The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-09-19

Of the Short Line and confer upon the
situation, and il is very possible that
ere they return the directors of the
two lines, the Short Line and the Union
Pacific, viii have a conference upon the
matter, as outlined in The Herald yes
teTday.
In yesterdays issue appeared a state
ment made by officials Of the Short
Line. 1t was given as one side Of the
story, and that Of the Union Pacific
Was limited. This vas due TO no enmity
on the part of The Herald to the Union
Pacific. but because there was nothing
to add to it at the time.
Bob Baxter, the general agent at
Portland, gives the Union Pacific side
of the conflict as follows:
It appears that UP in Portland and vi
cinity the people are kicking on the
action Of the Union Pacific in withdraw
ing all rates With the o. r. & N, and
are accusing it of playing into the
hands Of the Southern Pacific This
prompts Mir. Baxter 10 rise in his place
and assert that this statement is IN
fair. He says the Union Pacific does
not want TO divert the business of
Portland and the northwest to San
Francisco, but would prefer to send it
eastward over the O. R & n. and the
Short Line, if an arrangement could be
made on the matter of divisions. How
ever, he claims the Union Pacific is
making good time under the new ar
rangement. and that freight is being
rushed INTO Chicago in as fast time as
before.
In this case Mr.. Baxter declares the
Onion Pacific is being made g. scaDe-
goat Of and that the Short Line is play
ing it for a sucker on the matter Of
divisions. He claims the Short Line
has a fictitious haul of 407 miles which
- 70
making a total of $40 miles, on which
they want divisions. The Union Pacific.
he says, never refused to make divis-
ions on actual mileage, but declined to
make concessions on the fictitious mile
age which appeared in the figures on
amounts due.
Concluding, he says the new route of
1f1e Enion Pacific is Just as short as the
new line via the western, d. & r. G.
and the Midland. This. in a nutshell,
is the Union Pacific side of the argu-
znent, although there may be some ad-
ditiops.
There We're wild rumors yesterday to
the effect that the Union Pacific in
tended to Tetaliate upon the Short Line
by throwing open the Denver gateway
and routing all the freight and passen-
ger traffic it could over the Midland.
D. & R G. and Western.
Inquiry among the offices ELECTS the
information that the Union Pacific will
be permitted 10 do this. nit. 1t is sta
ted that none Of the roads alluded to
VIII permit this. One leading official
said yesterday that after the manner
in which the Union Pacific had treated
these three roads during the years
which have passed. ii would be a long
and extremely cold day ere they would
consent to any traffic ARRANGEMENTS
with 1t. when they had it in the hole.
as seems TO be the case now.
There IS no doubt but the opening of
the Denver gateway would complecalte
matters considerably. but from infor-
nation received from high officials Of
all the lines interested. there is no
chance Of such an event happening.
The wires were hot al day yesterday.
Information from headquarters was
asked eoy every agent here and replies
cheerfully given to hold the fort. the
good times were right here. At the
offices oe the Western everyone was
feeling good, for asn increase IN passea-
ger and freight traffic is anticipated
2'ile road Will be able to handle all that
comes. The passenger traffic can be ac-
comnCdaGed an right, and the line has
engines enough. to snatch all the freight
over its length in short order. There
VIII be four new engines here from the
Baldwin works in q very short time,
ard in addition TO these everyone it
owEs is in good shape for work. As it
appears right now there may be an in
crease in train crews soon. With the
FIRST of the month the traffic of the road