The San Francisco call., 1907-02-28
Gossip Of the Doings
Of Railroad Men

The Southern Pacific and the Santa
Fe have joint fight on their hands
in Arizona and ,while the local legal
ferces of the Southern Pacific in
the Territory will handle the mat
ter, Edward Chambers of the Santa
F'e will be in Phoenix to aid Coun-
sci Norton of his company with
his advice The Legislature of Ari-
zona is determined to make re-
duction of the present freight rates
and proposes to reduce the maximum
freight rate from Is cents per ton per
kmile to Z y cents per ton per mile. 1t
is needless to say that both roads are
determined to fight the measure. The
railroad people bring forward an argu-
ment. which seems to be a potent one,
and that is that the Legislature of
the Territory has power over rail-
roads. inasmuch as the amendment to
the Hepburn bill gives the right to
the Interstate Commerce Commission
to legislate for transportation COM
panies, and as this is the supreme law.
the Legislature of Arizona has no jur-
isdiction in the matter of regulating
freight rates.
The freight getters of the different
lines in the city are telling automobile
agents tall stories nowadays as to the
speed that can be attained by their
trains when carrying automobiles
Since Winship of the illinois Central
automobiles. each freight agent is
promising the same kind of run.
1T is Impossible to meet the demand
for automobiles, said a freight man
yesterday. I'VE are almost bothered
out of our lives by the agents who are
shipping cars out here. Why, l took
an order from an agent this morning
F1,- do l.
nothing of 1t. There was a time,
though. when an order ike that would
be the talk of the street. Now some
of us feel kind of scared when we see
an automobile man. for fear that he
may give us order for two train
loads of cars.
That the appointment of F. w. NJ
Cutcheon as general counsel of the
Western Pacific does not mean that w.
j. Bartnett will sever his connection
with the Gould lines is the common
talk among the Western Pacific peo~
pie. 1t has been known for some time
that Bartnett has been anxious for
more time to attend to his own busi-
ness and as the hard work is almost
all over from a legal point of view
and now on the matters to be attended
to will be all more or less routine,
Bartnett desires to be relieved of the
pressure of office work. He will con-
tinue with the company as a consult
ing lawyer. 1t is not thought likely
that Cutcheon will come to the coast
to live.
Emery oliver, district engineer of
the Western Pacific. with headquarters
at Oropille. was In the city yestsfday,
consulting with Chief Engineer Virgil
G. Bogue as to the work that is being
done in that section of the tsate.
The many friends of George Strong
who is in the Chicago. Milwaukee and
ST. Paul office, will be glad to learn
that he is on the road to recovery.
Strong had to undergo delicate op-
GRAFTON and it was at one time feared
that he would not survive his sickness.
H. E. Needham. who has been the
general agent of the Tonopah and Tide
water Railroad at Ludlow, has been
transferred to Los Angeles and C. J.
Ennis will succeed him at Ludlow.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
spending some time in Southern Cali
fornia as the guest of Mrs. Howard
Huntington.
Plans are being made by three great
CHARITIES Oh tue CITY lHe Dan fran-
cisco Polytechnic, the San Francisco
Nursery for Homeless Children and the
Doctors Daughters. to give a prome-
made concert and ball at thek Fairmont
Hotel on April Is. Not all Of the ar
rangements are complete as yet. but a
meeting will be held this morning at
10 o'clock at the Fairmont by repre-
sentatives from each of the charities
This will be the first opportunity given
tie public to view the hotel. All So
cfety will be present Military bands
have been engaged and a goodly sum
will. in all probability. be secured by
this brilliant event.