The Washington times., 1923-11-02
LINE QUEEN
IN RAILROAD
BATTLE
Girl of %, Fighting Six Big
Systems for Right TO
Operate Vehicles.
By ROBERT S. THORNBURGH.
International News Service.

Facing six railroads, few cham
bers of commerce and some farm
ers' organizations, all of whom have
sworn to put her Red Ball Trans
portation Company out Of business,
Miss Helen Schultz, the bus line
queen OF the Middle West, is in
the battle Of her life.
Alone-one small, wavy-hatred
girl of twenty-three, against cor
porations representing millions Of
dollars-Miss Schultz poo pooed
the idea that tbs railroads would
''get her."
II like a fight when the odds
aren't too great against me-" she
said.
And Miss Schultz implied that
six railroads, including mere lines
like the Chicago and Northwestern,
Chicago Great Northern and the
Rock Island and Pacific, didn't con-
stitute sufficient odds to make her
tremble over the result.
The move against Miss Schultz
has been taken before the Iowa
Railroad Commission, the legal
powers of the rich railway lines
having opened a campaign to prove
the Red Ball Transportation Com
pany is not essential to the pub
lie service.
Cuts Into Business.
The Red Ball, it seems, has been
making serious inroads on the
business of the steam lines, with
rs fleet of fifteen motor busses,
which cover about 1000 miles of
Tall Corn State roads every day.
The railroads would have the Rail-
road Commission deny the Red Ball
certificate to operate, the board
having such powers under a recent
~ enacted State statute regulating
public motor conveyances.
The "bus line queen" was work
ing as a clerk in an Iowa railroad
office a few years ago. She learned
the fudiments Of transportation, and
later, in California, where she went
for visit she became interested in
the operation Of bus lines.
On inheriting an estate, Miss
Schultz purchased a motor bus. The
initial effort was a huge success.
Driving the motor stagecoach her.
self, business grew rapidly, and the
popularity of the line made necessary
the purchase of another bus.
The line grew rapidly until now
IL is said to comprise equipment val
ued at $125,000, covering the entire
section of the State adjacent to Ma
son City. Three competing bus lines
which started operation in the last
year have been forced out Of business
by Miss Schultzs Red Ball Company.
Aside from Miss Schultz. the or
garization consists OF an office girl,
her brother. Mangus. who is the
mechanical director, and the bus
drivers. Miss Schultz dictates poll
cies, does the hiring and firing and
directs the business.
There's little disloyalty among
my men," she said. Occasionally
there are cases of dishonesty, but
they're rare. I'd rather deal with |
men than women"
So far, she asserts, she's had no /
thought of marriage,
A matter of fighting six railroads
and her other enemies is sufficient !
to occupy her attention at this time, /.
it was learned. Encountered by a |
husband she might not be able to |
keep up what so far has been q Uuc- |
cessful fight.
Aside from the. fight with the |
railroads, Miss Schultz recently was |
partly successful in damage suits
against A. H. Refshauge, former
mayor OF Cedar Falls, and Nathan
Enlow, the town marshal.
A jury upheld her charges that
she was Illegally arrested and i'm
prisoned in Cedar Falls. She was
awarded $3.50 damages from each |
of the defendants. Attorneys for |
the officials plan to carry the fight |
TO a higher court.
Last June. when her quick rise
10 the bus-line throne was begin
ming, she was operating one of her
own buses through Cedar Falls.
Row With Officials.
The town marshal. arrested Miss
charging her with INSULT
ing the mayor-calling him an "old
fool"-and operating bus with
sIsIoIJJo eqL 'esusoTI 1no
she attacted the marshal with
Mayor Refshauge demanded tina.
she take out a bus license, test1- |
mony showed. It was declared the |
girl refused AMI left his office.
She was then placed under arrest, |
and a physical fray with the mar
shall followed.
Miss Schultz asserted she was |
dragged back to the mayors office. |
This. with other clashes with To-
cal authorities, was among the in
stances of the rise of the Red Ball !
Transportation Company to the pc
sition of the largest of its kind In
the State and among the most ex-
tensive in the Middle West.
Six railroads and interurban COM
panies onerati~g in the same terri |
tory filed complaints with The IN |
terstate Commerce Commission. but
later have protested to the State !,
Railroad Commission.
The situation has almost become |