The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-07
THINK TALE FUNNY
Comment Of Railroad Men on Lat
est M. & St. L. Story.
PURCHASE BY GEORGE GOULD
They Think President Hawley Is
Not Ready to Let Go
Yet.

"Way-up" railway men, who ought to
know why they do 1t, simply smile when
asked for an expert opinion on the report
that the Missouri Pacific is after the Min
neapolis & st. Louis. That the Gould
road might be after the M & St. L. was
real news to the twin city railway officials,
many of whom are skeptical of all reports
from the east to the effect that President
Hawley is even willing to part with the
property. A railway official who ought to
be in a position to know says:
Railway men do not believe any of these
reports about the prospective sale Of either
the Minneapolis & ST.. Louis or the Chicago
Great Western, for the reason that the pres
ent owners of these properties are well
pleased over the showing already made anG
prospects ahead Both are advantageously
situated and there is no reason why each Of
them should rot become not only famous for
their physical condition but for their divi-
dend paying While no one but the men di
rectly interested can tell whether either is
for sale or not there is every reason to
believe they not, and that the numerous
reports of change OF ownership coming from
New York originate with stock brokers who
are anxious to change the featureless tone Of
the stock market. The men who own the MAJ
jority shares Of Minneapolis & St. Louis
and Iowa Central are not selling the stock
in small lots. If they ever let go it will BE-
in big chunk The men who own most of
the Iowa Central believe that they will
realize more cut of the physical betterment
of the road and the consequent increase in its
earning power than by disposing of the
shares on any terms that may be offered now.
President Hawey of both roads has said
repeatedly that he intends to hang to
the properties. There is much evidence in
recent contracts that have been made that
he has not changed his mind. f5
The Missouri-Pac1fic Rumor.
Another railway official discussing the
Missouri Pacific runor says:
| Now this is too sudden. 1t these New
York people continue with their expert opin-
ions along this line we will soon be led to
believe that the Minneapolis & St. Louis is
the choice morsel which all of the railroads
| in the country seek to swallow. 1t has been
| supposed by men who thought they under
| stood the railway situation that George Gould
and his officials had their hands full in the
| southwest. No northwestern railway man
will care to concede that the Missouri Pa
| cifc wants anything in the northwest
Hitherto the railroads which were reported
! ready to buy the Minneapolis & St. Louis
were roads connecting with that line. But
| this is new one The Missouri Pacific is
some distance from the road it is alleged to
| be after, and traffic men are unable to figure
| where the advantage in such a purchase
| would lie With this multiplicity of rumors
concerning the Minneapolis & st. Louis you
must permit us fellows who are not on the
\ inside in Wall street to fall back upon the
Illinois Central report as the one which by
virtue Of its hoary age is must entitled to
our respect The report that the Rock Island
has designs on the Minneapolis & st. Louis,
while owning 70 per cent of the stock of the
Burlington Cedar Rapids & Northern which
is building into the twin cities, and this Mis-
souri, Pacific report, we regard as interlopers
| OF course with very fine traffic arrangement
| between the two roads which saves the ILL
nois Central the trouble of building into the
| twin cities and the Minneapolis & st. Louis
! the trouble of building to the Missouri river
| it is hard to see what foundation there is
for such report at xthe present time, blu,
| many wise things come out of Wall street.