The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-04

Not nearly all of the specializing has
been done that will be done between
now and the 9Th of next month con-
corning what is most likely to be the
policy of the management of the Ore
gon Short Line after it shall have been
reorganized. Every day brings new
reports which furnish new food for
speculation and gossip among the rail-
road men.
The topic of interest yesterday found
its center in a speculation as to wheth-
er the new management viii throw
open the Ogden gateway to all the
trans Missouri railroads or continue to
keep it closed TO all but the Union
Pacific, as has been the case under
Union Pacific management.
1t is a very large subject. the settle
ment of which has an immense sig
nificance to all the roads concerned,
and the Union Pacific in particular.
That it viii not be settled till the new
company is in full control, there is, of
course, no question, as there is no
means of judging whether the current
opinion that the Union Pacific Will
dominate the reorganization will find
fulfillment or whether new interests
viii come in and secure control The
subject, nevertheless, is discussed with
much fervor by the local railroad men
and opinions are guided very largely
by the dictates of personal desires.
The men who are assisting locally
TO guide the destinies of the Rio Grande
Western, the Denver q Rio Grande,
the Santa Fe, the Rock Island, etc, all
of whom are intensely interested in.
seeing the gateway thrown open 10
admit them into territory which has
hitherto been closed to them, can
readily see how it would be very great
~ TO the benefit Of the new Short Line
system TO throw wide the gateway and
allow them to become competitors in
the field forbidden them in the past.
one of them, who owes his fidelity 10
the Western. said yesterday: If the
new company is going to operate the
road purely in its own interests and
take advantage of every means Of
bringing business to the line, il viii
open the Ogden gateway 10 all the
roads The Rio Grande Western, for
instance. is wonderfully popular as a
passenger route and handles a vast
amount of passenger traffic that would
go by the Short Line if the gateway
We're opened. If it is not. the Short /
Line viii get none Of that business, !
but instead it viii go by the Shasta /
route, as it does now, and the same /
thing IS true concerning similar bust !
ness handled by the Rock Island anu I
other roads. There are reasons also I
from a freight traffic point of view /
why the gateway should be opened.
This is a fair expression of the SEN
timent of those interested in the open
ing of the gateway and some of them |
can almost bring themselves to believe
the UNEXPECTED win happen and en-
tirely new interests secure control, in
which event their wishes would stand
good chance Of being realized.
On the other hand, those who are
devoted TO the interests of the Union
Pacific take an entirely different view.
They say that from a passenger stand
Point the Short Line would gain but !
little in opening the gateway. Not
nearly enough TO compensate for other
disadvantages it would suffer One of
these said: There is demand for
only so much freight in the Short Line'a
exclusive territory. and il would gain
nothing by dividing ii up For example,
suppose there is demand for two
cars Of freight, what would it benefit
the Short Line TO have one car come
TO 1t by one line and the other bysan-
other? There would be no advantage.
~ bE Sdllcu III lflG. matter I
Of the amount of freight it would
handle
But, You say, it is held the increased
passenger business would be consider
able. Il would not be sufficient to
for allowing the Western
to enter into competition for southern
tab business. The Western is COM
Dcting line from Spanish Fork to Og-
len and from Tintic to Ogden. Ii would
hardly tho Short to a l,a.t
W estern 70 compete in those localities
or business il would otherwise have I
he exclusive call on. No, l can see J
10 advantage to be gained by the Short ;
line IN opening the gateway"
There was one report which reached :
iere during the day which, if true, will :
lave a material bearing on the Ogden 7
gateway question and viii likewise ,
upset the reckoning of those who have
isured out the official roster of the :
lew company.
The report YVES to the effect that -
cry recently large holdings o: bonds =
ormerly held by Boston had recently =
'een transferred to New York: that +
hey are sufficiently LARGE to clt an },
important figure in the. reorganization :.
nd that they have been secured by \
he Nanderbilts to be used to influence a
ne REORGANIZATION in the interests of 8
ne Northwestern. There is no means
confirming the report, but if il is
rue, the fact is a most significant one.
5 il undoubtedly means that if the :
anderbilts secure control of the Short
inc there viii be no officers put in
barge WHO have hitherto been with
re Union Pacific, but instead that men :.
i'll be placed in charge who win favor +
lie Northwestern. In that event there -
ould be no question about the open- =
lg of the Ogden gateway, for the =,
orthwestern would have to get into II
lie territory. ~
Meanwhile there are more railroad :;
en - Salt Lake who discredit the II
:, s-sf1iI .iiSie art VINO take stock m
Of opinion that the ~
MON Pacific viii dominate the reor- q,