Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-03-12
The Battle of the Railways.

The battle of the Railroads, like
many another battle, has been confused
and varying, and even yet, though il
seems to have almost died away, the
poised between the contestants. The
Eastern public has a vague idea that,
in substance, the struggle has been one
for Pacific railway connections. In
fact, it has been for the trade of the
whole West, as centering, from what
ever quarter, at its three great towns,
Cincinnati, st. Louis, and Chicago.
At Cincinnati the rival trunk lines
contended for the passenger and freight
traffic from the Ohio valley, and
(through connections to be established
with the Southern railway system at
region between the AIleghanies and
the Mississippi, and north Of the line
to which New Orleans was able 10
reach. Two lines, the Baltimore and
Ohio, and the Pennsylvania Central,
practically divided this business be-
tween them. The Baltimore and Ohio
had made its connections with Cincin-
natl secure by the control of the Mari
eta Road. The Pennsylvania Central
was equally secdre by its control Of the
Pan Handle, which carried its business
from Pittsburgh to Columbus, and by
close affiliations with the Little Miami.
which carried IL from Columbus to Gin :
C4uualls 4nLo L4lE 4lLEA0 1EUllLV DATGV
came the Erie, by the sudden lease of
the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton
Road. The Erie proper, aud the Allan
tic and Great Western, which il con.
trolled, carried its business to Dayton
within tantalizing distance OF the goal.
The lease of the G. H. and d. Road
furnished the missing link, and uncer-
enormously planted the unbidden Erie
in Cincinnati, beside its too-secure n
walls.
This done, the struggle for St. Louis
was easy. Inc Erie was sure of natur-
al ally in the brOad-guage Ohio and
Mississippi, which connects Cincinnati
with st. Louis. When IL reached
Cincinnati, the extension of its close
connection TO st. Louis was therefore
rather the work Of naturul causes than
of any special RdrOitness. But the re-
suit was equally satisfactory 10 the
managers They found at last their
great road stretching an unbroken
bToad-guage line from the Atlantic
Ocean to the Mississippi River, from
New York to Cincinnati and st. Louis
Not satisfied with this, it even strove to
cut of the Pennsylvania Central from
st. Louis, by le tsing the chain of con-
Meeting railroads known rs the ben
Smith Roads" For a little while this
gigantic scheme seemed about to sue
coed but at the last moment the
PenneylvRnia carried the day and 1eas-
fore, three trunk lines B. & o., Penn.
Cent. and Erie) &C st. Louis,
Then remained the struggle for Chit
cago. Here the New York Central,
connecting West from Cleveland over
| lines with which its alliance was be-
| lieved to be sure, has hitherto main
tanned an easy pre-eminence. The
Pennsylvania Central was equally Sc
cure though its connection with the
Pittsburg, Fort Wayne and Chicago
out. It's struggles, OF course, hinged
on the Fort Wayne road. 1t almost
| gained control of the stock, was then
beaten by sudden flank movement in
the Pennsylvania Legislature in the in
| terest Of their own road, and has finRl-
/ Iy, IL yesterdays Eumors may be cred
1 tied, secured Rmicably what It's contest
had failed to win. This, therefore,
| plants the three roads on equal terms
at Chieago,--N. y. Tribune,