The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-05-08

famous Leeds case, in which the
Great Northern applied for an In
junction against the state railroad
commissioners, regarding the order Of
the commissioners compelling the
Great Northern to make connections
with the N. p. at Leeds, has been de-
cided against the railroad. Judge
Cowan gave the decision. His opinion
in full is as follows:
State of North Dakota county OF
B~enson--ss. In district court, Second
Judicial district.
In the matter OF the application for
the connection between the Great
Northern Railway Co. and the North
ern Pacific Railway co. passenger
trains at Leeds, N. d.
Before the board of railroad COM
missioners of the state of North Da-
kota.
Great Northern Railway Co., APP
pellant, VS.. Board of railroad COM
m~issioners, respondents.
Statement: The record in this ase
discloses that the following petition
was received by the board of railroad
commissioners of this state on or
about Dec. 10, 1910:
To the board of railroad commits
s%ioners, Bismarck, n. d. Gentlemen:
We, the undersigned commercial trav-
cling statesmen, covering North Dako-
ia territory, hereby petition o to
make an investigation of the passen-
ger train service at Leeds, N. D., to-
gether with the time and arrival and
departure of the present passenger
trains in service on the Northern
Pacific and Great Northern railways,
with the view of causing such chang
es to be made as will make it pos
sible for a person arriving at Leeds
over either road, TO make connections
within reasonable time. For a long
time past it has been impossible for
a person to make connections at
Leeds, arriving over either road.
without great loss of time and suf-
fering great loss of money and much
inconvenience. Trains Nos. 3 and 2
on the Great Northern railway do
not stop at Leeds, but do stop at
Churchs Ferry, the first station east
and it has been the custom for trav-
elers to hire ~conveyances to take them
to Churchs Ferry or to Knox or
other towns nea by in order to take
trains which pass through Leeds with
out stopping. 1t is earnestly re-
quested that this matter be taken up
as soon as possible and the service
improved in such a way as will be OF
greater benefit to the travelling pub
lie" This petition was signed by
some forty-nine persons. The mat
ters referred to in said petition came
on for hearing before said board of
railroad commissioners on or about
Dec. s, 1911 at which hearing the
reasons for and against the granting
Of said petition were considered by
said board and ~thereupon the said
board Of railroad commissioners en-
tered the following order:
In the matter of the petition for
better train connections at Leeds.
Now on Dec. 6, 1911, coming on to be
heard the petition Of certain travel
ing men and others asking that the
railroads entering the city of Leeds
be required to so arrange the sched-
ules of their passenger trains as to
permit Of closer connections between
trains running east and west on the
Great Northern, and north and south
on the Northern Pacific railroad, and
that commission having taken and
received the testimony of the said
Great Northern Railway Co., and the
said Northern Pacific Railway Co., and
of the petitioners, and heard the ar
guments and reasons for and against
the granting of said petition, and
having heard and having considered
the reasons advanced by each Of said
railroads why it should not be re-
| quired to ~re-arrange it's time sched-
ule to make the connections for, are
| of the opinion, and so find, that the
prayer of the petition should be grant
ed; and that closer and more salts
factory train connections should be
made between said railroads at said
city Of Leeds for the accommodation
Of the travelling public n further
find that said connections can be
made at less inconvenient and less
| disarranging of time schedule by the
Great Northern Railway Co. than by
the Northern Pacific Railway Co.
1t is further directed that this or
der shall become effective March 1.
1912.
Wherefore it is directed and order
ed th1.t the Great Northern Co. be.
and it is hereby required that to stop
it's passenger train No. 2, now sched-
uled to pass through Leeds at z
o'clock p. M, at the said station Of
Leeds for the purpose Of ~accommoda-
ton of passengers arriving at Leeds
from the south and desiring to go
east on said railroad, and to stop its
train No. 3, now scheduled to pass
through Leeds at about IL a. m. at
said station at Leeds for the purpose
of accommodating passengers on said
train DESTROYS of going south on said
Northern Pacific railroad; or that
such train service be installed as will
accomplish the same purpose, and
furnish the same accommodations.
BY order of the board OF railroad
commissioners, w. II. Stutsman, pres
ident; o. p. N. Anderson, commissions
er; w. H, Mann, commissioner.
Attest: Thomas Hall, secretary.
(Seal.)
That on Feb. is, 1912 the Great
Northern Railway Co. appealed to the
district court in and for Benson coun-
ty, North Dakota and served its UNI
dertaking on appeal together with its
notice of appeal upon Thomas Hall as