Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-04-29
BUSINESS
J. J. Hill Planning to Complete
New Line to the
Gulf.
%" AND GREAT NORTHERN IN IT
Reported il He Has Decided to AntIc-
ipate Completion OF Pam
anna Bill.

Easing their judgment on recent
statements of James j. Hill in, dis
cussing the western railroad situation,
together with developments of the
last fortnight i'm Northern Securities
matters, certain northwestern bust
ness men believe that the Great North
ern and Burlington systems are plan
ming to develop a north and routh line
across the United States, from the
lakes to the gulf. at right angles to its
present system from the lakes to the
Pacific coast.
4 few weeks ago, before the decision
of the Harriman-Pierce action in the
matter of distributing the Northern
Securities assets. Mr.. Hill sent for Il
committee of business men of Sioux
City, which is the most southern point
on the Great Northern system. to go
to st. Paul. He made known to them
that he wanted to acquire important
franchises for building a road through
that city, and that he desired to Sc
cure control of the Union Terminal
company. which owns a valuable ter
minaI system and union depot. Mr..
Hill talked at much length of the inn
portance of north and south system
from lakes TO gulf. He was especially
emphatic in saying that after the Pan
anna canal is opened an increasing pro-
portion of business of the central val
Ieys Will go and come from the south
ern coast.
Gap to he Filled.
Mr.. Hills Great Northern enters
IL,
now deemed safely in his control, goes
from Omaha to Kansas City. There is
Il gap of 90 miles between Omaha and
Sioux City. and a mysterious electric
railroad is being built to fill this gap.
1t is is building with 9O-pound stan
dard steel rails. its hackers are I'M
known. but it has plenty of money.
and * believed by railroad men to be
the Great Northern link.
From Kansas City come persistent
stories that Burlington surveying par
ties are working south Of that city, on
Il route toward the gulf. and that
there * a general belief in that city
that the burlington contemplates such
an extension soon. The latest piece
Of significant news is that the
Union Terminal company of Sioux City
will not renew its lease of accommo-
dations to the Illinois Central. which
expires on May /. This is taken to
mean that Hill has finally bought the
terminal property and does not want
the Illinois Central as Il tenant.
Mr.. Hill was opposed to the Panama
canal for years, believing it would in
iure the transcontinentaI roads; but
ne told the Sioux City committee that
as ii was certain now to be built, he
proposed to get all the benefits he
could from it for his system.
Stock Passes to Iowa.
Live stock shippers in Iowa have sue
ceeded in getting the railroads to re-
consider the action taken six months
ago against granting return passes to-
parties bringing live stock to the Chi
cago market. At Il meeting of the
Iowa railroad commissioners with the
traffic officials of the Iowa lines held
at Chicago. the railroad officials were
shown that their rules imposed Il
hardship on people shipping cattle to-
Chicago and that it tended to divert
the business to other points. The COM
succeeded in convincing
the railroad men. who agreed to grant
return live stock passes.