The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-12
ANGLING FOR MILLIONS.
Litigants Who Hope to Win Some
thing From the Huntington Estate.

New York, April Elm my letter a few
days ago l referred to the suit of Mr.. G.
Emily Reynolds, of Washington, against
the Huntington estate and the motion
made last Friday for the immediate filing
of the appraisers inventory of the estate.
A suit similar to this was brought last
year by an Englishman named MorShead
and was dismissed by Surrogate Thomas
on the ground that since there was no
evidence to prove that Morshead was
creditor of the estate-which the eXecu-
tors formally and emphatically denied
the Surrogate had no jurisdiction in the
matter. The main point of difference be-
tween the two suits is that Morshead
claimed to own 100 shares, while Mrs
Reynolds is the owner of only ten of the
Central Pacific Railroad stock, concerning
which both charged fraud and collusion in
the making and carrying out of construc-
ton contracts
Surrogate Fitzgerald was inclined last
Friday to deny the present application on
the ground set forth in Surrogate Thomas
elaborate decision. but yielded to the
pleadings of the petitioners to be allowed
to submit briefs, and these briefs are to
be submitted today. The matter. there
fore, now awaits the decision of the Sur
rogate, which it is to be hoped will be
promptly rendered and do a great deal of
good in stopping the bringing of useless
and expensive law suits
The Central Pacific Railroad was built
by Huntington and his associates, Hop
kins. Crocker and Sanford and few other
strong business men of California, who
had amassed fortunes in their various oc-
cupations and We're bold enough to risk
them in a scheme to connect the East and
the. West by pioneer railroad over the
Sierra Nevada Mountains From their
connection with the construction company
which actually built the lines arose many
years afterwards the claims of certain dis
appointed stockholders or alleged stock
holders that there had been collusion and
fraud in making these construction con-
tracts These men and their associates
were laughed at because of their foolhar-
diness in trying to put a railroad line over
the high mountain ranges and the almost
painless plains and deserts that then lay
like an ocean between the Mississippi and
the Golden Gate and Huntington was
dubbed Pacific Railroad Crazy because
of his enthusiastic faith in the venture.
He and his associates triumphed. how
ever. overcoming all obstacles and the
Union and Central Pacific railroads be-
came facts.
In the case of the present plaintiff Il
is interesting to note that she did not
acquire her stock until three years after
President Cleveland's commission appoint
ed by congress in 1857 to investigate the
affairs of the Central Pacific had made
their widely published report. 1t was
shown that the contracts termed collu-
sive and fraudulent and all acts and pro-
ceedings under them had been ratified,
approved and confirmed by the stockhold-
ers without a dissenting voice and that
the profits made in construction were
only reasonable in view OF the risks as
sumed.''
Mr. Huntington used TO be amused at
these law suits. and when Morshead in
1897 or 1895 made an outbreak in the Eng
hsh newspapers attacking Huntington
savagely the latter laughed and COM
/ mented on IL with remark better un-
Gerstood in London than here; If Mors-
head can get any satisfaction out Of such
things il is all right. l don't mind They
don't iniure me and may be they will
keep Morshead from thinking of certain
things that are more harmful TO him than
law suits" The policy OF the executors
OF his estate seems 10 be like his own
that is. TO have everything brought out
into the open and threshsd over as they
have already been threShed over many
times. JOHN AARTHoE.