The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-01-23

WAR DECLARED
WENATCHEE TO BE ON MAIN
LINE FOR SHIPMENTS OF COT
TO BEGIN JUNE I.
Special to the World.


struggle for railroad supremacy in
the greatest railroad country on the
globe between E. H. Hartman and
James J. Hill, two facts developed
today of almost sensational charae
! ter. The first was the announcement
made this morning in the local Offices
Of the traffic department of the Great
Northern to the effect that early in
| the spring-in time for the cOlonist
.ravel from the middle west-the
Great Northern will install a new
/ passenger service via the Burlington
line direct to Kansas City, Mo-, and
points south thereof.
The second fact is contained in a
telegram from Ell Paso, Tex, that the
Hill roads would inaugurate, begin
ming June 1, the longest train sery-
| ice in the United States, namely
from Galveston, Tex, direct to Seat
tie. The announcement further is %
| the effect that the passengers will
not be required to change cars at
any time during the journey, which
will be via. the Colorado Southern
railway and other lines now CONTROL
ed by Hill reaching to the Gulf of
Mexico, and also via Denver over the
Burlington system via Alliance, Bill
lings and Great Falls, Mont, on the
main line of the Great Northern.
! While Hill has absolutely COM
pleted his long cherished scheme of
| hauling over his own rails the cot
| ton and other products of the south
from the Gulf of Mexico to Seattle.
here to be transshipped to Oriental
steamships, evidences of the greatest
activity are not wanting in the camp
of E. HI. Hartman. Assembled in this
city during the last four weeks, and
making the headquarters at the HO-
tel Butler as a score or more of
| the leading railroad contractors of
the west, awaiting the opening of
bids and letting of contracts by J.
D. Farrell for construction work over
competitive lines projected in west
ern Washington.
OF the $5O,OOO,OOO which Harri-
man raised nearly a year ago from
/ the stock and bond issues of the
Union Pacific, the greater part re-
mains, it is said, for the construction
of Hartman lines in various sec
tions of the Pacific northwest, BIZ
/ largely designed for the state os
Washington. First in importan
among these projected competitive
/ lines, well informed men assert. is
/ the road between Portland and Seat
tie with branch extending to Grays
| HarbOr points and into the richly
timbered regions of the Olympic pen
| insula
/ From the Grays Harbor districts
Hartman expects to gain a heavy
/ lumber and shingle traffic, cutting
into the exclusive Hill business from
the coast to the central west, under
present conditions. The contracting
| firm of Grant, Smith, Winter & Co.
a month ago was pronounced a low
bidder on the Aberdeen extension,
/ but no award of the contract has yet
been made by ]. D. Farrell, Harri-
mans chief agent in Washington
The contract may be let any day.
Railroad men recall that three
years ago, when E. H. Hartman re-
/ turned to New York from an ex-
/ tended tour of the Orient, he gave
out famous interview in which he
said that the country was ripe for an
EZRA of competitive railroad build
ing" At that time Mr. Hill had COM
pleted plans for the construction of
a water grade line from Spokane to
Vancouver and Portland, with a
maximum grade of six-tenths per cent
or less. Then it was that the Union
Hill half way in the gigantic struggle
which means more for the Pacific
northwest than anything that has
happened since the completion of the
Great Northern into Seattle seven
teen years ago.
1t is estimated by railroad men
that traffic amounting to millions
of dollars a year will be controlled
by Hill, extending from the Gulf of
Mexico to Seattle, by reason of his
purchase of the Colorado Southern
and connecting lines. When Hill exc
cuted this coup d'etat he penetrated
the very vitals of Harriman's en-
trenched stronghold-the south and