The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-02-19
HUNTINGTON AN
ARTFUL DODGER,
But He Squirms Under the
Hot Fire of Morgan's
Questions.
THOSE BURNED BOOKS.
Managers of the Contract and
Finance Company Took No
Chances.
FRYE COULD NOT SAVE CoLLIs.
Clever as He Is, the Railroad Maenate
Makes Some Very Peculiar
Admissions.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 1S.-The
examination of President Coils P. Hunt
ington OF the Southern Pacific Railway,
by Senator Morgan, was resumed this
morning before the Senate Pacific Railroads
Committee. Morgan directed his line of in
quirv toward the relations between the
Contract and Finance Company and the
Central Pacific, and the destruction of the
books of the former company.
The books were burned, Mr.. Hunting
ton said, because the company was disin-
co=porated and there was no use in keep
ing them, as the accounts were closed.
He said he had suggested TO Mark Hop
kins that the books be destroyed, bat did
not remem Der that there mad been any
reference in his conversation with Hop
kins to the clause In the California con-
stitution regarding the personal liability
OF stockholders. Such matter as that
would. he said, have been referred to the
legal department of the road.
Senator Morgan-Did any lawyer advise
you TO destroy these papers?
Mr.. Huntington-I think not. 1t was
mere casual matter. We did not regard it
as serious.
Senator Morgan-It becomes serious
here. I should like very much to have
the books here now.
Mr.. Huntingdon should like very
much for you to have them, but in view of
the fact that they are not in existence l
don't see now in the world you are going
TO get at them.
Morgan then read the resolutions
adopted at the mass-meeting held recently
in San Francisco to protest to Congress
agsinst the extension of the debt of the
Pacific railroads, and Mr.. Huntington said
it must have been a very large and enthu-
siastic meeting, for he had been informed
there were just fifty-two persons present
at what he termed the Sutro meeting.
The call had been issued to all the coun-
ties in the State, and but five OF them were
represented there. Tie representation
was largely confined to San Francisco and
Oakland.
Morgan having mentioned the names of
James II. Barry, Charles G. Terrill and
John NJ REYNOLDS as members OF the
anti-funding committee appointed at a
meeting held in San Francisco last year
Mr.. Huntington said contemptuously that
he wondered whether they were on the tax
list of San Francisco.
They may not be-" Senator Morgan
said, but you know that it is written that
the poor shall inherit the kingdom of
heaven"
Il 90 not know" Mr.. Huntington re-
marked in an Indifferent way.
"And l expect you will never find out, -
the Senator remarked.
hopefully.
'fDo you know either of these gentlemen ?''
he asked.
II do not know that L do" said Mr..
Huntington. II take it they are not
among the merchants or bankers of San
Francisco.
They may be common people, Senator
Morgan remarked.
In the same connection Morgan spoke
of the earnestness OF the protest coming
from San Francisco.
There is nothing in it, Mr.. Huntin g
ton said. "half so earnest as Adolph Sutro
was when he told me that if l did not
build a road to his place, where he has a
drinking-saI bathhouse, a gambling
house and rooms upstairs. and build it
right at once, he would fight me in Wash
ington aud fight me everywhere. That
was an earnest matter"
Huntington afterward spoke Of Messrs.
Sutro, Estee, Cannon, Gibson and others
as being las uncanny a crowd as farmer
ever found in his henrOost at night. All
these charges emanated from the same
parties" he said.
Morgan, recurring to the building of
several branch roads by the construction
companies, asked how one OF the roads
was paid for.
by issuing bonds. They were very
nice bonds" said Huntington.
II don't care whether they were very
nice or not," snapped Morgan. "Confine
yourself to answering my questions" :"
Laughter.
Again Huntington said he could not re-
member exactly how much 1t cost to build
the Copperopolis branch.
''No, of course not" said Morgan; "your
memory is very bad. You have way OF
not remembering and of saying Il think
and don't know Why can't you state
few factsf"
Recurring to the destruction OF books
of the Contract and Finance Company
Senator Morgan intimated his belief they
had been destroyed so that the directors
could not be held liable.
mo-" said Huntington. "They were
burned, as l remem Der it. to make room,
and because the company having been dis
banded there was no further use for them.
1t was no serious matter to do so, we
thought at that time
Senator Morgan said: "You may find
that it is serious before you get through
with it,.
Il wish to state" said Huntington,
that no conversation passed between my
self and Mark Hopkins about destroying