, 1922-11-02
SENATOR'S CLAIM
IS PRESUMP7UOUS
S. & E. RAILROAD WAS SAVED" BY
COMBINED EFFORTS OF MANY
MEN. NOT one ALONE

ward heller to claim everything"
for his own personal organ in Sheri-
dan comes every near exceeding the
speed limit when it asserts thai
"kendrick saved the Saratoga rail
road" This statement might get by
at its face value in Sheridan or other
parts of the state but In Carbon coun-
ty, where the Saratoga & Encamp-
ment railroad is located and where
the people are conversant with the
facts, the claim-made strictly for
campaign purposes, is known to be
absurd and presumptous, for as the
Saratoga II says, The railroad
matter had no political significance
whatever, and credit should be given
where due
This being the case and in view OF
the preposterous claim of the Ken
drick organ it is of especial interest
at this time that the real facts
should be made known, including the
part played by Frank w. Mondell in
the negotiations which took place at
the time when the proposal to scrap"
the S. & f. was being seriously con-
sidered. Attorney l.. f. Armstrong,
of this city. who figured more prom
~inently In the matter than any one
! individual. when asked by The Re
publican for a statement on the sub
ject OF who Saved the Saratoga &
| Encampment railroad replied as fol-
lows:
During the early part of the year
1921, Morse Bros. owners OF the
Saratoga & Encampment railroad,
filed a petition with the Public Scrv-
ice Commission of the State OF
Wyoming. asking leave to discontinue
the service and dismantle the road.
The citizens of the Platte valley
thereafter assembled at Saratoga
and employed me to defend their
rights. / Immediately entered upon
the task Of compiling data with which
to combat the claims of the owners
of the railroad, enlisted the active
support of a number OF citizens OF
. the valley and after some months a
large amount of statistics as to the
resources OF the community was
Assembled.
Thereafter | went to Washington
in company with l.. G. Davis to as
certain the best method of procedure
before the Interstate Commerce Com
mission. While there talked with
all of our delegation in Congress.
Senators Warren and Kendrick and
MI. MohuelI. hls lOHutl Hiio
duced me to two or three members
sion and Mr.. Kendrick did a similar
service.
while in Washington 1t was ar
ranged that instead OF conducting the
hearing before the Interstate Com
merce Commission in Washington
that II should be held before the
Public Service Commission of the
State OF wyoming at Cheyenne. The
date was finally fixed and the hear
ing held before that body. The own
ers OF the railroad were represented
at the hearing by Messrs. Bardwell
and Hecox OF Denver. and the citi-
zens OF the Platte Valley were repre-
scented by me. Messrs. McCay. Mey-
er. Austin. Igo. Sears, Healey. and
CONFESS were present at the hearing
and testified on behalf Of the Valley.
Thereafter the Public Service Com
mission made its findings and rec
concentrations to the Interstate Com
merce Commission.
1.-The Interstate Commerce Com
mission fixed a day for final argu-
ment before hat body in Washing
ton. / appeared at that meeting and
stated the reasons why the Saratoga
e. Encampment Railroad should not
be dismantled and why the service
should be continued. On the date OF
the argument Senator Kendrick and
appeared and presented the ease for
the valley. At the conclusion of
the argument. at my request and that
OF Senator Kendrick. the Interstate
Commerce Commission wired Mr..
Gray. President OF the Union Pacific
Railroad Company. asking him to
meet in Joint conference with the In
terstate Commerce Commission. and
owners OF the Saratoga & Encamp-
ment Railroad Company. and myself.
The following day Mr.. Meyers of the
Interstate Commerce Commission in
formed me the date when Mr.. Gray
could he present at the conference
referred to. Immediately thereafter
/ took the matter up with Senators
Warren and Kendrick. Mr.. Mondell
and Senator Nicholson OF Colorado.
asking them II they would not be
present ut the joint conference be-
tween the owners OF the two roads
and the Interstate Commerce Com
mission. They all gladly assentcd
and said they would be delighted to
do anything In their power to assist
in bringing about an amtcabie settle
ment and insure the ~permanency OF
the road. At that conference. Mr..
Mondcfp was the only n who made
a formal talk. All OF those present
engaged in a round table discussion.
which resulted In n memorandum be-
ing drafter which laid the foundation
for n leasing contract thereafter en-
tered into between the Saratoga a
Encampment Railroad and the Union
Pacific Railroad Company. whereby
the Union Pacific took over the op-