The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-15

Portland Demands Consideration
Which Hill Will Give if Har-
riman Doesn't.
The Latter Credited With Plans
Soon to Have Seattle
Outlet.

Outlet.
Special to The Journal.
New York, May 15.-The railroad stu
ntion of the far west is very puzzling to
Wall street The position of F.. H. Har-
rinan is especial cause for a great deal
of speculation. and is leading to some I'M
easiness on the part Of those who hold
the securities Of the lines in his system.
A great deal of emphasis has lately been
laid upon the fact that he is fast letting
go various parts of his railroad lines In
the south. and is apparently devoting all
his efforts to the upbuilding of Union
Pacific traffic.
There is not the least doubt in Wall
street that the gulf supremacy of South
ern Pacific is fast passing away. 1t passes
to the Rock Island company. The Frisco
deal, just completed, serves to emphasize
this fact, and Mr.. Hartman does not seem
to be making any great effort to check
this loss of traffic. Wall street is be-
coming decidedly uneasy. The statement
of Mr.. Keene that e. H Hartman is look
ing for a good chance to get rid Of the
whole Southern Pacific system, with the
exception Of Central Pacific Is now viewed
in very different light than that in which
1t was regarded when it made.
The way Wall street looks at it Is that
Mr.. Hartman intends to cultivate the
northern ports hereafter and to bid for
the traffic of Puget sound thru the Spo-
kane gateway and originate a new local
railroad territory for himself in Oregon
by means of network of lines tapping
every region of that state where business
is to be found. The reason for this belief
is partly that he Is letting go his southern
lines, partly that almost all the improve"
ments being carried on on Southern Pa
cifc are on the Central Pacific division,
and is partly also to be found in the fact
that the people who usually talk pretty
freely about Mr.. Harrimans plans abso-
lutely refuse to tell why he Is this year
spending so much time In the northwest
and so little in the southwest.
Demands Of Portland.
The fact of the matter is that Portland
is vociferously demanding better treatment
at the hands of the railroads. The bust
ness interests of Portland recognize the
fact that the city should no longer play
a second part to San Francisco as an ex-
port point, and they demand that Mr..
Hartman recognize the justice Of their
claim. The demand would probably not
be answered were 1T not for the fact that
Mr. Hill and another railroad Interest are
quite willing to do for Portland whatever
Mr.. Hartman refuses to do. In the light
of this fact it is very probable that within
q reasonable time a good deal more Of
the Hartman business for the far east
will find it's way thru Portland than has
been the case in the past. 4
Moreover, government trade returns for
the past two years show beyond ques-
ton that the northern route has drawn
the traffic from the southern ports. The
lines of Northern Securities since the for
nation of that company have made these
ports great points of export and OF I'M
port Everything seems to indicate that
the trend Of traffic in this direction will
be continued and if it is Mr.. Hartman
" f~11-
It is believed that within short time
Mr. Hartman will be operating an east
4 and west line between SpoiAne and
Seattle, and will be in a position to com
pete with the Eill lines in supplying the
export trade at the latter point.
Atchlsons Working North
Atchison is also working it's way north
ward The latest move Of this company
is the incorporation Of a subsidiary COM
pany to create a new coast line in Cali
fornia from San Francisco to Eureka,
more than half way to Portland. This
move, of course, threatens the north and
south traffic hitherto belonging exclu-
sively to Southern Pacific There are
constant rumors that Atchison intends to
put on the Pacific a fleet of steamers to
compete with existing lines for oriental
traffic While these rumors are uncon-
frmed and appear in fact to be unfounded
their constant reiteration serves to COM
pllcate the situation in the far west
There are rurnors also of lines being built
from Oregon down into California, posi-
bly to meet the Atchison lines In the vi
cinity of Eureka and make with them a
complete system in opposition to the Har-
rirnan lines. These rumors attribute the
project to Mr.. Hill, but no one has yet
been found who will officially confirm
the statement and Mr.. Hill intends tc
enter California.
Local Lines as Factors
In the midst of these many changes
and new projects Wall street does no.
lose sight of the fact that there are hal
a dozen small and apparently small loca
lines in that territory that may or ma,
not prove factors in the situation. co
lunbia & Southern is one of them. Thu
projected Eureka & Eastern is anothe
and very important one. During the pas
week the principal attorney for this prof
ect stated that it had not been by an.
M means abandoned and he believed i
would ultimately be carried thru almos
exactly as originally designed. but Woul
probably not be backed by the same in
terests that were expected. to stand be
hind it in the first place. 1t is. quite pos
sible that he meant that Atchison wi
now become the hacker of the line in plac
of E.. H. Hartman who was formerl
expected to carry it thru. The fact y
Atchison is now building into Eurek
from the south, ana apparently plans
make that port an important factor i
coast wise and trans Pacific trade lend
color to this theory. The attorney i
question refuses to explain himself, Blu
states that before the end of the sum
ner something much more definite is t
be expected.
Wall street in its present pessimisti
mood does not view these projects wit
any great enthusiasm 1t feels that tn
thing Is being overdone. The Wall stree
man who has never been in the far ives
quite fails to understand the railroa
possibilities of that region. He cannc
understand, for instance, how Atchiso
can run line up the Pacific coast with
out threatening seriously the prosperit
of Southern Pacific.
DOODLE IN MASSACHUSETTS.
Boston, May 15.--The charges of corruptio
which originally appeared in advertisement
published in local paper over the signature 9
George j. Raymond. Boston merchant swer
repeated at the statehouse when. before specit
committee appointed by the senate, Raymon
publicly accused Senator Foster. of Gloucester
of having approached him with an offer to tse
through 3 certain legislation upon the receipt 9