Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-03-29
RAILROAD FIGHT
FOR SUPREMACY
Western and Southern Equally
Divide Midland Securities,
D. &R. G. TO BUILD TO OGDEN
Ifit Fails In Getting Control Of the
Rio Grnnde Westcrn-Cau-
uous Moves.

The formation OF the strongest ALL
anee Of railroads in the West viii be
followed by battle Of the giants. A
premature announcement In New York
OF the card up the Rio Grande's sleeve
has already caused the common and
preferred stock OF the Rio Grande TO ad-
vance In London and New York. II Will
DO year before the ehort line to the
Midland tracks from South Platte sta
ton on the Colorado & Southern Is COM
ple;ed. and in that time, many matters
Il may be OF sensational import. will
occur.
The Colorado Midland will be operated
by the Colorado 4 Southern and that
road. with the Rio Grande Western. viii
Jointly own Il. As two competing lines
In the State OF Colorado cannot consoli-
date, the Midland viii be operated as
separate company on the same prlnci-
pie az the Fort Worth e Denver City,
which although portion Of the Colo
RADIO & Southern system, must be main
talned In Texas as q separate corpora
tion. Mr. Trumbull is president Of both
roads and Il 10 said, viii be president
OF the Midland
The hnanciers who have engineered
the deal have made an equal division Of
Midland securities. II Is reported. 1.-The
Colorado & Southern taking half and
the Rio Grande Western Construction
company the other half. The Cripple
Creek Short line will be pushed for
ward as a broad gauge line al once. and
q third rail viii be laid on the present
narrow gauge South Park line from
Denver 20 South Platte. The work will
be easy 10 Platte Canyon station. For
ten miles from Platte Canyon station TO
South Platte the road Is built out from
the eide OF the canyon, the track being
walled up from the river. Chief EngI-
neer Cowan has been over the line and
the work Of extending the grade by an
other wall OF rock Will be rushed
through this summer--with the Midland
connection broad gauge line. from
Denver 10 ogden, 100 miles shorter than
any now IN use. This will reduce the
running time between the two points
over two hours. Through service from
Chicago and the Gulf win be started on
its completion. and the western road
making the best arrangements viii be
given the preference.
Owning a portion OF the Colorado
Midland, the Rio Grande Western will
naturally throw the bulk, II not all, OF
It's business TO the Colorado 4 Southern,
thus dcprlvlng the Denver & Rio
Grande Of a great percentage Of It's
present business. II il no secret that
General William Palmer, president OF
the Rio Grande Western, and u. c.
Dodge, general manager, are not In
brotherly accord with the Rio Grande
management. and the Rio Grandc was
put Into receivership by the Western
sixteen years ago. The courts had 10
be resorted 20 before the Rio Grande
rellnquished Ste hold on the Western.
II was reported In New York that the
Rio Grande would consolidate with q
connecting line Instead OF this. how
ever, II Is now believed the Rio Grande
interests are after the Western and
aiming to control Il. IL II cannot be
bought. the Rio Grande will build Its
own line into Ogden.
On this aspect OF the struggle that IL
brewing, General Manager Dodge OF the
Western, talks very cautiously. leaving
the impression that the Western will
treat the Rio Grande as II always has
In the past. for business reasons
President Jeffery Of the Denver & Rio
Grande, refuses TO discuss the matter or
70 divnlge what was the nature OF his
trip TO New York during the pending OF
the negotiations. The Rio Grande has a
great amount Of money behind Il. and
has made many millions by monopolz-
Ing the mountain traffic, turning over 10
the Rio Grande Western 20 per cent OF
the business received from Colorado.
That Il VIII tolerate such combination
as that now formed against Ii, is not
belleyed.--Denver Post.