The herald., 1897-12-02
WHO Is the Union Pacific's
"Old Man"
-<.
CLARK IS FORCED TO DECLINE
AS HEAVY WORK HAS SAPPED
HIS STRENGTH
Horace q. Burt Says He Isn't 1t, but
His Friends Believe He Will
Be the President
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 1.-Rumors whicl
have been afloat since the purchase o
the Union Pacific were set at rest tooa,
nv the announcement that s. II. II. Clarl
has declined the Presidency OF the re
organized company. For some time MI
Clark refused to either affirm or den!
the report.
Today. however, he announced that hi
decision was final. Ill health. due to tti'
iheavy work imposed upon him for many
years, is the reason given for his refusa
to accept the Presidency.
Mr.. Clark sewers his connection witt
the Union Pacific and will remain in st
Louis. 1t is not known whether or MOI
he will return to the Missouri Pacific, OF
which he was Vice-President and Gen
eral Manager for many years.
- HARD TO REACH
OMAHA, Dec. lit has just developed
THAT Horace G. Burt has opened an office
here in the same building with the Elk
horn officers, but on another floor ant
is ensconced with private secretary and
clerks.
It was no easy matter to get at Mr.
Burt today. His temporary offices are
located in the corner of the fifth floor OF
the Elkhorn headquarters. The at
taches of the Elkhorn had early been
posted, for nearly all declared their ig-
norance of the fact that Mr.. Burt was
in the building or in the city. He was
there, however, with his chief clerk.
Geo. McDill, and both were hard at
work.
To a Bee reporter who asked him If
there was any truth in the report that he
had been offered and had accepted the
presidency of the Union Pacific, Mr..
Burt said: "No, sir, so far as am con-
cerned there is not a word of truth in
the report"
Further than this denial he declined to
be interviewed.
notwithstanding Mr.. Burt's emphatic
denial, there are any number of railroad
men in Omaha willing to wager small
sums that he will be the president of the
reorganized Union Pacific road. They
remember that Mr.. Burt made very
positive denial of the report that he was
to leave the Elkhorn just before going to
st. Paul to assume charge of the Chica-
U, T.. L
railroad.
Mr.. Burt arrived in Omaha on Monday
and came here directly from trip of in
spection over the Kansas Pacific rail-
road, the Kansas branch Of the Union
Pacific. On that trip he was accompa-
MED by ]. o. Brinkenhoff of Kansas
City, general superintendent OF the
Union Pacific lines in Kansas. On Tues
day morning he was at the Union Pa
cific headquarters bright and early. He
spent almost the entire morning at
Union Pacific headquarters familiariz-
ing himself with Union Pacific affairs.
On Tuesday afternoon he skipped away
for while, but Wednesday morning he
was hard at work at his temporary head
quarters in the United States bank
building long before the majority of the
Farnam street railway men had come
down to work. Closeted with his secre-
tary, Geo. McDill, he put in nearly the
whole day there.
The reason why railroad men think
that Horace G. Burt is going to be the
president of the Union Pacific are not
remote. They argue that Mr.. Burt is
very well posted on every branch of
practical railroading, having come up
through the operating department,
though originally civil engineer. They
maintain that he is thoroughly familiar
with this part of the country and with
the conditions existing along the line
of the Union Pacific. His home was here
for many years and he still owns his res
idence here.
But the most potent reason given for
favoring Burt as the successful candi-
date for the. big job is that he stands
very close to Marvin Hughitt, president
of the Chicago and Northwestern rail-
way. Marvin Hughitt is a power on
the committee which has temporary
charge of the Union Pacific. The rapid
promotions that he has given Mr.. Burt
and the fact that on his last two trips
Marvin Hughitt has been most closely
attended by Mr.. Burt, are also cited to
show the close touch that the third vice
president enjoys with his president.
THE COUPLER QUESTION
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-The Inter
State Commerce Commission today
opened the hearing of the railroads
which have petitioned for an extension
of the time in which they may comply
with the law of 1898, requiring them to
equip their cars and engines with auto
matte car-couplers, hand-rails and
brakes. The representatives or attorneys
of several hundred railroads, and also of
leading labor organizations, We're pres
ent.
John Cowen, one of the receivers of the
70 oo1+ o,,l t11 4
eral subject to the commission.
Previous to his general presentation,
Chairman Morrison Of the commission
called for the oral argument Of the roads
which were completely equipped under
the law, but which had petitioned the
commission for an extension of time as
applied to the case of other roads which
had not compiled with the law.
Samuel Hoar, representing the Boston
and Albany, made brief argument on
this point to show the utter demoraliza-
ton of traffic which must follow if thu
roads which had complied with the law
were compelled to cease hauling cars OF
other roads not equipped.
The Lake Shore, Hoar said. was a
prosperous road and able to comply fully
with the law, but it was here, uniting
with the other roads asking for an ex-
tension. The business of the roads of the
country was largely unit and thos4
roads which had equipped their cars
could not haul unequipped cars without
technically violating the law.
Mr.. Cowen said he was chairman of a
committee at this hearing which repre-
sented about 100000 Of the $4,000 freight