The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-17
TALK OF UNION DEPOT
Some People Think Butte May
Get One Yet.
THERE OUGHT TO BE ONE
All the Gossip OF the Railroads-What
Is Being Done In Building New
Lines and Improving Old
Ones

the great need of a union depot for this
city. There was at that time also an
organization Of business men known as
the Butte City Board of Trade, If the
memory Of the Oldest inhabitant
serves him right, and the organization
took up the question of union depot
with avidity, and then let it die a slow
and tortuous death. Subsequently the
need of union depot became greater
and few other important public CUES
tons came to the surface. "A few pup
lie spirited men got together anna
organized chamber of commerce and
several score Of business men were en-
rolled as members and subscribed GER
tain monthly dues; salaried secretary
was elected and union depot conf
nittee was appointed and then the
chamber OF commerce died, ana the
needs of some decent railway station
has become daily more apparent until
at present Buttes accommodations, or
rather the lack of them, in that re-
spect, are a disgrace and shame to the
city. There are at present four de-
pots in Butte and aside from the little
station of the Butte, Anaconda & Pa
cific, there is not one of them that any
man would be willing to use for hous-
ing a valuable COW. The depot used
by the Northern Pacific and Oregon
Short Line is shack that cannot be
duplicated anywhere else on earth IN
q city OF the size and Importance OF
Butte The Great Northern and
Northern Pacific local depots are of the
same character, possibly worse. Inc
city of Butte has the appearance OF
place of $4,000 or 10000 people and
claim is made and conceded that 1t
has a population of $4,000 to $1,000; its
railroad business Is not equaled by
any other city of that size in the Unit
ed States, and it would seem that the
railroad companies might do better by
the city than they have done. 1t has,
In fact, recently been stated that sew
eral of the companies could, with little
effort. have been induced to join in
union depot project. A union depot
company could be organized. and there
Is little doubt that the railroads would
now be willing to enter into satlstac-
tory arrangements to use union sta
ton.
Great significance is attached by
railroad men to the joint call issued
by the Santa Fe and the Southern Pa
eific roads for a conference OF the
transcontinental lines on the Califor-
mia passenger situation to be held IN
Chicago next Tuesday. The opinion Is
unanimously held that before the de-
cision was reached to Issue the joint
call the two roads issuing 1t had form
ed some kind of a compact between
business and how it should be handed.
If this opinion Is correct the two roads
named will be able to occupy the POSI-
ton of dctators in all matters con-
corning traffic into and out OF Cailior-
MIA They control the SITUATION mere mere
absolutely They are the only roads
owning lines in the state, and without
their consent no other road can DO
business In the state So long as they
act in harmony and support the same
policy in traffic the other roads can dc
nothing burt sumbit to whatever terms
they be pleased to lay down.
When it was first announced that me
Santa Fe had secured an independent
entrance into San Fra ncisco there was
great rejoicing at the thought the mo-
nopoly held so lonG by the Southern
Pacific was about to be broken. 1t was
not long, however, before hints began
to be given that those who tnought sc
were reckoning without their host, and
that there was every likelihood OF thF
monopoly being stronger ana more
oppressive than ever. The united cal
which has Just been issued mas seffeo
10 confirm many IN that OPINION: - AZ
certain that the Southern PACING mas
on several occasions within the las
few months adopted heroic methods
to have rates maintained out OF SAL
Francisco. 1t has even gone so far al
TO turn the tickets of certain ROADS te
the wall until they had given guaran
tees of their intention to malntal'
rates, 1t would hardly have Nentuf"c
TO adopt these extreme measures haf
Al not been assured Of the support .
the Santa Fe. With these tw" ROADS
acting together SUCCESSFUL war II
California rates will be Impossible
Horace G. Burt, president or the
Union Pacific railroad. says that hi
visit to New York is solely for the pur'
pose of comforting with the directors
regarding proposed improvements. -
is probable that he Will submit specili,
plans for certain things ana Will ASH
for authority to proceed with the work
President Burt says that he knows
nothing Of any scheme for the LEASING
OF the Union Pacific to the Chicago q
Northwestern. With regard to the re
lations between the Union Pacihc ahe
the Illinois Central in Omaha, Presi
dent Burt says that there will be al
Interchange Of traffic. Officers of thu
other Omaha lines are in the dark re
gardng the effect of the closer rela
tions between the Union Pacific and II
linois Central. There Is general dis
position to regard the situation as NOR
threatening to Chicago, Burlington 4
Quincy and the st. Paul roads than t.
the Chicago & Northwestern. Certain
strong financial interests, 1t is polnte
out, are about equally influential in tn
Union PaeiHC ana lfle NoI III "eS tel
properties:
Another authority on the situation
quoted as follows:
1T is time to deny that persistent ~
NOR about the Northwestern leesln
the Union Pacific. There Is absolutel
no truth in it: no foundation for i
While the Union Pacitic-Northwester
relations might become closer, no NOV
In this direction is being made at tn
time President Burt is now In Ne
York. This meeting this morning Taste
about five minutes. There Is nothin
new in the Union Pacific situation a
fer as the Northwestern is concerned
Our business has been quite satf
factory, like that of other lines in II
Northwest We have got our shar
though probably no more relatiyeI
than our share. I do not want to al
ttcipate the future, but see no reasc
why our prosperity should not keep u
The Omaha's decrease recently is pro'
ably expiained by the fact that Il yee