The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1906-06-29
CHICAGO GREAT WESTERN
INDICATIONS THAT STICKNEY is
GOING TO DENVER.
TERMINAL FACILITIES BOUGHT
Believed by a Man In Close Touch
With the Railroad Situation That
the Recent Denver Deal Means An.
other Railroad Through Nebraska.

|
The other day there appeared in the
press dispatches, an item from Denver
stating that incorporation papers had
| been filed with the secretary of state
for new railroad between Denver
and Omaha, to be known as the Omaha
and Denver Short Line The an.
nouncement states that the incorpo.
rators are connected with law firm
of Denver which has charge Of n mar
row gauge line out of Denver known
as the Colorado and Eastern railroad,
and II Is supposed that behind the
movement is one of the great trunk
| lines.
1t seems that the little road spoken
! of is line only fifteen miles long and
was built more than twenty years ago
to coal mine which was thought to
exist when the line was built, but has
since proven failure. But although
the road is only fifteen miles long and
practically useless included with the
property Is one of the finest terminal
facilities in the city of Denver. pur-
chased when ground was cheap In the
city, and allowed to lie until some
road from the east wanted to reach
the Denver union station, to which the
terminal grounds lead
A gentleman who is familiar with
the situation in Denver, advances the
theory that the trunk line seeking ad-
mission to Denver through the termi.
nal facilities of the old railroad, is
none other than the Chicago Great
Western, which Is now into Omaha
and is aggressively pushing forward
and developing its lines. This would
mean another railroad for Nebraska
and as the southern part of the state
is literally covered with lines, what
would be more natural than that the
new line would pass through the north
ern part of the state. Might this not
account for the mysterious corps of
surveyors who have been working
west from Fremont during the past
two months and who have been vari-
ously charged with being representa-
tives of the Burlington and Union Pa
denied?
A. b. Stickney, president of the
Great Western is probably one Of the
most remarkable railroad men in the
world today. Unlike most successful
railroad men, he was not raised to the
business and knew nothing of it until
he had reached mature years, but his
progress has been so rapid that he
must be taken into consideration at
all times.
The manner in which he entered
railroad life was decidedly unusual. In
an early day an independent railroad
100 miles long was built in eastern
Iowa by local capital, which had a
struggle for existence from its incep
ton. The other roads refused to make
traffic arrangements of any kind with
it, so that all the business 1t could Sc
cure was of strictly local nature, and
in the course Of time the road went
into the hands Of a receiver, and that
receiver was A. B. Stickney, a man
who had had no experience whatever
in handling a railroad, but he had
what was just as much service in this
case-a big brain and an abundant
fund of common sense. When he
found that his overtures to other roads
to connect with his little line were un-
availing, he proceeded to extend his
own line into Chicago and then he
had all the outlet for the products ac-
cumulated along his line that he want.
ed. Then he had an established busl-
ness but it was not enough, so he COM
menced working toward st. Paul,
which place was reached in course of
time. Later he saw good prospect
at Kansas City, and the Great West
ern went to that point. A few years
ago the road was built into Omaha
During all this time the Chicago
Great Western has maintained its po-
sition as an Independent railroad. Mr..
Stickney having a good memory and
never forgetting that in the days when
he needed an outlet to his little Iowa
road the other roads refused to give
him any consideration whatever. At
ter he began to grow, the others were
very anxious to make terms with him,
and frequently he had an opportunity
to sell his properties at many
times their cost, but he steadfastly
refused to have anything to do with
them, and today the Great Western
is said to be the only line in the west
that holds itself aloof from all the
traffic, passenger and other railroad
associations.
The policy of Mr.. Stickney toward
the towns along his lines is said to be
in keeping with his character. In
stead of centralizing all the interests
at the larger places, he attempts to
give every town on his road a fair
show 1t is his plan to so adjust
freight rates that every town he is
interested in will have an equal
chance with other towns, and many
smaller places on the Great Western
are building up profitable manufac-