The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-02-02
c. ( \. v. MAY
BUILD TO SOUND
EASTERN WRITER'S HOLD SUCH
WILL BE EFFECT OF EXTEN-
SION OF ST. PAUL AND BREAK.
UP OF TRAFFIC AGREEMENT.

Instead of a close harmony of re-
lations between the Hartman sys-
tenn and the ST. Paul, known Official
ly in the Pacific Northwest as the
Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound,
there is to be divorce between two
of the greatest railroad corporations
of the country resulting from the
construction of the Rockefeller road
to the Pacific coast. At least, this is
the opinion of some railroad and fin
ancial writer's and authorities of the
east
A New York dispatch printed in
late issue of the Chicago Record-Her-
aid, evidently written by one well
informed of railroad developments
in the Pacific northwest, tells the
story of the separation of interests
formerly held close together in a
traffic bond between the st. Paul and
E. H. Hartman The purport of the
dispatch is to the effect that the
Chicago & Northwestern, Wander
bilt road, will, in self defense, be
forced to extend it's line from Caspar,
Wyo., to Seattle.
Many good guessers have asserted
that the Strahorn road, the mysteri-
Gus North Coast railway, is a Van
derbilt road and is to be the con-
Meeting link between the present ter
minus of the Chicago e Northwest
ern and Seattle.
The story printed in the Chicago
paper is full of interest to the Pa
cific northwest. In part, the writer
says:
''The construction of the ST. Paul's
extension to the Pacific coast is 60
ing to change the entire western
railroad map, so far as to inter-
change of traffic among railroads is
concerned One of the most import
ant and far-reaching results will be
the severance of the close traffic rela-
lions which now exist between the
ST. Paul and the Union Pacific rail-
road A preferential tariff contract
was made about six years ago be-
tween the st. Paul ana the Hartman
lines, after the st. Paul had built
it's Chicag o-Omaha line and began to
make a strenuous bid for Pacific
coast business
Preferential Agreement.
cat that time the Northwestern
road also had what traffic men called
a preferential agreement with the
Union Pacific, whereby the latter
should work for and favor above all
others the Northwestern as it's east
ern connection. This contract, which
was in writing, bound the Union Pa
cific and the Southern Pacific men to
work for the Northwestern when
working for their own roads.
For a time there was serious
trouble, which was finally adjusted
by the Union Pacific's giving the st.
Paul a contract equally favorable to
that enjoyed by the Northwestern.
No traffic agreement in recent years
caused such widespread comment as
did this one, and traffic men have
not yet ceased wondering why the
Union Pacific made it
THAT there must have been some
strong reason for Harriman's enter
ing into such a contract was shown
by the fact that the management of
the Northwestern, which road was
severely punished by it, did not make
an emphatic protest. 1t was evident
ly regarded as necessary to the peace
of the western railroad community,
and those who usually know what is
going on in railroad circles said that
it was given for the purpose of pre-
to the coast. However this may be,
the contract was worth many thous
ands of passengers to the ST. Paul
annually and was a severe blow to
the Northwestern, which that road
did not seem to be in a position to
resent.
Competing Service.
Now that the st. Paul and the
Hill lines are to run through pas
senger trains to the northwest the
Hartman lines and the Northwestern
are figuring on service to compete
with them. Under the terms of the
st. Paul's preferential contract
should additional trains or additional
cars be put on over the Northwestern
Union Pacific-Southern Pacific route,
the ST. Paul could demand an equal
number of cars from Chicago and