The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-05-20

The oregouian Of Tuesday prints num-
f'sr Of interviews with Portland railroad
men on the subject Of the change in the
general management OF the Oregon Rail
way & Navigation Affairs from Mr. e.
Mcneil 10 A. l. Aohier. and the removal
CO the formers headquarters 20 some
point In the East The announcement
furnished food for gossip on railroads ard
politics among the wise ones in Portland
jim Hill IS behind that appointment,
said one Mr.. MohIer served under Mr..
Hill many years" said another, land the
Napoleon Of Western roads fully appre-
eiates the value OF his services. although
IL is said that Mr.. Mohler and Mr.. Hill
have not always agreed in the past
The opportunity for renewing the
prophecies Of the gigantic combination Of
all the overland roads with Jim Hilf'
as master of ceremonies over them all
was made the most Of. and discussed and
received with many vivid additions and
variations. Said one railroad enthusiast:
This means more than Jim Hill. or
course. IL Is the first throw In the deal by
which the Great Northern. the Northern
Pacific. the oregon Railway Navigation,
the Short Line. and may be the Union
Pacific viii be consolidated under one IL
recting head. but II means still greater
power behind Jim Hill I mean the VAN
derbslts. They have for some time been
stretching out 20 secure control of the
Western lines, and this looks as though
they had at last secured an opening. II Is
an open secret that not long ago the Chi
cago. ST. Paul. Minneapolis & Omaha and
the Chicago & Northwestern closed traf-
fic arrangement with the Great Northern
similar TO the one existing between the
Union Pacific and the Chicago & North
western. and as the Chicago St Paul,
Minneapolis & Omaha and the North
western are both Vanderbilt roads. ii is
easy to reach the conclusion that an I'M
dersta nding exists between Mr.. Hill and
the Nanderbilts. In other words. IL means
a combination of the German bankers and
the Nanderbilts. which viii result in alb
solnte control of all the transcontinentai
roads In the Northwest, including the
Eastern lines In the Vanderbilt belt. IL
does not follow that these different inter-
ests will be under one gigantic manage
ment. On the contrary. the policy of the
yanderbilts has always been to run each
one of their roads separate, with sepa-
rate set of officers for each system hold
ing each accountable for results. but all
under the all-powerful influence OF one
head to see that no rate-cutting is carried
To the injury of the property. This. I
think. you will find will be the policy
adopted by this new combine"
Mr. Mohler already has hosts OF friends
In Portland among the older railroad
men. all of whom have worked under and
NTH him for Periods covering from five
20 twenty years and all expressed their
delight at his coming. Said one promi-
nent railroad man, who objected to be-
ing quoted:
Major Mcneil and Mr. Mohier win
make the finest railroad team that any
directors could possibly wish for who have
the true interest of their property at
heart. They don't make whittier men
than Mr. Mohler / am speaking by the
card l worked with him for fifteen years
and consider him one of the best rail-
road men on the American continent.
aside from the fact that he Is a gentle
man in every sense Of the word Even
years ago when l worked with him. he
vas then an able sa gacious and far-see-
ing man and I am sure that he has not
deteriorated In that time. He certainly
will be a great addition to the railroad
contingent of the Pacific coast, and Port
land merchants are extremely fortunate
TO secure so able man for a citizen.
Mr.. H c. Eokenberssy. a well-known
railroad man. has known and been asso-
ciated with Mr.. MohIer for over twenty
years. He said.
Mr.. Mohler has had a most thorough
railroad training in both the operating
and traffic departments, and he is in
every sense OF the word first class rail-
road man. Aside from that he Is ex-
tremely popular, not only with railroad
men. but with all who are brought in
contact with him. In other words, ne is
very democratic in his ways. and when
you enter his Office and you feel as II you
were meeting an old friend. am salts
fed that he will be very popular with the
business people OF Portland"
Mr.. f. 8 Jackson. who was formerly
with the Great Northern under AIR. Mob
Ter. and a personal friend OF long stand
ing. added his mite to the general eulo-
ries heard In all the railroad offices. He
said:
II knew Mr.. Mohler most intimately.
and always found him a straightforward
up-to-date thcrough-going railroad man.
both in the operating and traffic depart
ments He is an excellent man TO get
along with, most genial and always APP
proachable. His door Is always open,
ard he abominates exciusiyeness. i think
the people OF Portland viii be satisfied
with him socially, as well as from COM
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