The San Francisco call., 1898-05-10
Troubled With a Faulty Memory on Pertinent
 Matters.
Laws Claim to Good Natured Acts and Hopes for
 Reward.
A GOOD TRADE IN STOCKS.
Iiuht on the Manner in Which the South err Pacific Company
 Is Operated.

c. P. Huntington appeared before United States Commissioner Heacock yes terday as a witness in the suit brought by the Southern Pacific Company against the State Board of Railroad Commission CTS to enjoin them from putting into eff feet the order reducing the tariff on the company's lines in this State. Attorneys Garber and Foulks appeared for the rall- road company and Attorney-General Fitzgerald and Attorneys Foote and Hayne represented the State.
 The examination of Huntington, which was conducted by the Attorney-General was directed along the same lines as were pursued by the Railroad Commissioners last week. As before, Huntington showed himself to be an adept at lodging ques- tions touching on matters connected With the cost of the roads under his conrtol, ana as a result the examination was product i've of very little information on this sub ject.
 About the organization and objects of the Southern Pacific Company of Ken lucky the case was different. In spite Of numerous evasions and lapSes or memory the witness was forced to admit that this company, with its present caplta stock of $50 900 900, hau no property or assets at the time of its organization except sum somewhat less than S10,000, necessary for the expenses connected with the pro curement of its charter.
  the property of the Southern Pacific sys- tenn of railroads, it having acquired this property by the exc9ange f or cs lcS 6f SfoGh tbs various roads of the system on the basis of six shares of company stock for ten shares of railroad stock This was stroke of financiering worthy. the witness thought. of the lasting gratitude or the people of California.
 What was the amount or the or1glnal stock issue of the Southern Pacihc Com pany of Kentucky" asked the Attorney t'I cannot remember the exact amount It was very small-just sufficient to cover the expenses of procuring a charter
 Twill your books show the amount or the original stock issue and what was done with the money?'
 ''I am not sure that they would. l am not much of bookkeeper. l suppose the expenditure of the money would be charged to the general expense account In The Attorney-General then attempted to get some information from the witness regarding the original cost of the Oregon willing to tell all he knew, but 1t tran spired that all that he could remember was that the road was b'uIt through q very rough country and that the work was undertaken that the good people of this State might be benefited.
 your company of this road" persisted T don't think can give you satisfac- piled the witness. I've have done so many things for the benefit of California that it is hard to remember them all. We have not helped ourselves much as yet, but we hope to in time"
 'Then you cannot tell us what this road 'No, I don't believe that I can. As I said before am very much pleased with what we have done in California We have done so many good-natured things here-I hope we will reap some reward some day
 The Attorney General again recurred @4 ,-iy, n f~o,, bfc fOr the Southern Pacific Company. Huntington could not remember the items but thought that the greater part of the money must have been paid out for legal expenses. He confessed to an utter lack of knowl- edge regarding legal services, but said ne knew a few things about other things. roads," he explained, q said to Crocker You look out for the legal part of the business and I will attend to the moral '' Fitzgerald again attacked the list of California railroads in an effort to elicit from the witness some facts as to their cost Huntington could not remember.
 'I will do all that l can to assist you in finding out,' he said, ''but I must con fess that I do not see how it is to be done. l would like tto. have the information myself. Now in Virginia where I have built railroads they never ring the bell to know what I am doing. They are con- tent to believe that ! am doing all that I can under the circumstances. I hope to inspire the people of this State with the same feeling in the course of time'
 Huntington also stated that about twen- ty of the thirty-flve roads that go to make up the so-called Pacific system had been acquired at a very small cost be- cause they had become bankrupt under the management of their original owners Notwithstanding this he said he thought his company should be given credit for the entire original cost of the roads be- sides what had been spent on them since they had been acquired by the Southern Pacific Company. The Attorney General then called the attention of the witness ern Pacicfc Company of California and the Southern Pacific Company of Arizona had been traded to the Southern Pacific Company of Kentucky on the basis of six shares of the company stock for ter shares of the railroad stock, in spite ot the fact that the California lines paid large net profits while the Arizona lines were operated at a loss.
 Do you consider" he was asked, "that the stock of the Southern Pacific Com pany of Arizona is of the same value a. the stock of the Southern Pacific Com pany of Californian"
 Well should hardly think SOL
 ''Then why did you make the trade or the same basis?'
 That is a hard question to answer sc that you would fully understand me There are so many things that enter int the subject that I hardly know how tt make myself understood. Future pros poets and all that must be taken intt consideration, but I really do not thinl that I could explain so that you would understand"
 An adjournment was taken until thi morning, the Attorney General remark ing that the work of the day had beer merely preliminary.