New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-21
"They Arc My Friends"
Saws Chief Witness for
Government.
BFGINS TESTIMONY
OF RAILROAD DEALS
o.uarkable Memory Shown in
Giving History of Forty-eight
New England Lines.

- Haven trust builders yesterday IN
-, The most important Of three
&c, put on the stand was an
80 farmer. At least, that Is what
C..,,e. 5 Nellen. former president OF
-. Nso Haven system. called himself
-, he took the witness chair.
81 an engaged in making two blades
-, y-sss grow where one grew before
am a farmer" he said. soberly'
~ Frank VI. Swacker, special AS
.s,,n, Attorney General. who conduct
- me examination, asked him his oc-
cupstion. .,.
as,.r he had established his identity
,oin,er was placed in his hand and
:, VAS asked by the government at
,orBsy to point out on big blueprint
abroad map Of New England the van-
-, lines with which he was connected
!, The course Of his railroad career
Y. hersn with 1869. when he was
.,,t in the cashiers Office Of the
vo-bern Railroad Of New Hampshire
,,s .s he went picking out line after
n, with which he had served, IN
,rnulative degrees Of importance, the
m,p seemed 10 become chart Of the
abroad career Of Charles S. Mellin.
4, smoke meekly as he stood there
..for. the big blue map, with the glare
rom The electric globes, set in the sup
,ortirr framework for intenser illu-
rjps,ion. cleaning on his hairless head.
He spoke so meekly, in Fact, that not
even the stenographer could hear him,
,s De Lancey Nicoll peevishly ex-
,,insS Thereafter Mr.. Mellen adopted
-ore tho tone Of a lecturer, pointer
/, hand. before his illustrative map,
ring 70 ret his voice out so the au-
.isnee could hear 1t.
Recites Railroad History.
He passed from his narrative Of per
,onal railroad affiliations into a more
comprehensive history OF New England
railway development, naming roads
long since forgotten that had been
swallowed up in the years Of trust
building. mentioning the many-worded:.
involved and often similar names OF
hose lost railways easily and without
hesitation or confusion, giving an
,s,onshing display Of memory, as
ihoagh an those complicated facts OF
lnefnt history were fled in orderly
fashion for instant use in his mind.
When the court day closed, after he
had been on the stand an hour and
hsr. he had told briefly the history,
irsfc conditions, agreements and fate
o. forfv-eight railroads twelve connec-
tons and FIVE steamboat lines, most or
them now nothing but long forgotten
names
H. went on under questioning and
even gave train times in those long
past years, explaining ticketing ar
rsngements and transfer points be
tween the New England lines and lines
from other parts Of the United States,
With all the inconvenience of chang
ing trains or the more or less through
trains made possible by means Of fer
mage across the rivers surrounding
New YORK
Testimony Pleases Defence.
This phase Of his testimony was
Pleasing 70 the defence, one OF their
attorneys pointing out afterward that
he building up Of the New Haven sys-
TEN did away with these traihc lmper-
'setions and instead Of constituting
trust contrary 20 public welfare really
made for the public convenience. lhis
Will be main line Of defensive srgu-
nent
He then passed from passenger bust
hess conditions in the early 'ninetles
70 tell Of the freight agreements De-
tween the various independent roads:
he went into a detailed explanation or
ihe diferentials by which road wlth
org, roundabout routes was allowed
BY other roads 20 charge less than the
Standard rates so as 20 attract ITS snare
q business.
This. he said. was TO prevent rate
cutting by competing road.
What was the traffic status OF the
Philadelphia & Reading and New Eng
snd in lSe0?' was one of Mr.. Swack-
ers queries.
well, II II got a carload Of freight
once in a while il tried 20 get II
,nrcugh," Mellen replied. Mostly II
Aale0.
Did ii have any Joint arrangement
WITH any Of the other roads ?"
IL did not with the New Haven,
hsllen answered. When Swacker asked
nm II Il was not true that the New
maven practically surrounded that
,,ysd' he said IL ran into a pocket az
hartford. Some persons that could not
I.vel by any other route used II, he
aid
Competition in 1890.
when asked TO name what compe-
aHon there was for New York traific
1870 ne named eight lines compel
st ior the passenger trade then. The
s'yhl ne said, was very largely done
ooat lines. and some rail lines by
.ehosoout routes. There were in those
s.'s, ne SAID, a similarly open compe-
ron Tor business from oil over the
EEa.so States 20 New England. The
.ass each were soliciting business, he
~, except the New Haven, as 20
,..'sht OF which business IL had little
nose days.
a. nhst character Of competition was
sse-very keen or very much Of II ?"
'steser asked.
ies, ] think there was considerable
r.apeauon," Mellen replied. You re-
a., that is a condition Of affairs
,..,. mas not existed for the last ten
NJ, 's, yes; understand that" said
sNseksr. 'I am referring now
tnssy 70 1890, and that immediate
s,,.ns laws were different then" re-
u..sn hellen entered the court he
n,s.' snc was greeted cordially IN
n ~ the eleven men against whom
I" give the governments main