The Elk Mountain pilot., 1923-04-19
RAILROAD MERGERS

The railroads of the United States
like our government activities are
drifting to a central point. New
York runs the railroads of the United
States just as Washington is now
running everything of Importance in
governmental way.
The day was when the Rio Grande
railroad was operated by Colorado
men. 1t was built by them. They
took pride in the state. They knew
the people. The New York financiers
know nothing but profits. They have
no interest in the problems of the
state.
In those days the Rio Grande was
"our railroad" Now it is "their
railroad"
Colorado had only 100000 popula-
tion when the Rio Grande was built.
When the mountains were pierced,
the canons walled, the tunnels bored,
the passes climbed and the snow
sheds erected. In those days miner
on top of Mount Shavano could have
railroad to the mouth Of his shaft.
A section that gave promise Of crops
or cattle was served before there
were any people in it.
Twenty years after the Rio Grande
was built and before the state had
reached million population it was
one OF the best paying roads in the
United States. There was little
travel to California then. There was
scarcely any manufacturing in Colo
rado. There were scarcely any coal
mines. The Rio Grande was a Colo
rado road and it was expanding all
the time. Owners put their money
back into Colorado farms and mines
and manufacturing plants and more
railroads.
Then came the plunderers. Then
came the rakeoff when the railroad
had to be stripped of its last dollar.
when receiver followed receiver.
when service shrank to nothing and
when instead of the handshakinp
Andy Hughes, who. kept everybody
interested in the road, we had the
representatives of the New York
financiers whose slogan was "get the
money. To hell with Colorado and
service"
II as much enthusiasm could be
worked up in Colorado to see that
the investors in the Rio Grande prop
erty got square deal and if the
people of Colorado were as interested
in seeing that the Rio Grande gives
service as they now evince in all
parts of the state in seeing that it
pass into other hands, Colorado would
have railroad and railroad would
be giving service.
We should like to see the Rio
Grande remain the Rio Grande. We
have no more hope for New York
control under any railroad than we
have for New York control of our
mines, our irrigation systems or our
other sources of wealth.
When the smelters were owned bv
Colorado men the miners knew them
personally and could see them in
their offices. Nowadays they adopt
resolutions and write letters to New
fork financiers. In those days the
profits went back into Colorado, now
adays they go into yachts. In those
days the shipper who had griev-
ance complained to Andy Hughes or
he went up to Denver and threw his
feet on Dave Moffat's desk while tbev
talked it over.
Not one man in 10000 in Colorado
knows what this merger business
means 1t looks like we of Colorado
are playing in game of big finan-
ciers and we do not know what hand
any one of them is holding. But we
do know what the Rio Grande rail-
road has been and what it can be.
We know that railroad that pio-
neered its way with population of
100000 and made money. should be
able to make big money in a we'll
populated state.
We feel that if the government
will take as much interest in protect
\\N\\NNNAAAAhA hAAAAAAAAAll/////~