The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-06
RAILROAD BATTLE
RACES in TIE 400
Continued From First Page.

q, Continued From First Page.
that Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish had taken
up the gage of battle in aid of her
husband, and when Mrs. Fish begins to
do things she leads somewhat strenu-
Gus existence. In this fight, it Is stated
Mrs. Fish, who has been accredited
with being the arbiter of the "4OO' is
as determined to win as. Is her hus-
band, and if she fails society is likely
to get few unpleasant jars before she
The stake for which Mrs. Fish and
her friends are playing is the support
of Cornelius Vanderbilt and John ia
cob Astor, both scions of society," both
within the pale of influence of Wall
street and both Illinois Central direct
0fs.
Has Rivals and Enemies.
It is not to be supposed that Mrs.
Fish is having an easy time, for like
all women successful in society, she has
rivals, and in rivals she finds enemies
who are ever ready to take advantage
of her every move in the effort to de-
throne her.
In this fight, however, Mrs. Fish has
succeeded in ranging on her side some
of the most powerful social influences
In the city Of New York. The lines
Of battle have been drawn, and 1t is
now the dominant portion of society
influence and Edward H. Hartman.
Few of those who are vitally interest
ed in the outcome of the Illinois Cen
trail fight will admit that they are
placing any hope in the efforts which
Mrs. Fish is known to be making.
They admit, tho, that she has taken
s hand in the game that some of her So
cial friends are being put lover the
high Jumps Whether they will all
take the jump or whether some of them
will balk, remains to be seen.
Husband Doesn't Know It.
1t is known, however, that Mrs. Fish
is using all her social strength to line
ND Astor and Vanderbilt in the direct
ors' meeting tomorrow on the side of
her husband. The initiative which she
is taking was not at the request of her
husband In fact, he is said not to
have to known anything Of the matter
until the campaign was under way.
Then he at first laughed and told her
she had better not get into the game.
After that he watched the moves which
his wife has been making with keen
= interest,", nOI unWlAeO Will diuuSeHltut.
1t is bitter fight indeed from which
Stuyvesant Fish can extract but a
grain of humor, and that grain Of hui
NOR he is finding in the social turmoil
which Mrs. Fish and her friends are
stirring up on his account.
just what Mrs Fish will do, provid-
ed Astor and Vanderbilt side with the
Hartman interests, is not known, but
it is thought that new list of the
"4OO' will be made and that names
of the Astors and the Vanderbilts and
Of their supporters in this fight will
not be among those present. Such q
revolution ever started in the effete
east, but there is none who believes
that Mrs. Fish would not dare to take
the plunge. If it comes to this, New
York society will be shaken to it's very
center.
Knows He Is Beaten.
Stuyvesant Fish, who returned from
Chicago yesterday, now knows that to-
morrow the presidency, Of the Illinois
be taken away from him.
J. T. Harahan, second vice president
of the road, is as certain Of election
as Mr.. Fish is of being deposed. The
Hartman forces are to 1 and the
vote will be s to 4 unless Mr.. Fish
decides to surrender and make it unani-
nous.
The reason for the fight came to light
today. This always has been mys-
terry to the world at large, but today
it developed that the origin of the
difference between Mr.. Fish on the one
hand and Mr.. Hartman, Mr.. Harahan
and the other directors on the other,
dates back seven years, to the time
when the so-called Omaha extension,
from Fort Dodge, Iowa, to Omaha, was
projected.
Opposed Line Across Iowa.
Mr.. Fish, it is said, constructed this
line against the advice and wishes of
everybody connected in capacity of
importance with the road. The extern
sion has proved a losing venture from
the start. Millions Of dollars have
Z been poured into it, but instead of in
creasing the profits of the Iowa lines,
ducers into deficit producers.
There were than five lines between
Chicago and Omaha, the Burlington
z North Western, Rock Island, Wabash
and Milwaukee, besides the Missouri
Pacific line from st. Louis. It was con
+ tended that there was not enough
business from Omaha and the tributary
W pay GuCoS 1Oduo, duu Iud
the construction of another line to that
city would only iniure the roads al
ready entering it and result in loss, to
the one building the extension.
Twin Cities Involved.
What perhaps has Influenced some oil
the. directors against Mr.. Fish ever
more than the losses caused by the Oma
ha extension is the extent to which it
has cut into the business of other roads
in which they have investments. II
has affected the North Western il
which Mr.. Vanderbilt is largely inter
ested, more than any other line. Il
has got good deal Of business, away
from that, as well as other lines be
tween Chicago and Omaha, and it has
hurt the North W. stern in another way
The North-W Western controls the Chi
cago. St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omohs
Railway.
This line formerly had the bulk Of
the traffic between Omaha and the twin
cities. After the construction of tn,
Illinois Central's extension to Omaha
4 the latter road made a traffic arrange
1 ment with the Minneapolis & st. Louis
I whereby this railroad secured entrance
Il over the Central tracks into Omaha
and was thus enabled to become
formidable competitor of the Omaha
both between the twin cities and Oma
4 ha and thruout large part Of its othe1
territory.
The Great Secret.