The herald., 1895-07-18
j. A. Frazier and A. D. Wilder
Run q Dead Heat.
ANGELENO LIKELY TO WIN
The Old Guard and New Regime Loci
Horns
The Question Of an Assistant General Super
intendent Of the Southern Pacific
Soon to Be Solved

San Francisco Examiner: General Su-
perintendcnt Fillmore Of the Southern
Pacific company's lines is tc have an as
sistant.
If any other superintendent of almost
anything were to be given an assistant it
would convulse nobody and the old world
would go right ahead revolving. But the
question of Mr.. Fillmore's assistant has
caused more excitement than guberna-
torial election. The factions in the yell
low block on the corner of Montgomery
and Market streets have locked horns
over it, and neither the "Old Guard" nor
the "New Regime could get in their
man for long time. Meanwhile plain
clerk. who wears glasses and brings his
lunch in basket, did the work while
the title waited for claimant.
When r. ii. Pratt retired from the po-
sition it was said, and is still said today,
that there was not work enough to keep
an assistant general superintendent busy.
despite the fact that the mileage OF the
Pacific system is being increased every
day, and is much larger now than it was
when it was found necessary to have Mr..
Pratt assist Mr.. Fillmore.
But there is said to be great deal more
behind this failure to fill Mr.. Pratt's
shoes than this somewhat paradoxical
statement Of the lack of necessity for to-
day OF what was necessity years ago.
This something more is shown by the
fact that there are three candidates for
Mr.. Pratt's position. and because of these
three candidates and the interests that
they represent, there has been no ap-
pointment.
Now it is said that the deadlock has
been broken. and that one of the three
candidates has come under the wire, and
that unless something results from the
visit OF II. Il. Huntington to New York,
that J. A. Muir of Los Angeles will be
appointed. This will leave J. A. Fraz-
ier, the present superintendent of the
Coast division, and A. d. Wilder OF the
Western division out OF the race unless
they can make squirt or hold the dead
lock.
The appointment OF Mr.. Muir to that
position would mean that the "Old
Guard" had won victory at last.
Mr.. Frazier is the friend of what might
be called the administrator" in the
management of the railroad. He was
brought out from the east by II. K.
Huntington to take charge of the coast
division, when it lost Its identity as a
separate road and was merged into the
Pacific system of the Southern Pacific
new assistant to the president of the
Southern Pacific company.
A. d. Wilder's claims to the pos tiOn
are on the score Of niority. He has
been with the Southern Pacific company
since it was incorporated, and with the
Central Pacific since that came into be-
ing. His division. with its headquarters
at the Oakland moe, is the most import
ant on the road.
Against his rivals show long of long
service Mr.. Frazier points to service upon
Mr.. Huntington's private lines IN the
east, and his friendship for the personal
represe tative of G. P. Huntingdon and
so it is that Mr.. Wilder has nothing but
his seniority claim upon the place. That,
however. has been enough to cause the
deadlock over the appointment which has
existed up to the present time.
II. 4. Huntington went east on Satur.
day night. and it is said that one of the
objects that carried him there was this
very question of the appointment of an
assistant to Mr.. Fillmore. He expected
to remain there until his uncle, &. P.
Huntington. returns from Europe, when
he will have consultation with him. No
appointment will be made until that
time. and Mr.. Huntington will have until
then to either secure the appointment OF
neither of these conditions can be Sc
cured by Mr.. Huntigton, ]. A. Muir will
have the place.
Mr.. Muir's friends are happy, and it
has gone out that there is no question as
to the breaking of the deadlock. But if
J. A. Fillmore is asked about the possl-
bility of an appointment he says: There
is no need of an assistant. There wouldn't
be anything for him to do.