The San Francisco call., 1895-11-18
Warning Factions United Upon
Him as a Compromise
Candidate.
BY PIERP0NT MORGAN
European Interests Brought Around
by the Influence of the Syndi.
cate Leader.


paper says: Private advices received from
the East indicate the election of E. P.
Ripley, the present third vice president of
the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul, as
president of the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe Railway Company, and of D. B.
Robinson, present acting president of the
company, as first vice-president. Mr..
Ripley's name has not heretofore been
mentioned in connection with the Atchi-
son presidency, and his friends say he
made no personal effort to secure the posi-
ton.
Up to few days ago the principal cam
didates were D. B. Robinson, the present
acting president of the Atchison and gen.
eral agent for the receivers, and E. L.
Jeffery, the present president of the Denver
and Rio Grande. The Boston and Aneri
can interests were strongly in favor OF the
election of D. B. Robinson on account Of
his personal popularity among the officials
and employees of the road, his general fit
ness for the position and his intimate
knowledge OF the cornpany's affairs. The
European bondholders favored E. 7. JET
frey, who for the last two or three years
has managed the Denver and Rio Grande
road with consummate skill and ability.
A few days ago Mr.. Coppell, chairman
of the board of directors, announced the
withdrawal of Mr.. Jeffery's name from
the list of candidates, stating that under
no circumstances would he (Mr. Jeffrey
consent to accept the position, it being the
desire of the owners of the Rio Grande to
retain his services as president of the COM
pany. This, it was believed, would leave
the field clear for Mr.. Robinson. 1t ap-
pears, however, that the American and
foreign members of the joint executive re-
organization committee were unable to
reconcile their differences. 1t dawned
upon the American members that unless
they compromised their differences with
the Europeans the latter would be able to
elect the new board of directors and q
president, regardless OF the wishes of the
American bondholders. If majority of
the joint executive committee could have
elected a president, Mr.. Robinson would
have been saved, but, unfortunately for
him, the reorganization agreement pro-
vided as follows:
1.-THE first board of directors of the new
company shall, unless unanimously agreed
upon by the joint executive committee, be
selected as follows: The members of the
joint executive committee nominated by
the New York committee shall select such
part of the whole number of the first
board as will be, as nearly as possible, in
proportion to the part OF the whole amount
of deposited general mortgage bonds and
second mortgage bonds which shall have
been originally deposited in America with
any depository or the agents of any depo-
STORY; the members of the London COM
mlttee and the Amsterdam committee to
pursue a like course"
1t happens the London and Amsterdam
committees hold a majority of the de-
posted bonds, and unless the Americans
agreed with them, they could elect the
board under the foregoing provision to
suit themselves, and upon this board
would devolve the task of electing presi-
dent. Therefore it became necessary to
agree upon some man for president who
was satisfactory to all parties.
Aldace F. Walker. at present one of the
receivers of the Atchison; S. M. FELTON,,
president of the Queen and Crescent and
Thomas P. Fowler, president of the On
tario and Western. had been proposed for
the position of president of the Atchi-
son, but the different interests were un-
able to agree upon either of them unani-
mously.
Mr.. Ripley's name was not proposed
until day or two ago, and it became ap-
parent at once that he was the Moses to
lead the Atchison committee out of the
desert. The American bondholders are
mostly Boston people, and they liked Mr..
Ripley because he came originally from
Boston. The European interests, it is
understood, were brought around to Mr..
Ripiey's support by ]. Pierpont M organ,
who knows Mr.. Ripley well on account OF
his connection with the Milwaukee and
st. Paul, in which property Mr.. Morgan is
said to hold controlling interest.