Index: Interstate Commerce Commission "Tap Line Case" Company Descriptions (1911-1912)  
     
  Source: Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission, 23 I.C.C. 277, 23 I.C.C. 549, and in Decisions of the United States Supreme Court, 234 U.S. 1.  
     
 

Summary: The "Tap Line Case" was a Supreme Court case that answered the question of whether a sawmill that operates its own private railroad should be allowed a division of rates on their outgoing lumber. The court looked at the specifics of over 100 companies, in each case deciding if the chartered railroad demonstrated the movement of passengers and freight beyond the mere shuttling of employees and wood products of the parent company. The published decision included over 100 descriptive summaries of individual railroads in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi.

 
 
 
 
  Company Summaries  
     
 
Alabama Central R.R. (Ala.) Malvern & Freeo Valley Ry. (Ark.)
Angelina & Neches River R.R. (Tex.) Mangham & Northeastern Ry. (La.)
Antoine Valley Railroad (Ark.) Manila & Southwestern Ry. (Ark.)
Arkansas & Gulf R.R. (Ark., La.) Mansfield Ry. & Transportation Co. (La.)
Arkansas Eastern R.R. (Ark.) Memphis, Dallas & Gulf R.R. (Ark.)
Arkansas Southeastern R.R. (Ark.) Mill Creek & Little River Ry. (La.)
Bearden & Ouachita River R.R. (Ark.) Mississippi, Arkansas & Western Ry. (Ark.)
Beaumont & Saratoga Transportation Co. (Tex.) Mississippi Valley Ry. (Miss.)
 

Missouri & Louisiana R.R. (Ark., Mo.)

Beirne & Clear Lake R.R. (Ark.) Monroe & Southwestern Ry. (La.)
Bernice & Northwestern Ry. (La.) Moscow, Camden & San Augustine Ry. (Tex.)
Black Bayou R.R. (La., Tex.) Nacogdoches & Southeastern R.R. (Tex.)
Blytheville Burdette & Mississippi River Ry. (Ark.) Natchez, Ball & Shreveport Ry. (La.)
Blytheville Leachville & Arkansas Southern R.R. (Ark.) Natchez, Columbia & Mobile R.R. (Miss.)
Bodcaw Valley Ry. (La.) Natchez, Urania & Ruston Ry. (La.)
Brookings & Peach Orchard R.R. (Ark.) New Orleans, Natalbany & Natchez Ry. (La.)
Butler County R.R. (Mo.) North Louisiana & Gulf R.R. (La.)
Caddo & Choctaw R.R. (Ark.) Ouachita & Northwestern R.R. (La.)
Caro Northern Ry. (Tex.) Ouachita Valley Ry. (Ark.)
Central Railway Of Arkansas (Ark.) Paragould & Memphis Ry. (Mo.)
Crittenden R.R. (Ark.) Peach River & Gulf R.R. (Tex.)
Crossett Ry. (Ark.) Poplar Bluff & Dan River Ry. (Mo.)
De Queen & Eastern R.R. (Ark.) Prescott & Northwestern R.R. (Ark.)
Deering Southwestern Ry. (Mo.) Red River & Gulf R.R. (La.)
Doniphan, Kensett & Searcy Ry. (Ark.) Red River & Rocky Mount Ry. (La.)
Dorcheat Valley R.R. (La.) Riverside & Gulf Ry. (Tex.)
El Dorado & Wesson Ry. (Ark.) Roosevelt & Western R.R. (La.)
Enterprise Railway (La.) Sabine & Northern R.R. (Tex.)
Fernwood & Gulf R.R. (Miss.) Saginaw & Oachita River R.R. (Ark.)
Fordyce & Princeton R.R. (Ark.) Saline Bayou Ry. (Ark.)
Fourche River Valley & Indian Territory Ry. (Ark.) Saline River Ry. (Ark.)
Freeo Valley R.R. (Ark.) Salem, Winona & Southern R.R. (Mo.)
Galveston, Beaumont & Northeastern Ry. (Tex.) Shreveport, Houston & Gulf R.R. (Tex.)
Gideon & North Island R.R. (Mo.) Sibley, Lake Bisteneau & Southern Ry. (La.)
Glenwood, Hot Springs & Western Railroad (Ark.) Texas South-Eastern R.R. (Tex.)
Gould Southwestern Ry. (Ark.) Thornton & Alexandria Ry. (Ark.)
Griffin, Magnolia & Western Ry. (Ark.) Timpson & Henderson Ry. (Tex.)
Groveton, Lufkin & Northern Ry. (Tex.) Tioga & Southeastern Ry. (La.)
Gulf & Sabine River R.R. (La.) Tremont & Gulf Ry. (La.)
Homan & Southeastern Ry. (Ark.) Trinity Valley & Northern Ry. (Tex.)
Jefferson & Northwestern Ry. (Tex.) Trinity Valley Southern R.R. (Tex.)
Kentwood & Eastern Ry. (La.) Ultima Thule, Arkadelphia & Mississippi R.R. (Ark.)
Kentwood, Greensburg & Southwestern R.R. (La.) Victoria, Fisher & Western R.R. (La.)
Lake Charles Ry. (La.) Warren & Ouachita Valley Ry. (Ark.)
L'anguille River Ry. (Ark.) Warren, Johnsville & Saline River R.R. (Ark.)
Liberty-White R.R. (Miss.) Washington & Choctaw Ry. (Ala.)
Little Rock, Maumelle & Western R.R. (Ark.) Wilmar & Saline Valley R.R. (Ark.)
Little Rock, Sheridan & Saline River Ry. (Ark.) Wilson Northern Ry. (Ark.)
Louisiana Ry. (La.) Woodworth & Louisiana Central Ry. (La.)
Louisiana Central R.R. (La.) Zwolle & Eastern Ry. (La.)
Louisiana & Pacific Ry. (La.)  
Louisiana & Pine Bluff Ry. (Ark., La.)  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Tap Line Case Table of Contents  
     
 

Part 1, Decided April 23, 1912
1. Introduction and summary of opinions.
2. Discriminations resulting from allowances.
3. What is a tap line? Tap lines generally described.
4. General principle controlling the controversy.
5. Each case must stand on its own facts.
6. The log movement to the mill.
7. Use of passes by tap-line officers.
8. The individual cases described.
9. Cases.
10. Supplemental report.

Part 2, Decided May 14, 1912
1. Supplemental Report of the Commission.
2. Cases.
3. Irregular practices of tap lines.

 
     
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Text and images were digitized and proofread from the original source documents by Murry Hammond. Contact Murry for all corrections, additions, and contributions of new material.