The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-06
THE TRAINS WERE LATE
Storms Interfered With the Great
Northern Flyer.
SOME SCHEDULE CHANGES
A New Ogden Gateway Story-It Will Be
Closed When the Union Pacific
Secures Full Control of
the Short Line.


O'Clock, four hours and half late. The
first train of the Short Line due at los
at night, arrived two hours late. The
Northern Pacific from the East was on
| time. The last train of the Great
Northern under the old time card ar
rived in Butte on Wednesday 141a hours
| late, due partly on account of the
storms and partly because of the change
| in time being put into effect.
| The Rio Grande Western has changed
| it's time table to conform with that of
| the Short Line. No. 1 of the Western
| now arrives at Ogden at 1O:45 a. NJ,
| connecting with the Short Line No. T.
| which leaves there at Ills and now ar
| rives in Butte at LOS a. m. The change
| in the Westerns schedule shortens it's
| time from all points East IL hours and
| 40 minutes.
| A new Ogden gateway story or
| rather a revival of the old, old story
| finds space in the St. Paul Globe. 1t
| reads as follows:
| THE long projected purchase by the
| Union Pacific of the Oregon Short Line
| is about to be consummated and the
next step will be the control of the
| Oregon Railroad & Navigation company
| by the Union Pacific. The stockholders
| of the Union Pacific will vote on Jan. 10
on proposition recommended by the
board of directors, to increase the COM
mon stock of that company $27, AGO 1GO
| needed to take up the Oregon Short Line
stock, which is to be exchanged share
for share. There is no doubt that the
stockholders will unanimously indorse
the directors plan.
The Union Pacific recently acquired
controlling interest in the Oregon
Short Line. 1t secured a third of the
stock at the time of the reorganization
of the company, and it had been fearful
that it would not obtain any more, in
which case the Union Pacific would not
have had plain sailing. The Denver lines
would have seriously embarrassed it for
one thing and other railway companies
We're after the Short Line. Had either
the Great Northern or the Northern Pa
| cific secured the Short Line the Union
Pacific would have been so badly handi-
| capped that it could not hope ever to
reach the coast. In order that there
may be no failure of it's plans the Union
Pacific now wishes to get every share
of Oregon Short Line stock into it's pos
session.
With the Oregon Short Line in it's
control and the Oregon Railroad &
Navigation also in it's grasp, the Union
Pacific Will become a transcontinental
line, competing with the Great North
ern and the Northern Pacific for the
Pacific coast business of the country.
When the Union Pacific has secured
control of the Short Line it is probable
that the Ogden gateway will be closed.
The roads running from Omaha south
of the Union Pacific to Denver, Salt
Lake City and up to Ogden, are now
able to get much freight business des-
tined for Portland via the Short Line,
which they carry at reduced rates, thus
depriving the Union Pacific of the haul
between Omaha and Ogden. The traffic
agreements between the Short Line and
the pirate roads will undoubtedly be
quickly terminated and the Union Pa
cific will get the benefit of the haul, of
which it is now deprived. This is bound
to be serious loss to the Denver-Salt
Lake lines"
Pre-emnently the greatest feature of
the year 1898 of the American railroad
world has been the enormous and phe-
nomenal earnings. The year 1897 was
record breaker, earnings for the first
six months being ordinary but for the
last half of the year SO great as to lift
the twelvemonth period above any
year in the history of the carrier in
dustry in this country. Yet to Dec 1,
1898, 5,7S3 miles less of track and five
railroads less have reported an increase
over the earnings of 1897 of nearly
$9,oOOOO0. These figures come from 119
railroads, having an aggregate of 93,621
miles of track. There are in the United
States 230 roads which make monthly
financial reports, and these have a to-
tai of about $4,000 miles of track 1t
will be seen. therefore, that the $4S6,S19,-
995 which these roads report as their
gross earnings for II months of 1898
represent only about one-half of the
roads and one-half of the mileage.
Their increase of $39. 49,, 37S in gross
earnings over the first II months of 1897
will not be doubled when the other half
of the roads have filed their reports
nor Will the month of December bring
the total up to double that figure, but
it is expected that it will be increased
% per cent. If this expectation be re-
allied the increase in gross earnings
of 1898 over 1897 will be $49, 390,472
In order to appreciate the full extent
of the earnings of 1885, however, it is
necessary to compare them with those
of recent years. Comparisons here
given are for practically the same mile
age and for the first II months of the
years given. Gross earnings of 1898
were $92,290,657 greater than for 1894
Gross earnings for 1898 We're ST., 1871, O20 |
greater than for 1896 Gross earnings
for 1895 were $3l. los, 241 greater than for
1896.
The exact mileage, exact totals of
gross earnings and the exact increases
OF each year over the previous IL |
months are here shown:
Number Gross
roads. Mileage. earnings Increase, |
1894 ..1S0 1854 $436, 176, 239 1852 S26, a79 |
1895 ...121 $3.50 455, 4s9.O09 q. 573,S58 |
1896 ...121 92,7s7 43O, 969, 499 S,356,137 |
1897 1o4 90 401 Asa OF o1ol