The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1910-01-01
THE WESTERN PACIFIC
MYSTERY DEEPENS
Road Said to Have Full Rights
to Use Southern Pacific
Railway Tracks


Salt Lake Tribune, December %: Al
the year closes the Western Pacific be
comes a deeper and deeper mystery in
the railroad world. According to infor
nation furnished by q high railroad
official In Salt Lake. in position to know
all the facts. the Southern Pacific and
the Western Pacific have practically
completed arrangements whereby the
Western Pacific shall have the use on
the most friendly possible terms Of all
the Southern Pacific tracks. side tracks,
terminals and wharfs in middle and
northern California. Following out its
policy Of silence toward the press, the
local headquarters Of the Western Pa
ciac profess to know nothing Of q of
the most significant railroad deals that
has been known in Salt Lake rail.
road circles for months, but the matter
has been q common topic OF conversa-
ton in the other offices for some days.
1.-The idea is this" said n prominent
local railroad man last week, 'the West.
ern Pacific is to have the use OF all
Southern Pacific trackage in California,
so as to save building new tracks for
this new road. But it also means that
the northern line Of the Southern Pa
cihc and the Western Pacific are very
liable to be operated as a double track
system, the trains going west on one
line and running cas- on another. What
this means in handling traffic need not
be explained, it is so plain.
Double Track to Coosf
1.-THE present best route across the
continent from the Missouri river Is the
Union Pacific. 1t is being rapidly double.
tracked, aud within two years will be
double tracked complete from Omaha
to both Ogden and to Salt Lake. Yet this
leaves il only one track from Ogden and
Salt Lake on to San Francisco. The
Western Pacific and the northern line
of the Southern Pacific, which is really
the western extension of the Union Pa
cifc to the coast from Salt Lake, run al
most side by side. They are practically
parallel lines.
"Let this arrangement Of using the
two lines az a single double-track sys'
tenn be put into effect and the Union
Pacific has then a double track all the
way from the Missouri river to the Pa
cifc coast. The Sherman anti trust law
or the Interstate Commerce Commits.
sion cannot interfere with such an ar
rangement, either; freight will move
only one way on each line, except, per
haps, local freight between way sta
tons.
"Nor will the arrangement interfere
with the Western Pacific handling traf
fc for all the other roads as an indie
pendent line. tt il a now deal IN west
ern railroading. and a good one, as /
will increase the movement Of trafi'
and largely reduce operating cost, ant
give far quicker service at less cost ant
with greater safety. The Western Pa
ciHc has a 1 per oent grade across thu
Sierras, while the Southern Pacific haI
some very heavy climbing to do ant
many snow sheds to keep up.
One of Hartmann Deals
1.-THE deal was made between Harri
man and Gould some time ago, and ii
Just now coming to light because thu
Western Pacific is just beginning to d.
| business. When the Wheeling & LAX
| Erie short time notes came due GoulC
could not raise the money to meet them
He had to have $1,000, 900 at once ant
could not get it. He was turned dowi
by every banking house capable of help
ing him in New York City, and at las
| went to see Hartman. The Wheeling
& Lake Erie Is now in q receiver
hands, by the way, and Gould has los
the Western Maryland.
Hartman let Gould have 81. DOC, 0OO
which saved him from bankruptcy, bu
| asked, How about the Western Pacific
That was his price, and the results ar
Just coming to light. Hartman had
long head.
at is understood that Gould is praS
ticaily eliminated from the Western Ps
cifc and has been for some time, thu
Hill has the final say as to the operatin
end Of the road and that Hartman il
teresss have the voice in the traffic d
partment. The recent underwriting
Ste. 900, 900 Of Missouri Pacific bond
and the Missouri Pacific is the bacl
bone of the Gould lines. by Kuhn, Loe
Go The dHarS'man bankers. certainl
The above information was confrme
in three railroad offices last week ind,
p~endently of each other, but no info
nation could be CLEANED about it fro
the Salt Lake offices of the Wester
Pacific.