The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-07
GIGANTICRAILWAYWAR
WESTERN COMPANIES IN HUsTLING
ROAD-BUILDING CONTEST.
Laying 1850 Miles Of Track-Harriman. HiIl
and Northwestern Systems I'm Lively
Fight for Transcontinental Traf-
fic--Fourth Line May John.

Omaha, Neb Special to Chicago Record
The most gigantic railroad building war
the world has even known has opened up
IN the transit Missouri country and three
cornered fight between powerful companies.
with fourth skrmishing on the outskirts
of the struggle. is in progress. The finan-
cial forces and master minds back OF the
Union Pacific and other Hartman railroads.
the Burlington and other Hill lines. and
the Northwestern Railroad are the three
great corporations which are fighting. The
Milwaukee system is waiting on the edge
| 70 the time when it may enter the battle.
The price for which these great railroads
are fighting is the trans-continentai traffic
Of a great nation. as we'll the freight
from the great iron. coal and other mines
Of wyoming and tho herds from the prairiss
of the Western States.
Between Omaha and salt Lake City the
battle will be fought. and the battle ground
reaches entirely from the Missouri to Great
Salt Lake Railroad construction will be
carried along the whole way and lines
which are already announced as being
under construction aggregate nearly z.5OV
miles OF tracks.
When the smoke of battle clears away
and all the lines are constructed. the fol-
lowing changes on the railroad map win
be seen: The Union Pacific will be In
Sioux City and will have trackage agree
ments. II not an actual road. INTO Chicago,
and will have built 500 miles Of new tracks
in western Nebraska and Wyoming. The
u
City. a line from the Big Horn Basin Of
Wyoming. a line I'D tho North Platte VAL
ley In Nebraska and numerous feeder"
lines in both States: the Northwestern Will
have line through from Chicago to Salt
Lake City and will be independent OF Union
Pacific and will have at least one and
probably two lines in Denver; Colorado d
Southern will have retired from the
Wyoming field altogether: Illinois Central
may have disposed of Its lines west of Chi
cago to Union Pacific. and Milwaukee may
start for the coast. despite depials of Presis
dent Miller.
The Northwestern started the row by
building into central Wyoming and from
thence planning line to Salt Lake City.
With line 1900 miles westward from Chs
cago. the managers Of the Northwestern de-
cided It was better to build another 500
miles east and have q 1.500-mile through
line. rather than a 1.20o-mile local line.
Last week the Burlington entered the
fight, throwing bombshell into the railroad
camp by announcing new line from It's
Nebraska terminus to Salt Lake City. to-
gether with numerous feeder lines in Me-
braska and wyoming. This was q direct
invasion of Union Pacific territory. as well
as an invasion OF territory through which
the Northwestern Is building In Wyoming.
But the Union Pacific accepted the chal-
lenge promptly and within twelve hours
from the time Of the Burlington announce
ment, Union Pacific had let contract for
the building of 200 miles of road parallelin6
the Nebraska portion OF the Burlington's
new line And in thir3y-six hours from that
time four train-loads of building materials
left the yards In Omaha. en- route to North
Platte Neb.. to begn work on the Union
Pacific's competing line.
Rumors are that Union Pacific will either
purchase the western lines of Illinois
Central or acquire Chicago Great Western.
thus getting into Chicago and Minneapolis
and st. Paul on its own tracks.
Meanwhile the Milwaukee. which II
building competing line to Northwestern
from Chamberlain. S. D.. to the Black Hills.
is accused of making all preparations for
a dash to the Pacific Northwest.