The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-12-01
WILL BUILD TO COAST
Chicago and Northwestern PROPOSED
Extension viii Bring on Big
Fight With Rivals.

ciic coast. This is the belief Of rail-
road officials, based upon the announce
ment of the formation of the Wyoming
and Northwestern railroad. whose cap
ital stock is owned by the Chicago and
Northwestern. 1t is admitted that the
terminus of the system at Casper,
Wyo, Is the base OF extensions, for
which new contracts are now being let.
The main line will run due west 200
miles TO Lander, Amos at the summit
of the continental divide. Lander is
on q triangle with Ogden and Pocatello.
The former is the connecting point of
the Union Pacific : d Oregon short
lines with the Central Pacific, and the
terminus of the most western of the
Gould lines, the Denver and Ria
Grande; the other point of the triangle
is the junction of the oregon Shor-
Line and is branch or division to Butta
Helena. From Casper TO Lander
there is nothing but broken, arid cour.
try covered with sage brush and littla
or no traffic to be developed.
Part of the plan includes an extern
sion northWard midway between Gag
per and Lander to Thermopolis on thu:
Big Horn and the ShoShoue reserve
ton. This country affords an outlet
farther north with the Northern Pa
cific in the Butte and Helena region.
Fortifying for Fight With Rivals.
ii ciiNIilS VI liANNN- 10 ~
garded as developing of The best
strategic positions in the American
railroad world ny the Northwestern
system. The renewal of the fight be-
tween the Hill and Hartman interests
through the Northern Securities break
up brings the trallscontinental var
back to the stage it was in prior to the
coups of both interests which ended in
the alleged community OF interests deal
whereby the Northern Pacific and
Great Northern on one side and the
Union Pacific on the other jointly con-
trolled the Burlington. Part of that
community OF interest settlement held
the Northwestern to its present terri
tory and it's progress toward the coast,
which began to take form in the latter"
COS, was to stop at Casper.
From Lander it can threaten Union
Pacific and II necessary build tc Ogden
claim its share of the traffic hat
centers there, a traffic that will be IN
creased largely when the San Pedro and
Los Angeles line is completed. II is a
comparatively easy matter to build
through to Pocatello and claim traffic
at hat junction point or. project its
lines into the ricn agricultural regions
of Oregon and send out spurs to Port
land and San Francisco. From Their
mopolis it car tap the Northern Pacific
or c it's share of the Montana
mining, agricultural n live stock
traffic, reaching up to Washington for
the lumber trade.
For four years the building of the
Chicago and Northwestern to the Pa
cif1c has given concern to transconti-
mental lines. Prior to the Hill and Har-
rirnan treaty the railroad world antici-
pated these extensions and leading
, %fnanciers were favorable to The plan.
1T is Il matter of general information
arnong railroad officials that the Bur-
lington deal was an injury to North
| western. and hat after the first year
of operation there was a demand for a
larger share of business n this vas
given. But with the reopening of the
old fight and the possibility that the
Hartman people will come in control OF
the Northern Pacific in the distrjbu-
ton of the assets Of the Securities com
pany the shadow OF trouble extends
over the community Of interests plan
and Northwestern is preparing to X
its share of the business or it will EN-,
leavor to take the business.
Move Is an Important One.
A glance at the map of the middle
trans-Missouri region shows the i'm,
portance of the move now being made
by the Northwestern. Lander is the
key to the situation. The present ter
minus at Casper is eighty miles west
of a line projected north from Denver
| 2. IluNl& btlBlSS llIG company
striking distarce of the fighting ground
west of the Rockies. The San Pedro
and Los Angeles line connects with thu
iOregon Short line in central Utah
Within a few miles of this connection
the Gould interests Join The Denver ant
Rio Grande with the Western Pacific
now building. All have Ogden as tlei
base.
Northwestern by entering Ogden
land it is admitted that there will be
line from Lander TO that place-wi:
offer a shorter line from Chicago t.
points on the Pacific coast than an,
of the other lines. Extending ives
from Lander to Pocatello, it will hrin;
Portland and the entire Oregon AM
Washington region ten hours closer t
Chicago and the east than any othe
line.
The ability of the Chicago and North
western to finance it's extensions is I'm
questioned. Its present earnings ar
double it's dividend requirements. /
could pay the interest ON any bonds re
quired to extend to the coast or inter
mediate points and continue its diVi
dem rates. 1t could sell new stock TO
the cost of the extensions. inclUdin
equipment, and maintain present rate!
It is. all things considered, the riches
American railroad, with less betlGe
and stock Indebtedness to the mile tina
any of the high-class paying roads.
In a Position to Dictate Terms.
1t is significant that Vanderbilt an
Rockefeller interests are in control 3
the Chicago and Northwestern and tlla
both demand and generally secur
peace in the railroad field. and in n
newed hostilities between Hill Hal
riman these great finanaial Interest
will force a settlement by using Norti
western as the rod.
Instead of either one or the pthe
commanding the growing busifaes
across the continent the Norfnwestag
Will occupy the middle field, taking 81
increase and compel the otllers cof
tinue along their present line
Conferences between oisiaMesar
officials and vanderbilt SopaSefeflen
feregts have been held faceslsiw sml Ne:
York nj when the 3sfaasadfs1
IL Northern Paelsic ina6e Isl EaFr
aR HIS asistre al the EAosls
ataH Northern eaaHie
MSy0liing aad NORTHWESTERN HE'S.
ceiapan 9sa T
aSssFsA
Inconsistencies Nia III faa