Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-11-14
FIGHTING FOR TIME.
Hill Lines Said to BE Hard Pushing
for Coos Bay.
Portland special:

portland special:
That James ]. Hill Is making ef-
forts to construct a railroad line
from Portland to San Francisco was
made certain in the minds OF railroad
men with the arrival in Portland
several days ago of II. A. Graham,
who is in the Rose city for the pur-
pose of instituting suit TO recover
possession of the Coos Bay, Rose
burg & Eastern Railway & Naviga-
tion company, operating a line OF
road about 80 miles long between
Marshfeld and Myrtle Point.
Mr.. Graham lives In New York
and was general manager of tho
Coos bay road In 1898, when ]. ID.
Spreckles' Bros. g. Co. took forceful
possession OF the railway with
squad OF men armed with Win
chester rifles, to satisfy a private
debt owing the big sugar man by
Graham. amounting to $523, 900, due
on a promIssory note.
Sold TO Southern Pacific.
The road was placed in the hands
of a receiver and was finally sold last
year to the Southern Pacific rail-
road, The receiver was discharged
last July and Mr.. Graham at once
commenced to gain possession of the
road.
The nature Of the action which no
will bring Is TO start a suit either in
the United States circuit court or
the state circuit court at Marshheld
for an accounting OF the railroads
condition and for the restoration OF
possession OF the line, with all OF
It's corporate property. Mr.. Graham
and his attorneys have not decided
In which court to institute proceed
ings the only reason for taking the
suit into the state court would be to
have the action lie nearer the facts
than they would in the federal court
I'm Portland.
| hat VI NENuSfOuttN'ntlll ANtits
Graham contends In defense OF his
action that he was never given a day
In court by Spreckels. He claims
that the big San Francisco capitalist
swooped down on the company's Of
fee at Marshheld while he was in
New York and drove all the ofiicc
employes out OF the building at the
muzzles OF Wlnchesters. He says
that he realized the futIlity OF bring
Ing Spreckles TO an accounting at
that time and waited until now IN
lorder 10 fortify his position.
Railroad men look upon Graham
proposed action as an attempt on the
part OF Hill 10 gain strong con-
Meeting link I'm a line from Portland
to San Francisco. The Coos Bay.
Roseburg g. Eastern a. Navigation
company extends up TO the head OF
navigation through one OF the rich
est valleys In the eonntry. II ia In
reality the small part OF a transcon-
tinental system that Is eonsideraed
one OF the most feasible yet broached
for the advancement and develop
ment OF the Pacific coast.
That the line is one over which the
Hill and Hartman interests will
fight TO the last ditch is further at
tested 10 by the fact that the COM
pany is on paying basis. Another
thing which promises a hard gfht
between the big interests is Graham's
dislike for Hartman and Spreckels.
OF the latter. the fOrcible seizure OF
the road is suficient 10 show the en-
nifty existing between the two, while
Graham Is said to have developed a
dislike for the Southern Pacific man
for several reasons.
An incident OF the Graham
spreckels feud is recalled In the
hearing OF the interstate commerce
commission which made a small in
vestigation OF the Coos bay line last
spring. Commissioner Lane was list
ening 70 the evidence and asked Mr..
Graham II he did not regard
Spreckels' intentions honest. Mr..
Graham is reported 10 have said OF
the capitalist. "Well, he made a noise
like an honest man"