Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1894-03-02
RAILROAD WAR In PROSPECT.
Trouble Brewing Between the southern
Pacific and Atchiaon

Trouble Brewing Between the southern
Pacific and Atchison.
CHICAGO, Feb. l. Unless all signs
fail March ] will see the beginning of
one OF the bitterest railroad wars in re-
cent years. The action of the Southern
Pacific in boycotting Atchison tickets has
aroused the latter's wrath, and ae soon
as Vice. President Robinson returns from
the Pacific Coast, about next Thu rsday,
active preparations for war will begin.
1t is not likely that the fight will open
until the Southern Pacific's boycott goes
into effect, but possibly before the
trouble is over people may 60 fro m the
Missouri river to the Pacific Coast for IS.
Being in the hands of receivers and not
compelled to earn more than ope rating
expenses, the Atchison is in good shape
for fight, while the Southern Pacific is
obliged to be more conservative. Its
officers declared today they had not been
the aggressors, but If forced into d fight
they would be there to q finish.
trouble has been brewing between the
Southern Pacific and the Atchison for a
long time. In fact, there has never been
any nearer approach to peace between
them than armed neutrality. This is
true OF necessity. The Atchison was
the first to intrude into territory consid-
cred by the Southern Pacific exclusively
as its own. When the Boston com pany
built its line from San Diego to Barstow
and acquired the Atlantic and Pacific it
broke the California monopoly bf the
Southern Pacific so far as trade with the
Southwest was concerned, and from
Mojave 1t WAS in q position to threaten
an entry into San Francisco at any mo
ment. Again, when the California
Southern road built into Los Angeles
from San Bernardino another hard blow
was dealt the Southern Pacific, and the
intense bitterness between the two sys-
TENS again made itself manifest in more
ways than one. Still, there we're COM
mon interests, and these common inter.
ests kept the Atchison at Mojave and in
duced the Southern Pacific to grant con-
cessions which would not have been
made to company less strong than it's
rival. There have been rate wars in the
past, OF course, one notable one when
tickets to Los Angeles from the Missouri
river were .old for 81, but the big com
panies have shown more yielding spirit
and each has made sacrifices for the sake
of peace. This has been true 81 rticu
larly of the Atchison, which, while hay
ing the more combative spirit, has been
compellel by it's financial necessities TO
yield. 1t is claimed by the Atchison
that the Southern Pacific has shown a
tendency to take advantage of these
necessities, snd the feeling that this was
true has had not little to do with the
present troubles
Now that the receivers are in, the
Atchison has free hand. There has
been complaint made in the past about
the $3 local rate which the Southern
Pacific has claimed in its own ia vor in
making bookings in Lathrop, and now
that there is put upon the Atchieon the
further indignity Of refusing passe n gers
going over its lines to San Francisco via
Los Angeles from points east. it is felt
that the limit of forbearance bas been
reached, and there can be no recourse but
war.
The trouble among the northern lines
adds complications to the situation, 80
hat, altogether, lively slashing OF rates
may be looked for once it has begun