Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-24


that he bought the Los Angeles Pacific
railroad.
They also say that it is his intention
to force his way into the Los Angeles
railway, because he is Jealous of the
financial success that 1t has been since
having been backed by Huntington.
On the other hand 1t is said that
Huntington does not wish to again be
forced as he was a few years ago and
that he believes himself to be in posi-
tion where Hartman cannot do him
much damage and that he can inf1ict
great financial distress upon his ad-
versary-partner.
War of Dollars Not Good Policy
The fight that is now predicted is
said to be entirely a personal one.
Huntington with an old sore that has
been secretly nursed as Hartman has
nursed his jealousy of the other finan-
c1er's financial success, has awaited his
opportunity.
If this is to be a personal fight it
will be much more bitter, knowing
ones say, than if it were a fight for
money. 1t would not be a matter of
high finance, they say, for men with al
most unlimited capital to start war of
dollars.
The only track that has ever been
laid under the West Sixth street fran
chise was for a short distance west of
Figueroa street, and it has had no con-
nection at either end and no cars were
ever run over it,
This track was made narrow gauge
to accommodate the Los Angeles rail-
way cars, but this project was never
carried out. Work of making the track
broad gauge for the interurban cars
has been begun
Will Build to Beaches
Officials of the Huntington railways
say that this is being done so that
cars may be run over it to save the
franchise, which would otherwise ex-
pire on May TO-
There are some people who have fol-
lowed the situation from the beginning
of the laying of the track, who say that
this is indicative of the fight that Is
to come; that in this way Huntington
will parallel the Los Angeles-Pacific
over franchises which he has obtained
to the west, and that he will lose no
time in getting a road into operation
to all of the beaches and towns that
are touched by the line recently pur-
chased by Hartman.
Should this be the case, one of the
bitterest rate wars in the history of
fight is to be what men of financial
standing say it is, and what many in
dications on the part of each point to-
many millions will be expended before
either capitalist will give in, because
both are men of strong character and
have had few rebuffs during their
lives.
Improvements Are Planned
Railroad men say that if the Harri-
man and Huntington interests con-
flict that the resources of the two men
are almost equal. While Huntington
has many friends in the council, per-
haps there are more who prefer to
ride in Walter Parkers band wagon
than in BILLY" Dunn's. For securing
city business Huntington has much
the better of it because he has the
city now we'll covered with a network
of lines.
For holding his own, should Hunt
ington attempt to parallel the Los An
geles-Pacific railway, it is said that
Hartman is well prepared.
Hartman has vast amount of capi-
tai with which to improve the service
of his newly acquired road. Natural
conditions also favor him. His first
play would be to secure a franchise
through the proposed Hill street tun-
rel and it is not unlikely that the
council will give him the necessary
permission.
Then Mr.. Hartman would straighten
as many of the curves and crooks in
the Sunset boulevard line as possible.
Many OF the grades would be material
ly reduced. Ballast for the rebuilding
of the road could be obtained from the
large decomposed granite quarries
along the line.
Eager for Reduced Fares
With the improvements would come
that of broad-gauging the entire sys-
tenn of 1S0 miles. While the equipment
that is now used is very good. If a
fight is indulged in, nothing will be
spared in the way of the most palatial
cars that it is possible to obtain
With the roadbed in good condition
and the tunnel through Hill street
completed, the time could be cut be-
tween Los Angeles and Santa Monica
at least half hour.
This would be as good time as could
possibly be made by any Huntington
line that could be built, and perhaps
better.
Then would come the real rub be-
tween the two magnates. That of cut
ting the fares. People would be al
lowed to ride to Crescent and perhaps
to Sherman for five cents instead of
to the city limits as at present.
The outcome of the fight, everyone
who is neutral, refuses to predict 1t
would be a difficult prediction for there
are thousand influences that would
have to be weighed. The people at
the beaches and outlying towns would
welcome with delight anything that
would tend to reduce the fares which
they now declare are altogether too
high.