Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-11
IMMIGRANT BUREAU REMAINS
Mr.. LOmax Tells Why Union Pacific With
drew from Organization.
FIXING UP ROAOBED INTO UNION STATION
Underground Piping Being Put In tS
Drain Flow from Old Artesian
Well Into the Mis-
souri, River.

General Passenger Agent E. L. Lomax Of
the Union Pacific, who has Just returned
from the east, where he has been for sew
eral weeks on official business, brings
different reports from the immigration
bureau from those which have been going
the rounds since the withdrawal Of the
Union Pacific from that organization. Mr..
Lomax emphatically denies the persistent
statements that the bureau has collapsed or
that 1t is in any imminent danger OF doing
so.
THE bureau was COMPOSED Of about
thirty-hve representative roads and its
strength or durability was not menaced by
the withdrawal of the Rock Island and the
Union Pacific, notwithstanding they were
two Of the most important members Of the
bureau and their withdrawal subtracted
material strength. 1t will continue to do
business as 1t did in the past.
9TH Union Pacific will make no special
effort to get immigrant business. AS a
matter of fact we do not anticipate that
the bureau will allow us to get much Of
this sort OF trafic since we are out of the
organization. Nor is there any special
anxiety on our part for this traffic under
present conditions. We got out of the
ia a. u "a INV NhCA " SNfNb1Ne 49,
posed by membership in the association
and what we considered an unfair division
Of percentages, and l suppose the same
causes actuated the Rock Island. but as to
that l do not pretend to speak definitely.
1.-THE immigrant business is not what It
was before and when the bureau was or
ganized. After the thirty-Hve roads formed
this association and the trafhc was divided
among them 1t made a very trivial part
for each, too trihing, in fact, to warrant
the payment of the heavy expense i'm
posed upon the members. At least this
was our view Of the case. The Union Pa
cihc by all odds led in the immigrant trafic
before this bureau was established and,
while we are not concerned over the bust
ness nov, there will always be a certain
proportion Of it that will have to come our
way"
Mr.. Lomax says both the Great Northern
and Northern Pacific are now LENDERS of
this bureau. For some time after the or
ganization Of the association, in fact until
recently. the Hill lines were not actually
members, although they observed most of
the conditions of the contract by some
tacit agreement with the other lines and
the effect was practically the same as II
they had been members. Their actual
Identification, however, with the bureau
gives it some additional strength, is these
roads hold the key to the situation IN the
northwest.
Mr.. Lomax will leave in a day or two for
the west, making a thorough and extended
trip over the Union Pacific system.
No More LandsIides.
Conditions along the Union Pacific en-
bankment between the Union station and
Nka ~l,vAr Ar41-o -hA-, 1000
No more serious landslides have occurred
and some progress is being made In drain
ing the water from the filling, although no
effort has yet been made at filling in the
great depression which took out the three
sets of tracks.
Underground piping is to be laid 80 as
TO connect with the main stream from the
old artesian we'll and carry the water off
into the river. Superficial water fumes
have already been placed In operation to
drain the moisture from the embankment
in other places and prevent further col
lapse. The ground is still very soggy.
While the bottoms near the tracks are
pretty we'll under water and one spur track
leading back towar the Thomson-Houston
electric plant is submerged in places, rem
dering it useless for the present, the river
has not yet overlooked its banks nor shown
any indications Of it. In fact, the Mis-
souri, is not so unusually high for the
amount Of rain that has fallen. Its regis
tration yesterday morning was 11.6. The
water In the bottoms is from the rains.
Trains More Regular.
Trains are running with more regularity
yesterday than for several days. The Rock
Island road is still unable to use its tracks
west into Omaha, but all serious obstacles
will be out OF the way, II is said, within a
few days, and the road will resume normal
operation of all its trains. From the east
Rock Island trains are arriving in good
shape. The passenger traffic Just now is
exceptionally heavy at both the Burlington
and Union stations.
Burlington to Butte.
The Burlington has changed it's north
western route over the Northern Pacific.
Instead OF running its trains into Helena,
as has been the custom heretofore, II sends
them into Butte, with connections with the
trains from Helena. Butte being about
three times the size of Helena the Burling-
ton figures that its business will be in
creased to this extent by the change. The
change went into effect Sunday.
Railway Notes and Personals.
w. E. Melville Of st. Louis, northwest
agent of the Frisco, is in the city, having
come over from Des Moines.
George A. McNutt OF Kansas City, dis
trict passenger agent for the Missouri,
Kansas & Texas. is in Omaha on Oficiai
business.
Many of the local railroad men will go
to st. Joseph Saturday to attend the an
nuaI outing OF the Kansas City Railroad
club. The club and its guests will be en-
tertained at noon lunch by the 81. Joseph
stock yards men and at 8 o'clock by the
| Lotus club.