The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-02
Mr., VAN VLECK'S AFFIDAVIT

The Following is the affidavit In full OF
hr. ", &. Van Week, manager OF the Sun
set route, which was read at the trial OF
/ the great railroad injunction case nj Dali
1 las, and which is said to have played an
| Important part in the decision rendered by
Judge Mccormick yesterday;
Before me, the undersigReSi authority, on
! this day personally appeared W. G. Van
Week who after bsirg by me duly sworn
on oath says;
That he is now, and has heen since
October ], 1895, manager OF the Galve ton,
Harrisburg and Sap Autoni1 Railway com
pany, and is now second vice president of
said company; that he was general super
ntendent OF said company from July !.
1883. 10 September 80. 1925, and that prior
TO july ], 1888, he had been at different
times general agent. Ciyision superntend-
eut, uainmaster, train dispatcher teie-
graph operator and station agent Tor sad
company, his first service commencing
October /. 1876 and has been continuous
since that date.
Aniant says that he is familiar with me
affairs of said railway company, being ia
his position as manager, its operating anu
chier executive officer resident in Texas
and is famils, with the conditions Affect
ing transportation over the lines OF said
railway, and has general knowledge or
the character or traffic handled by u aud
of the condition under which II IL haldiu1
Atiant says that the maiu line OF said
company, extending from Houston to the
Rio Grande river, near FL Paso. a distance
of about S3G miles connects at E Paso with
lire operated by the Southern Paail.c
company and with the lines of the I eSaS
and New Orleans Railroad company at
Houston, and forms by such connections
an important link in . through trans
continental line OF railway extenIlng FROM
New Orleans to San Francisco, with num-
erous branches which through line is COM
monty referred TO as the Southern Pa
cliic" or Sunset route"
AiliaH. further says that the coun'rs
trayeIted by the line of the said Calves
top, Harrisburg ard San Antonio Railway
company is thiply settled. aifordIDg com
paratyoly small local traffic, and thai
portion OF the country along said line T.
tween San Antonio and FL Paso, dls,aaee
OF about G23 miles, is NOT adapted 10 d. RI
culture, and is devoted chiefly TO sto TX
raising, anii much OF it Is poor aud prac-
ticaliy ya.usless as affcrd!ng traffic for rail- I
road trans portati0n; that the country along |
said compnny's lines, between Houston a III
San Antonio. inclusive, is comparatively I
productive and affords local traffic Of yaiie |
but said ccmpany's greatest ald most
valuable traffia without which ii could MT |
traffic: that is traffic moving across the
continent and over It's lines between san
Francisco and New Orleans. ard between
places in Texas aud other States and for
eign countries, and much the greater part
Of the traffic handled by said company is
tho transcontiriental traffic aforesaid.
Affiant SAYS that the difference IN The
method OF handling and the services req
dered by said company with resptcl TO -
LEGAL traffic and its through traffic, es-
peclally transcoiitinental traffic, ~ sub
He says that practically all trans
poreinental traffic handed by said com
papy Is delivered 20 IL In solid train lots;
hat tho volume Of such traffic is so great
hat this Il not only practicable. bar 5
most convenient and less expensive, both
10 said company ard It's connecting lines;
hat IL has been tho practice Of both the
Casters and Western, connections 81 said
at Houston ard at the Rio Oranee
liver TO arrange for the transportation OF /
Isid transeontinental traffic IN solid tram
OTIS. Said trsnsconiinental lire, In conusc-
ion with steamships operated by the !
southern Pacific company Is AM has been
or Years. in fierce competition With o her I
lines through the United I
states as well as through the BrltHh {
lomirdons and IN order 10 meet such COM {
,etit.on, il has been necessary for the de- 1
endant company and its connections form
ny such transconflnenfsl line. TO handic
ald traffic expeditiously ald win ms ieas. |
,osftble delay and expense. ait me sAid !
raffic is SO great In volume, that II has
zen. ans Is. practicable not oaly 10 handle
he same In solid train lots, bat In suil
ar loads, thereby utilizing the full ss-