San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-01-19
SENATOR THURSTON GOES TO ST
LOUIS TO SEE ABOUT 1T.
UNION PACIFIC OFFICIAL CHARGES
THE UNITED STATES GOVERN
MENT WITH WRECKING THE
ROAD THROUGH THE
COURTS.
An Intimation That Uncle Sam Will
Get Nothing in the End If He
Forces His Foreclosures for
Debt Instead of Extend
ing More Time.

OMAHA, Neb., Jan. Ex-senator
elect Thurston, with a number Of
other attorneys OF the Union Pa
ciflc, left for st. Louis last night to
protest against the foreclosure pro-
ceedings to be instituted there to-
day. 1t is asserted at Union Pacific
headquarters that $4,000 men have
been affected by the disintegration
Of the branch lines, many of whom
made this city their home when
the system was intact. A Union
Pacific official declares that the in.
ference drawn, that the scheme was
instigated in order to hurry Con.
gressional legislation looking to the
passage Of the funding bill, was
entirely erroneous in view OF
the fact that the Union Pacific
board was pronounced in its desire
to protect the government debt
which under foreclosure would
suffer greatly. The official said:
"The Union Pacific Is essentially
an Omaha road. Its interests are
Omaha's interests, and anything
leading to its segregation from the
main line should be>yigorously re-
sisted by the people Of Nebraska.
The purpose Of the resolutions in
troduced in the Colorado House is
apparent, their design being to
make others benefit aud Omaha
lose just that much through such
circumstances. The bill in fore
closure is one Of the most cumber-
some pieces Of legal machinery in
the entire range Of legal action.
Could the government debt have
been adjusted it would have bene-
fitted the whole western country.
What will occur under the fore
closure is matter OF conjecture.
No part Of the government debt is
due until 1895. Inasmuch as the
act Of Congress requires the COM
pany to render preferential service,
and the government transportation
over the road amounts in each
year to a large sum Of money,
more than enough to pay interest
on the government obligations, and
the company is also required to
pay 20 per cent Of its net earnings to
the government to be applied on
the debt, the government, in any
event, is in no danger Of ultimate
loss.
Since the Union Pacific was
placed in the hands Of receivers IL
has been gradually broken up by
orders of various United States
District courts on account Of the
magnificent net railway that was
operated as one harmonious sys-
tenn at the time the bill was filed.
Branch after branch Of the road
has been stripped Of friendly con-
nections until it now hardly mer-
it's the name Of rans-continental.
First, the Denver and Fort Worth
line was given to separate receiv-
ers. This cut off the southwest
territory and rendered the Jules
burg cutoff useless. Then the Ore
gon railway and Navigation line
and the Oregon railway and Steam.
boat company was taken
away, and the Union Pacific
was left without independent
connections to San Francisco and
other coast points. Now a suit to
lop off the Oregon Short line and
Utah Northern branches is in pro-
gress, and when this has been done
the Union Pacific will not have a
line from Omaha to Ogden to
handle local business, but will be
cut off by active competition Of
it's rivals from through traffic so
long controlled by it. "However, it
is apparent that the road
will not sell under the ham,
mer for more than the mort
gage bonds. 1t is hoped by
those interested that it can be
made apparent to the members of
Congress that the general govern
ment is liable to be deprived of
any possibility Of securing any
part Of the debt of the millions
owned by the Union Pacific cor
poration, then some action will be
taken to pass measures looking to
the extension of the debt, and pro-
viding for the relief of this indebt-
edness on lines acceptable to inter-
ests now forcing foreclosure"