The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-01-19
IT IS NOT A BELT LINE.
Judg Of Witnesses introduced at
Austin Yesterday.
WHARF COMPANY HEARING RESUMED
Charles Corner Of the Railroad Cor
mission Offers Expert Te.ttmonv
and Describes II Terminal,

Austin, Texas. January 1s-Hearine Of
the complaint of W. l.. Moody & Co. VS.. the
Galveston Wharf company was resumed
this morning by the railroad commission
and defendants rested. reserving for rebuff
tai such further testimony as they have
to Offer
1t was agreed that all commission records
should be considered introduced in evil
dence without the necessity of formal in
PRODUCTION as well as the charter of the
Galveston Wharf company.
Messrs. Smith, Henderson and Hill wit :
nesses for plaintiff, were sworn.
Nj. f. Smith of Galveston, general asen,
OF the Galveston, La Porte and Houston,
was put on the stand by plaintiffs. On di-
lect examination he testified to having mad
sixteen years experience as a traffic man.
said experience having been gained in Diff
| ferent States and In Mexico His company
he said, paid the wharf company 81 for
each of It's cars that runs over the wharf
company's tracks at Galveston. The only
road he ever heard called a belt line was
at indianapolis, which line owned It's own
cars and engines and furnished the means
OF communication between common carriers
ara points on Its line in the city Did not
Know what to call the Galveston Wharf
| company railroad. Had never heard 4,
| called belt line before this investigation
was begun. His information was that II
| owned no engines or rollin, stock. His
read had, on several occasions, delivered
freight with Its own equipment along the
| wharf companys track and has access to
every portion OF said track.
| Pressed by Mr.. Lovejoy, attorney for
| plaintiff, for definition of the wharf com
pany's road. he finally stated that In his
| opinion 1t was both a belt line and a ter
minal road, as it performed work peculiar
| to both.
Upon cross examination by defendants,
Mr. Smith repeated this last definition
On redirect examination Mr.. Smith tes-
titled that the union passenger depot at
galveston was on the wharf company line.
Governor Hogg, attorney for plaintiff,
next asked the witness If he did not know
that his head would go Off as traffic man
ii he dared to testify against the wharf
company? Mr. Smith replied that he did
not, and Mr.. Ballnger objected to the
question and asked that witness be pro-
teoted from such questions as he did not
believe that even an ex-governor had the
right to mistreat his own Witnesses
Governor Hogg withdrew the question
end stated that he knew how TO behave
himself before the commission, and that II
the gentleman intended to be personal he
would attend to him in a pleasant way.
"All right. you may do so" was Mr. BAL
I llngers rejonder, and the examination pro-
ceeded.
In answer to Mr.. Lovejoy Mr.. Smith said
that the crews which handled the cars on
the wharf were paid Jointly by the roads
terminating at Galveston. His road, he
said, had the right to deliver on the wharf,
but has to be guided in making deliveries
by circumstances on said wharf. Had de-
lvered cotton to Moody up to the time this
investigation began and had delivered
without charging him trackage. Had alb
sorbed the trackage
In answer to Mr.. Ballinger Mr.. Smith re-
Piled that his company had paid the wharf
company 81 trackage on every car of cotton
delivered to Moody and that 1t had alb
sorhed said traclage primarily for the pur-
pose of relieving its yards of an accumu-
lation of cars, as said yards were very
snail.
George A. Hill Of the Mexican Central
was next placed on the stand by plaintiffs.
Had at one time been right of way agent
in Galveston for the Texas Mexican now
Galveston Western, and had been in the
cotton factorage business and also pro-
noter of belt line construction. Had trav.
eled considerably and seen many railroads.
Defined such belt lines as ne had seen
and had never heard the wharf company
read called anything but a terminal. Did
not know of any belt lines in Texas except
street railway belts. Had never before this
examination was begun heard tho wharf
company road called belt line.
When shown by Mr.. Balinger the map
OF the Chicago belt line Mr.. Hill declared
that in his opinion 1t was not belt line.
line might be called belt line and not
be one. Shown the map of wharf company
no "a
ID. b. Henderson of Galveston and OF the
Galveston and Western railway, witness
for plaintiff, told of belt lines he had seen
and of their location: was familiar with
the wharf railway had as a member OF the
Galveston city council been wharf dirsc-
tor. There had been some wharf track
constructed during his term as director,
the purpose of said construction being TO
afford terminal facilities to the roads ter
minating at Galveston: said roads used the
wharf company's tracks as parts of their
own systems. He considered 1T terminal
road
In answer to Mr. Campbell attorney for
defendant, witness admitted that the roads
terminating In Galveston had terminals OF
their own. where they made up and broke
up trains, and that they dla not depend
upon the wharf company for terminal facil-
titles. although they, to a large extent, made
up and broke up trains on the wharf com
II. n. Harris OF Galveston took the stand
for plaintiffs Did not know of any belt
lines in Galveston except street car lines.
The wharf company road Is terminal; had
never heard 1t called belt line until he
had read it in the papers that somebody
had sworn that 1t was a belt line at prior
session of the commission during this IN
vesiigation.
Adjourned until 2 p. m.
At the afternoon session Ex-Governor
Lubbock was put on the stand by com
plainant Had lived in Galveston and been
| there often didn't know much about rali-
roads. hut hadn't heard OF any belt lines
in Galveston except belt street car lines
Said he was no expert, and defendants OBJ
jected to his testimony.
j. II. Collett, formerly OF Galveston and
now of. Austin. was sworn. Had no per-
sonal knowledge of the uses to which the
wharf company track is now put. The only
belt line he knew anything about was the
Austin street car belt. which operates In