The sun., 1905-11-12
NES OREGON NAVIGATION.
yoBT. A. GRAHAM WANTS S6S3,0SI
EOR BREACH OF CONTRACT

.. pro,tdr steamships for a Pacific Line
-Eplsodc Of the Trial Was staten ent
He Proposes to DisprOye That lie Was
Three Years Paying a Loan OF Sis.
Judge Adams IS hearing testimony in the
r,ned States District Court in suit for
nsgsl brough, by Robert A, Graham OF
Al, civ against the Oregon Railroad and
yyigation Conn any, one Of f. H, Harri-
.,,,s cor,ora ions for breach of contract
!, regard 10 MAINTAINING a line of steam
Airs from Portland, Ore, to China, and
nara was introduced into the case on Fri
Gy testimony that MIR. Graham did not
,,y rIomrtlv small personal loan Of
rls 10 George u. Cook of this city. MIR.
rook testified that he lent Mr. Graham
u,5 in Se'teHl err 1901, and that it was
,btee wears before he got his money back.
Mr.. Graham is 10 go on the stand proba-
hy tomorrow and produce the voucher
ofaeertiaed heck on the Chemical National
Rank which vas exhibited to a sun reporter
Yesterday, showing that he did pay promptly
he small PERSONAL debt he owed to Mr.
Cook,
Mr.. Harriman's Oregon line felt the
,.Ad in October, 1900. to make some new
Arrangements for shipping goods to and
i,on the ORIENT The Boxer troubles were
m in China, and the vessels Of the line that
tb4 OREGON Navigation Company had been
using were needed by the United States
Government Accordingly, the agent of
the line, Benjamin Campbell of Portland,
Ore and Mr. Graham entered into con-
tract whereby as Graham alleges, he was
"a furnish steamships Of a certain capacity
and was to have the exclusive trace OF the
Oregon Navigation Company to and from
The Orient.
Traffic arrangements were made, involv-
nE rates agencies, wharfage facilities and
the Ike, and the new trans; acirc line was
! begun Mr.. Graham got five steamships. |
& made ate.A ms in them, furnished sup
1 rl!as of all kinds and the business went on
until March. 1901, when, as he says, the |
. Hartman people suddenly notified him i
that they would terminate their agreement |
within one month The agreement which !
vas for three years gave each side, Mr.. |
Graham saws. the right to terminate it at .
the end Of the second year by giving the
other SIDE one wears notice. II also called !
for arhitra ion Of all disputes.
Mr. Graham's steamship line was known |
as the Oregon and Orient Steamship Com
rany II is asserted bv Graham that the |
Ene was very profitable and that as soon as
Mr Harlman's agents realized this they
tegan secretly TO organize a steamship
company Of their own and when it was all
arranged they put their own boats in opera
ton under the rame of the Portland and
Isio - Co. |, !
10 shippers in the Orient Of the termination
Of the contract. with Mr.. Graham. He
therefore could get no cargoes for this
country because he had no wharfage ia
cllties and no railroad over which to for
ward goods to interior ldces in the United
States.
Mr.. Graham came TO New York late in the
summer Of 1901 to see about arbitratine
the dispute Mr. Graham says that he
sought Mr. Cooks services so as to meet
Nr. Hartman satisfactorily. and Thomas
D. Ramtaut, MIR. Grahams attorney. at
William street, says that MIR. Graham
agreed 10 ray Mr. Cook 20 Per cent. of anv
settlement that might he made for his ser
vices IN securing friendly relations with
Mr, Hartman. Mr.. Graham asserts that
he made his claim to Mr.. Hartman as
chairman Of the board Of directors of the
|
lam D. Cornish, the vice. president. In
his claim he included the notice Of the
termination Of contract given in the pre-
Nous March. lie declares that not only
d!d Mr. Hartman refuse to arbitrate in
accordance with the original agreement,
but that he refused through his attorneys
70 return some Of the papers, among which
Was the notice terminating the contract.
When Mr.. Graham arrived in New York
Se was short Of ready money. He asked
NJ Cook for loan of Sll5, and gave Mr..
Cook draft on the Roseburg Bank in Rose
burg Ore Mr. Graham said he had re-
@Ned letter from the president of the :
E@eburg Bank to the effect that the presi- 8
cent had $4,000 Of Mr.. Graham's money, :
lls profits of land deal. Mr.. Graham =
MADE the mistake Of drawing on the bank :
n, yifaa cooL, o. on On the bank president to pay
oalS knew nothing Of the 81 900 that the s
President held for Mr.. Graham and, the 6
pes!oent being away, refused to honor the 8
GeFait MIR, Cook notified Mr.. Graham that (
tai aH draft had been dishonored. Mr.. Graham '
TEssgraphed to Oregon to learn what the &
G.IImGuIty was, and in reply got letter from s
.ae l bank president explaining the situa-
Ioh a3d inclosing check for 81 500. This
eaecK Mr Graham deposited in the Chemi- T
Ca! National Bank t
!, men Mr, Graham tried to find where his a
asho1ored draft was He says it had been (
hnd out for several DAYS where this firm O
was As soon as he learned where he o
eouia get the paper he paid il by giving a :
teltlted check on the Chemical National =
Gahk o Tor the amount. He has this check =
n n his possession and will produce it when :.
~ ~ goes on the stand again. He and his q Z
sVorneys complain that Mr.. Cook was not II
en,irely frank in the matter in court.
/, M M uraham told his story of the points p
n the suit on Friday, and Yesterday Benia- r
mn mn Campbell of Portland, Ore. who was c
"a. yM genera! traffic manager of the Oregon y
;,A.lgeuon j., Company, was on the stand
"a qelence. He contradicted most of Mr., G
SSIaham's u testimony and repeatedly said a
Conversations and personal agreementss' ts'O il