Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-04-24

Presldent Z, Ripley will retire from
the offic, family of The Santa Fe
railroad Th., rumor has been reit.
Grated wa such persistency during
the past ( p,onths that 1t has been
given consil rable credence, says the
Topeka STATE journal.
The report was again talked In Chi.
cago yesterday and It is said that Geo,
b. Harris, who Is now with the Bur.
llngton railroad will succeed Mr.. Rip.
ley.
II Is expected that Mr.. Harris will
retire from the presidency of the Bur.
lington railroad because J. J. Hill
wants him 10 Since Hill acquired
control Of IN Burlington, Darius Mills
has been first vice.president In charge
OF traffic, and Daniel Willard has been
second vice-president in charge Of OPP
Grafton. The appointment Of Mr.. vii.
lard was made despite the opposition
OF President Harris, who insisted that
F. A. Delano, then general manager,
should be promoted because Of his
long service with the company and his
demonstrated ability.
A number of surprising changes
have just occurred on several of the
big railway systems, and still others
are said to be pending.
On the Santa FEE the slate" made
recently has been broken. +. d. Ken
ma has withdrawn his resignation as
first vice-president and will continue
to hold that position.
When he resigned, the plan was to
have Paul Morton, now secretary of
the navy, return and take charge Of
traffic. J. w. Kendrick, who is third
vice-president in charge of operation.
was to be made second vice-president,
and the position of third v~ice-presi-
dent abolished.
Why the plan approved two months
ago has been changed is kept a state
secret al Santa Fe headquarters. A
day or two ago Mr.. Morton stated that
he did not intend to return TO the
Santa Fe railroad, and would not en-
gage in the railroad business after he
left the cabinet.
Further than this Mr.. Morton has
moi revealed his plans. 1t will cause
little surprise If he becomes actively
interested in the construction of the
Panama canal. 1t was mainly upon
his recommendation that his intimate
friend and associate in a number of
business enterprises, Theodore p.
Shonts, was appointed chairman of the
Panama canal commission by Presi-
dent Roosevelt.
John F. Stevens, who became vice
president of the Rock Island system,
in charge Of operation, during the re-
gime of G. H. Warren, has rendered
his resignation, and II. U. Nudge has
been appointed his successor. For
several years Mr.. Nudge has been gen
eral manager of the Santa PC system,
with headquarters al Topeka.
Mr.. stevens retirement leaves no
person in a high place on the Rock
Island system who was appointed by
G. II. Warren, who has disappeared
completely from the railway world
since his sudden resignation as first
vice-president. Mr.. Nudge goes TO the
Rock Island May /.
Since Mr.. Mudge's resignation on
the Santa Fe to become second vice
able gossip which had been kept pref
ty quiet till that time, has broken out.
1t is now said that there was consider
able friction between General Mana
ger Nudge and Third Vice-President
j. w. Kendrick in regard to the atti-
tude taken by the company in the ma
chinists' strike.
1t is currently rumored that Mr..
Nudge does not approve of the policy
adopted by Mr.. Kendrick, of absolute.
" ignoring members Of the machin-
lists and boilermakers' unions in their
strike against the company.
Regardless of whether or not this
rumor is true, 1t is a fact that Mr..
Nudge has been selected for a much
more important position on the Rock
Island than he has had on the Santa
Fe. 1t is reported that his salary will
amount to $4,000 per annum on the
Rock Island.
1t has even been whispered that
Vice-President Kendrick may leave
the Santa Fe also. At least it is as
serted things do not look very stable,
and all are ON the qui viye in antici-
patton of pending changes.