The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-03-18
NEW LIGHT ON
 PACIFIC RAILWAYS

or the governments prosecution against the merger of the Union Pa cif1c and the Southern Pacific railway companies an article by Charles Ed ward Russell in the forthcoming April number of Hampton's Magazine, en- titled HThe Great Millionaire Mill'' purporting to be the first real history Of the Pacific system of railroad dss and 5 the great fortunes built out of them. the building of the Central Pacific, now the Southern Pacific. as the greatest steal ever perpetrated upon the United States government.
 He charges that the four projectors Q the road, CoIlis P. Huntington. Le- land Stanford. Mark Hopkins and charles Crocker divided among them selves in stock, land grants from the government, government bonds and bonds which the government guaran- feed, and donations from California counties the sum of $149 1000. GOO for which they did not pay one cent. The total of the government subsidy which Huntington; got from Congress. MT Russell declares was S60, ,000, ,00e.
 How the figures were juggled to turn most of this immense subsidy into the pockets of the four promoters is explained by MT Russell follows: The bill provided that the government should issue to the road six per cent land SIG. GOO in bonds; for every mile in the foothills, $32, 900 in bonds. and for every mile in the mountains, $4S,- 600 in bonds. MT. Russell alleges that 
 at the mountain rate $4s,000 a mile, on thirty miles of level, or nearly the foothin rate $s2. .o0o a mile. for many miles of level building in the valley east of the Sierras.
 taThis," says MT. Russell. sfis the origin of. the familiar saying in Cali fornia that the Central Pacific was the strongest corpora tion in the world be cause it had moved the Sierra Nevada mountains thirty miles. It not only made these charges but collected for them, although MT. Judah, the engi- neers refused to assent to the transac-
 seAba ting nothing Of admiration says MT. Russell speaking of the com pletIon of the road flor the physical performance. it is time now to reflePt that it might have been had at frac- ton of it's cost to the public, and that it might very easily nave been a pIes- country of which it was ecstatically cs He'd the Gateway.
 For the gate was quickly closed Of ColIis P. Huntington. one hand holding the key and the other stretch ed out taking toll The physical figure of Huntin gtOn is no longer there. but s the Gateway remains closed and be- fore it are his successors, still busi1y taking toll.
 'sFros14 the day the gate was erected and closed down to the present year, first Mir. Huntington and his associ-
 
 taken ana divided more than $500, 0o0.- GOO in unjust toll. all from the people of the United States. who so kindly erected. the Gate across their own hipshway.''
 In the course of his article MT. Rus sell describes vividly the race for Junction between the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific, the roads now attempting to merge
 thorized the Central Pacific to build eastward to a junction with the Union Pacific wherever that mieht be. At first the four partners had assumed ward allowing them good mileage and many fat bonds. but the swift advance them, and by 1867 they were thorough 1ye larnned. The Union Pacific was approaching the mountains If it should thread them first the Central it's contract with the government; also the best of the joint haul when the roads should be united.
 stThere ensued the maddest chapter in all railroad history. The two roads entered into race, tearing into the work before them regardless of any night with relay gangs.
 was the wild romance Of rali- road building. Winter came on, the terrible Sierra winter with it's phe- nornenal snow falls. but to the worlds anna cement the work never stopped Tn the dead of winter. rails. machin- cry, cars. even locomotives in pieces, were dragged hundreds of miles on waeons. traversing roads heavy and badly made. threatened with imminent disaster from snow slides and storms"
 Talk about the present high cost of vfrg-1isten to this:
 "Food for men and fod Ter for the horses reached fabulous prices. Oets were sold by the pound 1t 12 to IS cents: hay was s1oo a tor. and some tires s1s6: for teams the contractors l paid sig to s14 a day.
 uTr April 1s69 they were almost | within sight of the eneray's lines Be fore them was Oeden the goal Of the l race in the great valley between the F7oclrvl and the Sierra Nevada ranges m the fury nf competition both com | panlea far overshot the mark. The !