The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1913-09-20
RAILROAD RATES ARE
UNDER CONSIDERATION
Richmond Eureka Mining Com
pany Insists That Freight
Charges Are Prohibitory


company wishes to charge for haul
ing ore from Ruby Hill, Nevada to
Midvale, Utah, and the amount the
plaintiff mining company wishes to
pay, developed yesterday in the hear
ing before John H. Marble, member
of the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion in the case of the Richmond
Eureka Mining Company against the
Eureka-Nevada Railway Company
and others. The mining company
officials asked for a rate of not more
than $2.95 for the entire distance,
while the railroad wants nearly that
much from Ruby Hill to Palisade
and 5.35 for the entire distance.
Another Point Raised
Another point of contention be-
tween the parties to the suit is four
miles of track between Ruby Hill,
Nevada, and Eureka, Nevada. AL
though the Eureka-Nevada Railway
Company is named as defendant, the
active participants in the defense is
the Nevada transportation Company,
present lessee of the Eureka-Nevada
Company line from Palisade to Eu-
reka. The four miles of track be-
tween the mining property at Ruby
Hill to the Eureka terminal of the
railroad is at present unused, and
even if the plaintiffs secured a lower
rate they would still be unable to
ship their ore unless this short stretch
was operated. They seek to force
the lessee railroad to operate this
four miles.
Witnesses for the mining company
testified that they have at least $780,
600 tons of SO ore which can be had
for shipment at the rate of 200 tons
a day. They declare that unless the
rates are lowered and the company
forced to connect from Eureka to
the mine, the camp will be driven
out of business. They said if lower
rates are secured the camp may be
built up and made an important one,
as engineers estimate the ore to be
secured after the SOC, 900 tons are
taken out will be worth more than
SO a ton.
Jurisdiction Attacked
The defendant company took the
stand first that the Interstate Com
merce Commission has no jurisdiction
in the case because the defendant,
the Eureka-Nevada Railway Com
pany, never filed a tariff with the
the Commission and is not an inter-
state line. Witnesses for the de-
Tense stated yesterday that if the
amount of ore the mine officials say
is there were to be handled it would
be necessary to repair the roadbed
and buy better and more rolling
stock and that this could not be done
at the low rate.
George E. Stoker of San Fran
cisco, attorney for the Nevada
transportation Company, said last
night that his firm would go out of
business before it would agree to
operate from the mine to Eureka.
He says the transportation Company
is seeking to have the mine operate
this four miles and to make delivery
lat Eureka. The railroad company
demands rate of $2.15 from Eureka
ito Palisade and a SIS, 900 guarantee
that the mine will ship from $50 to
200 tons of ore a day for a period of
ten years.
Route OF Shipments
The route over which the ore
would be shipped is from Ruby Hill
Iby way of Eureka and Palisade to
|Midvale over the Southern Pacific,
Oregon Short Line and Denver &
Rio Grande. Because they fear that
the Commerce Commission may de-
eide to lower the rate on the line
this side of Palisade. the Union Pa
cifc and Oregon Short Line are rep
resented at the hearing by H. N.
Scandrett of Chicago. Alfred Sutro
of San Francisco is counsel for the
mining company.
The hearing will close after ashort
session this morning and Commits
sioner Marble will then take the
transcript of testimony to Washing
ton, where it will be submitted to
fha entire Commission