The San Francisco call., 1905-08-01
Places Clark in a
Very Perplexing
Position.
Montana Senator Out
Witted in Railroad
Traffic Game.
Local Conference Anxiously
Watched by Officials of
All the Lines.

--e A6-1OAo HOr4o Is awaiting with
the keenest interest the outcome of the
conference begun in this city yesterday
between the officials OF the Southern
Pacific Company and of the San Pedro.
Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railway
relative TO the demands of the Clark
people for trackage privileges over the
lines OF the Southern Pacinc in Cali
1ornia- Freight Traffic Manager Sproule
OF the Southern Pacific, acting for
Traffic Director Stubbs OF the Harri-
man lines, has already refused to make
the desired concession TO the Salt Lake
road, and President Hartman mas sus-
tanned the decision CT his oficials Now
the representatives of the two lines
have come together again in this city
Tor the purpose OF talking over the
matter.
AS 10 what the outcome Of the meet
ing viii be, those who are attending 1t
VIII not vouchssfe an opinion. 1t is
generally believed, however, that the
hartman officials viii not permit the
Clark people 10 enjoy an Interchange
OF traffic IN California, and IN the event
y a r1It refusal, g thought United
States Senator Clark ana his million
aire associates will either endeavor to
inaugurate a bitter railroad war in the
West against Hartman or suffer the
humiliation of withdrawing. from the
road and leaving, the Hartman syndi-
cate in absolute control Senator
Clarks S friends say he will not be
forced out by Hartman and that rather
than submit TO what seems to be an
attempt TO bottle him up" in the traffic
business, he viii cut loose his mil
lions IN forcing Hartman to a COM
promise.
CONFERENCE BEGINS HERE.
At yesterdays meeting the San
Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake road
was represented by Vice President j.
Ross Clark, Chief Counsel I. E. Gibbon
and General Freight and Passenger
eAgent L ". Gillett. The Southern Pa
cifc forces consisted of Freight Traffic
Manager Sproule and Special Counsel
Peter r Dunno, while Traffic Manager
Schumacher Of the oregon Short Line,
and J. A. Munroe, freight traffic man
ager Of the Union Pacific, both of
which lines are part of the Hartman
system, were in attendance in sort of
advisory capacity. Quietly debating
the policy that the Southern Pacific
officials shall pursue at the conference,
IS the traffic director of all of the
Hartman lines, J. c. Stubbs of Chicago.
The conference yesterday lasted many
hours, and that the officials represent
ing the contending interests were not
evidenced in many ways.
They were courteous but cool toward
each other during the meeting, and at
the noon hour the traditional custom
among railroad officials Of joining at
luncheon was noticeably violated, the
Clark people scurrying off TO the Palace
grill where they talked In low voices
with their legal adviser, while the ever
smiling Sproule and likewise pleasant
faced Dunno strolled leisurely uptown to
their club. What developments took place
at yesterdays meeting is kept a secret
as Will be probably the proceedings.
PREDICAMENT SERIOUS.
Vice President J. Ross Clark did volun-
teer the statement that he and his asso-
ciates ''hoped" for an amicable settle
ment, which is practically an admission.
and the only one so far openly made that
trouble exists between the two roads, and
It comes as a fat contradiction to the re-
Gently signed statement issued in New
York by Senator Clark denying that any
differences exist between the Salt Lake
read and the Southern Pacific Company.
Freight Traffic Manager Sproule Of the
Southern Pacihc would not make any adj
mission. IN fact, he would not even adj
miJ that a conference was being held,
and tried to place the gathering in the
light Of a casual visit from some visit
ing officials from the south.
That the Clark people are in serious
predicament is generally conceded by all
railroad men who are watching the sit
uation. Senator Clark and several of his
associates undertook the construction. of
a railroad from Salt Lake City to Los
Angeles. They finally achieved their am
hitiOn. but only after they had pur
chased portion Of the Oregon Short /;
Line and secured trackage leases for
part OF their line over portions OF the
santa Pc and the Southern Pacific roads
While the road was in course of construc-
ticn F. II. Hartman, rated as one of the ]
shrewdest railroad manipulators in Wall /
street, became partner in the Clark /
project and with the Montana Senator /
divided the stock 50 and 80 per cent Then 1
the Southern Pacific president persuaded |
Senator Clark to enter into an agreement (
that the Salt Lake road should not be l
extended beyond its original intended /
terminals without the consent Of the 4
Southern Pacific. Eventually the Salt /
Lake road was finished to San Bernar-
dino and an organization partly COM
pleted to secure business for the road.
SENATOR MAY FIGHT BACK.
The first attempt to control freight traf-