The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-20
NO FACILITIES
FOR OUTSIDERS
Commissioner Prouty Hearing
Evidence in Union Pacific
Coal Monopoly Case.
SHUT OUT BY THE COMPANY
OWNERS UNABLE TO REACH a
MARKET.

Omaha, Sept. ia hearing was be-
gun in the federal court room here to-
day before G. A. Prouty. member Of the
interstate commerce commission.
Commissioners Prouty explained that
the hearing. which is under the Till
man-Gillespie senate resolution. was 30
ascertain whether or not the Union Pa
chic Railroad company is responsible
for the existence of a coal monopoly in
the northwestern states.
J. T. Marchand appears as the attor-
ney for the commission, while John F.
Baldwin Of Omaha acts for the Sioux
City & Rock Springs Coal company.
Evidence of Complaints.
Warwick Saunders of Davenport, Ia,
president Of the Sioux City & Rock
Springs company, told Of the efforts of
his company to secure transportation
facilities from their mines. which are
near the line of the Union Pacific road,
about twenty miles from Rock Springs,
Wyo. He said the officials Of the rail-
road professed to be friendly. but that
a spur track from his mines would have
to cross land owned by the Union Pa
cific Coal company, and General Man
ager Clark of that company refused to
grant permission.
Randall Brown, owner of coal lands
half mile west of Hanna, Wyo., where
the Union Pacific Coal company ope-
rates three mines, told Of a similar sit
uation regarding the matter of a spur
track to his land. He said the Central
Coal company Of Kansas City and the
Union Pacific Coal company of Chey-
enne practically controlled the coal
supply of the west and northwest. and
that there is a shortage Of supply
every year.
company's Side of the Case.
%. O. Clark, vice president and gen.
eral manager of the Union Pacific Coal
company, and superintendent of coal
service of the Union Pacific Railroad
company, was the next witness. He
said the capital stock Of the company
is $4,000, 600. and the company is bonded
for a like amount. stock and bonds all
being owned by the Union Pacific Rail-
road company. Mr.. Clark declared
that his reason for refusing permission
to the Sioux City & Rock Sprigs COM
pany to cross his companys land with
a spur track was that its coal is of an
inferior quality, and he did not wish to
have II put on the market as Rock
Springs coal which has a very high
reputation. He admitted that his COM
pany had bought two sections of land
adjoining the Sioux City's land TO pre-
vent it's obtaining an outlet.
Cornish Owns 1t.
1t was developed that Mr.. Clark is
also vice president OF the Superior Coal
company, of which John w. Lacy of
Cheyenne, counsel for the Union Pa
cifc Railroad company. is president
and Frank Manley Of Rock Springs
formerly chief engineer of the Union
Pacific Coal company. is general man
ager. He said the Superior company
has secured about six sections of land
principally in SweetWater county, Wy
Oming, through the purchase of indi-
vidual filings on government land. A
list OF sixteen of these entries was
submitted. each OF which was made by
an employee of either the Union Pacific
Coal company or the Union Pacific
Railroad company. He said the Union
Pacific Coal company advanced the
money necessary in most Of these en-
terprises He said he held all but three
shares of the stock of the Superior Coal
company in trust for w. r. Cornish OF
New York, vice president of the Union
Pacific Railroad company.
An effort was made by Attorneys
Marchand and Thomas to show that
title had been secured to these lands
by fraud, and objection was mazda oy
Attorney Baldwin. Commissioner
Prouty adjourned the hearing until to-
morrow