The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-19
IN RAILROAD CIRCLES
President Hill Returns From a
Trip of Inspection.
OUTLOOK is ENCOURAGING
a Merry War Between the Overland
Railroads-About Delayed Trains-A
wretched Service on the Gen.
trail pacific These Days.

/ President James J., Hill of the Great
Northern, who left st. Paul about 10
days ago on trip to the Pacific coast,
returned to this city yesterday, says
ahe Pioneer Press. Mr.. Hill was ac-
companied westward by J. c. Moore, of
the stock exchange firm of Moore &
Schley. New York, and family. Mr..
Moore and his party left Mr.. Hill on the
fcoast and Travelled southwark to San
Francisco. Mr.. Hill met General Su
perintendent Harding and F. L. Ward,
assistant to the president. on the kalis-
pell branch. Montana, the two last
named having started westward after
the washout about three weeks ago. Mr..
Hill said yesterday: The trip was
simply one of inspection We found
everything in good shape wherever We
went There was plenty of snow in the
mountains. but not much on this side
The general business outlook is very
encouraging. There is a large crop of
grain on the west side. The principal
6rouble is to find ships sufficient to
carry 1t. There is considerable business
going to the Pacific coast and the Ash
attic business Is easier and there is more
of ii offering than the ships can carry
out. Seattle and the coast points are
filled with Klondyke excitement. There
is a great deal of mineral development
going on in the Kootenai country on
both sides of the boundary. and also on
rhe Cascades. All that country seems
to be rich and UNEMPLOYED"
General Superintendent Harding said
in regard to the washout: THE damage
was not as great as IL was last year.
All the damage done was on the west
slope of the Cascades and a very little
along the Kootenai. But we have
everything in good working order now
all the way along.
There is a merry war on in overland
railroad circles. The principal com
batants are ]. A. Fillmore of the South
ssrn Pacific. Edward Dickinson Of the
Union Pacific and ID. c. Dodge of the
Rio Grande Western, says the San
Francisco Examiner. The quarrel is
due to delayed arrival of overland
trains over the Central Pacific. On 35
of the last 40 days all of the Central
overland trains coming TO this city have
been from one to III hours late. There
have been many bitter complaints from
the travelling public in consequence. Mr.
Fillmore has sought to relieve the
Southern Pacific people from blame by
asserting that the delays were due to
the habitual hardness of the Union Pa
cific and Rio Grande Western trains
in making connection at Ogden.
Dickinson and Dodge. on hearing that
Fillmore was blaming their lines. for
the delayed trains, demanded by wire
a retraction as public as had been the
derstood, has refused to do, and the in
rensed officials have asked their super
Tors to lay the matter before c. K.
Huntington. This latter fact does not
worry II. Fillmore. for ii is in the in
serest of the Sunset route to give the
Central Pacific and its connections as
poor service as possible. There never
was more wretched passenger service
on the Central Pacific than at present
Car inspectors are few and far be-
tween along the Central Pacific these
days. This may account for the fact
that within a month past three passen-
ger trains have been delayed with brok-
en- wheels. When the trains arrived
here very late in consequence of these
accidents the excuse of the railroad
people was that our connections We're
late in reaching Ogden"
The Central passenger trains have
the remarkable slow schedule of 70
miles an hour from Ogden to San Fran-
cisco. The trip requires % hours with
hut few stops. The Sunset limited via
lei Paso to Chicago has a schedule
speed of 40 miles an hour. If the Sun
sets Texas & Pacific connection is late
at FL Paso, Mr.. Huntington's orders
are that the Sunset limited shall reach
San Francisco on time at all hazards.
The Union Pacific and Rio Grande
Western trains run as fast as Hunting
toms Sunset limited il not faster, but
the snail pace on the Central Pacific
west of Ogden is what irritates. Rail-
road men, outside of the Huntington
charmed circle, say that this is a de-
lfberate attempt TO throw business from
the Central to the Sunset line. 1t takes
the Sunset limited four days to reach
Chicago via FL Paso. The schedule
time now by way of Ogden between
Chicago and San Francisco is three and
a half days. Should Huntington run
his Central trains at the speed of the
Union Pacific. Rio Grande Western or
his Sunset limited the time to Chicago
through the Ogden gateway would be
reduced to three days.
While the Sunset limited always
makes up lost time in coming west
from FL Paso the Centrafs trains do
not make up even an hour, although
in run of s34 miles it ought to be
possible to catch up at least three
hours.
Among other matters which are at
tracing the attention of the officials of
the Oregon Short line during the con-
ference which is now taking place in
The East at which Messrs. Bancroft and
Eccles are in attendance. is that of ex-
ira passenger service for the klondyke
traffic. which vii begin soon after the
beginning of the new year.
From the letters of inquiry which |
have been received by the passenger
department, it is evident there will be
a. rush 10 the gold fields in the spring
and that the present facilities will be
inadequate to carry all who are COM
ing. The Burlington road and the I'm
ion Pacific realize this and are already
IN the field with propositions to increase
facilities and the Rio Grande Western
Denver & Rio Grande and the Colorado
Midland arrangements already have the
matter under consideration BY virtue
of geographical location, the Short
Line is the route from Ogden and
Granger and the officials see that some
thing must be done in order TO handle
the traffic.
From what can be gathered. ii would
seem that a proposition to double the
train service as occasion demands is
considered the best, although the run
ming of another west-bound passenger
train has been suggested.
1t is stated that a train from the
Union Pacific will be taken on at Gran
ger and run through without change.