The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-29
RAILROAD NEWS.
Hill and Hartman Bury Hatch
ct in Northwest Fight.
Agreement Has Been Reached
Ter Portland Gateway.
RUN THROUGH TRAINS
RUN THROUGH TRAINS
Result Reached After Probings
OF the Commission.
other Items of Interest in
Railway Circles.

Chicago, May 29.-OfficiaI an
nouncement has been made from New
1ork' 81. Paul and Chicago that the
r11ll ana Hartman interests had come
10 an agreement regarding the Port
lano gateway. The settlement was
made by Julius Kruttschnitt, director
oI maintenance and operation for the
hartman lines, and Howard Elliott,
president of the Northern Pacific. and
VINO also spoke for the Great North
ern.
by the terms of the agreement the
hartman lines get trackage rights
over the Northern Pacific's bridge
Wnlch spans the Columbia river be-
I 1 vancouver, Washington and
portland, and over the tracks of the
northern Pacific between Vancouver.
washington and South Tacoma, a dis
lance or approximately 1876 miles. It
is understood that by the terms of
the agreement the Northern Pacific
IS TO hasten the completion of it's dou-
ole-track work between Vancouver
ana South Tacoma so that the three
roads, the North Pacific, the Great
Northern and the Oregon railroad
ana Navigation company, may have
ample facilities to take care of the
traffic of all three.
Inc agreement has been practically
assured for some time, and it compre-
nends new service by the Hartman
nnes between Portland, Tacoma and
seattle. The train service between
Tacoma and Seattle has already been
arranged, but it will not go into eff
feet for about three months. The
Hartman lines have their own ter
mlnals In Tacoma and Seattle, and
the trackage agreement between the
two interests does not extend to the
use of railway terminals in either
! city. The Hartman trains will run
into Hartman terminals in both Seat
tie and Tacoma.
The Joint use of the tracks will not
begin until the Hartman lines have
nnlshed the heavy tunnel work just
outside OF Tacoma and which will ad-
NIT them to their terminals in that
city. This work will be rushed to
completion, but it is stated that it
Will be two or three months before
the Navigation company's trains will
enter Tacoma and Seattle.
1t is expected that the interstate
commerce commission will dismiss it's
proceedings and its recent order for
the opening of the Portland gateway.
The inquiry was begun upon the oom-
missions. own motion and the hear
ing undoubtedly would not have
been prosecuted by that body had it
known that an agreement was i'm
minent between the contending rail-
roads. The Portland gateway has
been bone of contention for years.
Recently the commission held that
the Hill lines need not open the gate
way for freight traffic offered by the
Hartman lines for points north, nor
need they accept traffic to be deliv-
cred to the Hartman lines at Port
land when destined to eastern points.
With respect to passenger traffic,
however, the commission decided that
it was on different basis, as the pas
senger should have something to say
as to the route that is taken.
The terms of the interchange agree
ment were not made public, but it is
understood that the Hartman inter
ests accorded the Hill people a gen.
erous division of the revenue both on
passenger and freight traffic, more
generous than usually pertains in the
interchange Of traffic, for the reason
that the Hill lines are giving up the
long haul on a great deal of freight
and passenger business.