Omaha daily bee., 1898-12-18
RAILROADS FOR NEXT YEAR
Lively Season in 1899 Expected by Al
Omaha Lines.
REIMBURSEMENT OF RELATIONS EXPECTED
Coming of the Illinois Central the
Keynote of n Movement that
Involves All the Lines Now
Entering Here.

There are bright prospects that the next
year will prove to be the liveliest, from a
railroad standpoint. that Omaha has ever
experienced. The strong lines and the weak
ones now here are preparing to strengthen
their respective positions and the advent Of
at least one new railroad Is a moral GER
tainty. The Illinois Central's entrance into
Omaha has been made even more certain by
real estate transactions within the last few
days and the shadows preceding the coming
OF the Chicago Great Western and the Great
Northern railroads are declared to be visible
to the naked eye by experienced railroad
men.
Within the last few days the Illinois
Central has obtained an option on a consider
able block Of ground in South Omaha. The
land is now owned by the South Omaha
Land company, a syndicate OF which p. E.
Her Is the head and front. What the figures
are for which the option has been obtained
is not generally known, but the lots on
which the option has been secured are:
II, 20, 30, 43 and A. They lie Just east OF
the present Union Pacific tracks running in
a southerly direction from Summit to the
Union Stock yards. The option Is UNDER
stood to be a short time option and the
actual transfer Of the property is looked for
at an early date.
Who viii Control the Tracksf
The land on which the option mas been
obtained Is wanted for additional tracks to
the stock yards. Whether these tracks will
be owned by the Union Pacific or by the
Illinois Central Is difficult to determine. Most
railroad men think the Union Pacific will
own and control the new tracks, and will
allow the Illinois Central trains to do bust
ness to and from South Omaha for a con-
sideration similar to the one given by the
Union Pacific to the Northwestern, the Rock
Island and the Milwaukee roads at present.
The Illinois Central has already signed a
contract to use the new union passenger
station being erected by the Union Pacific,
and the use OF the Union Pacific terminals
to buth Omaha is accepted as a matter Of
course. All signs point toward a close
alliance between the Illinois Central and the
Union Pacific when the former extends its
lines into Omaha.
Speaking Of the bright outlook for q lively
railroad year in Omaha, a prominent traffic
Official said to The Bee: 1.-THE year 1899
will be a remarkable one for
Omaha. The coming OF the Illinois
Central, which may have Its trains
running In here by the middle Of the
SNAASA - ASoA - 6iCoI ~" wi
I am inclined to think 1t will bring to
Omaha some more manufacturing plants.
The presents industries are hardly suf1cient
to give q great amount Of trahic to all
the lines now here and the new ones that
are headed this way. These railroads will
naturally demand business In and out OF
here, and to get 1t I believe will offer in
ducements that will lead another packing
house, starch factory and, perhaps. a beet
sugar factory to locate here.
''In addition to this the Illinois Central
and the Great Western will open some new
territory in Iowa that will prove local to
Omaha. But far more important Is the pros
pect Of the coming Of the Great Northern.
I believe the Great Northern will come to
Omaha within two years. 1t will open up
q far more valuable territory for Omaha
than will either the Illinois Central or the
Great Western. 1t will allow Omaha to do
business In the northwest, something that
is now almost impossible. 1t will let US
get into parts Of North Dakota, South Da-
kota and Montana that are now closed to
us and open only to the commercial inter-
ests Of st. Paul and Minneapolis"