Show WHO CUT THE RATES General Agents Held a Breezy Session PROFOUND SECRECY DESIRED i i New of Meeting However Leakc I Out and Shows Some Interesting j j I and Heated Accusations Denials Rented Argument Hose Chairman and I i Nesleu Secretary Names of Thoso PresentNew Operating Official I i for Bio Grande Seven Scalpers I Held Other Kalhvay News IAn I Ii i i I An unusual meeting of railroad men I was held In this city yesterday The jjatherlnff took j > laco In the ofllcc of Assistant General Freight Agent Beeves oC the Oregon Short Line and was an absolutely secret slon Pres wa al absoluol ent were the following general agents i i and others Kenworthy and Nevins of I I the Rio Giandc lines Gray 6f the Harrlman lines Trlpp of the Gould lines Sheunan of the Colorado road Lownsbcrry of the Great Western Walker of the Northwestern warren of the Santa Fe Hoso of the Illinois I Central Donnell of the Colorado Midland i Mid-land Downing oC the St Paul Oglesby 01 the Rock Island and olhern I From all accounts It was one of the warmest sessions Imaginable Everyman Every-man had his sheath knife carefully 1 concealed but was out with his little hammer and the ratatatlal of tho knocker went merrily on from morn until eve The sessions were from 0 to 12 and from 1 to 3 oclock Every agent j positively declined to give out the nature na-ture of the meeting those present ort or-t R what was accomplished being sworn I to secrecy but there was no such obligation upon The Tribune so the f public is given n synopsis of tho doings do-ings In the first placethe meeting was called for the purpose of reaching an agreement to abide by the tariff rates which soir0 are doing but some others I are not It was called at the instance of tho leading men of the traffic department de-partment 1 On assembling Walker jocularly proposed pro-posed that the Parson open with I prayer This being dispensed with Donald Rose of tho Illinois Central was elected chairman as the Chesterfield j Chester-field of the party Dick Xeslcn of the Burlington who never cut a rate 5n all his life wait elected secretary fTripp of the Gould lines Gray of the i Illarrlman lines and Oglesby of thereat the-reat Roclc Island route were named oee as an executive committee with extraordinary ex-traordinary powers for future reference refer-ence Then the chairman asked who hnd cut mtes Nobody seemed eager to cut I I in but a voice in the rear yelled Lownsberry and he was I for a full j 3 alf hour The Great Western got it I both coming and going and there was all kinds of 3 rough house Lowns 1 berry ma eo brave defense and had 11 I J out several allegations were on file nnd these caused quite a heated discussion discus-sion with some sharp words passing Warren of tho Santa Fe was the next man accused He denied the charge most vehemently and said that his road had never cut a Utah rate but had given half rates from Chicago to the Missouri river to keep up with the other roads Warren was pretty mad Donald Rose declared that since the order to maintain tariff he had abrogated f abro-gated all his contracts TrIpp said mo too but the latter was talked toby to-by some of his bretheren Reeves had 3 plaint this road was continually getting the worst of It because J absolutely maintained rates while the other roads were cutting cut-ting rates The Union Pacific had rates Pacifc canceled can-celed all Its special rates and was trying to act square but it was 1m Pisslblc to get business when a shipper I ship-per asked 1 What can you do for me and when the reply was nothing but tariff the shipper would reply Well you cant have the business There was some mealy livestock talk reminiscences on sheep and wool and u kick all around on freight rates generally A committee was named to keep Its six eyes on cutlers and when 0 a charge Is brought against a general agent to investigate it and name the punishment but whether boiling oil or molted lead will be used deponent saith not Chairman Rose Secretary Neslen and each one present at the meeting was seen at Its close but they Feferrod the question to Mr Reeves The latter r said he had absolutely no statement to make |