a change of manage
ment the offices may be hauled off to
Chicago.
From railroad standpoint this fight
possesses remarkable interest, because
there has never been just such fight be-
fore for so great a stake. The Ives fight
OF the Northern Pacific resembles it some
what, and the contest for the Reading was
not different il many respects, but they do
not interest such large mum Der Of people
and are not so close. Many people in Lon
don, IN Amsterdam, 10 New York. in
Philadelphia, in Boston and In all of New
England are interested in this fight. They
have given proxies for the shares of stock
they hold to representatives, with the
privilege of a recall any time before 10
O'Clock tonight, and if some big stock
holder should be won over from one side
to the other to-day it might change the
whole course Of events at the meeting TO-
morrow. The famous Dutch proxy of
about $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.
agemeDt. This proxy is even now claimed
by tn sides, but member Of the present
board to-day showed a reporter a cable
gram from Amsterdam Internationally
surreDdering this proxy TO the general
committee. The Cheney holdings of Bos-
ton, comprising even more shares than
that, are unquestionably in the possession
of the present board.
The protective committee, re presen ted
here by Theodore Meyers, General B. F.
Tracey, ex-Secretary of the Navy, New
man Erb. William P. Smith, E. n. Taylor
and n. D. Kyle, all of New York, were in
the State Law Library tonight digging up
legal support for plan of cumulative vot-
ing. which they will undoubtedly spring
tomorrow. This may cause legal fight
that will postpone the result for several
days or weeks. 1t is said that the ''pro-
teclive committee" has about 100, 600 shares
of stock. This multiplied by thirteen, the
number of directors to be elected, would
give them a voting strength of 8. 900 900, or
enough to elect three. Should compro-
mise be proposed the protective commit
tee" would. of course. demand three direc.
tors. General Tracey would be acceptable
10 the majority as one of the minority d.
Tectors. Theodore Meyers also wants to
be on The board, and as he is a fighter he
will make a tremendous effort, but the
majority people say he has made such a
fight on the old management that his pres
ence on the board would be a cause of
trouble and disseDsion. Newman Erb also
wants to be director. but he, too. is OBJ
tectionable to the majority.
The men who hold the majority proxies
are not talking compromise. So far as
they permit the public to know they are
preparing to elect the slate made up 10 New
York The only speculation is about the
names of the men who will succeed Allen
Speare of Boston, resigned, aud L. Severy
Of Kansas, who is to be dropped. The
candidates for Speare's place are said to
be FL. L. Dnval, Walter L. Oakman and
Bayard Cutting. Colonel c. E. Holiday of
the old board win surely be elected