Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-01

reference. Mr.. Ridwell was busy writing
TO President Hughitt and trying to catch
the 3 O'Clock train for a return trip 20 Mo
brara. But Il was $50 that evening before
the special pulled out from Webster street
depot-hsving been kept hot there ready TO
start at any moment, with all trafhc be-
tween Omaha and Fremont blockaded from
3 TO $50, when the dispatcher was re-
lieved Of a tremendous burden. as he after
ward informed Fry. At $3.50 we left on the
special for Verdigris at fifty miles an hour.
Mr.. Bidwell that morning, upon reach
ing Fremont. remarked hat he had for once
escaped the newspapers. Fry, being a
newspaper man. took time to 60 up to The
Bee building. where he saw Charley Best
and asked him II he was prepared for 8
beat, and then II was that The Bee sur
prised its readers with a big piece OF news
for its last afternoon edition. Taking Il up
10 Mr.. BidwelTs office. where we were yet
hard al work arranging our Affairs, Fry re-
marked TO Mr.. Bidwell. The newspapers
caught you this time When reference was
made by The Bee about the Niobrara, Mis-
souri, River & Western railroad being the
cause Of his extension. Mr.. Bidwelrs pride
was considerably touched. and he remarked
that that's not so,' Fry had a twinkle in
his eye and we exchanged winks, but said
nothing. But on our return home Mr.. Bid
well here and these dropped sons secrets
which were not intended. The Chicago,
Milwaukee & ST. Paul, which Is opposite
NiobrarR, was the greatest bugaboo he had
on his mind. and il was thought we were in
close alliance with that great system in
our scheme to build a railroad. II is not
saying but that this may have resulted to
the M~ilwaukee's advantage had the Elkhorn
not stepped in. We held the key TO the
situation for the time being and as matters
revealed themselves proved how we'll we
had our organization in hand.
"Two weeks before the Northwestern had
engineers here watching our course. Fry
and / kept our own counsel and the direc-
tory was blind 70 what was going on. hav-
ing confidence in our ability to cope with
the other schemers. So secret, also. was
the Northwestern (under whose exclusive
control the late extension was constructedD
that the engineers who were shipped here
to do the work read their transportation TO
Atkinson and found themselves upon
awakening next morning at verdigris. Mr..
Bidwell said that all this organization to
get in on the ground floor eminated from
Chicago by wire and no time was allowed
for undue delay.
Il therefore say, II is a strange coinci-
dence that Niobrsra unwittingly has re-
tired several high officials and been the
means Of plotting out forever the name Of
Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley rail-
road But Niobrara got what Fry and l
started out TO get, and IL anybody thinks
we had no hard shedding they want to place
themselves in a like position. Everything
has gone to show that we proceeded right,
for the great danger that Niobrara felt was
taht instead OF crossing the Niobrara river
at the mouth where it does It would have
crossed at the mouth OF the Verdigris, four
miles south. and engineers who worked on
this extension declare that the Verdigris
crossing was the cheapest and easiest to
maintain. / don't like to see our Elkhorn
o~f1cials stepping out. but we hail the
Northwestern coming in"