The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-12-06
RAILROAD COMBINATIONS.

1
all others, and in its qualifications to aiiec
every business relation. The latest and mos
startling movement among the railroad lords
is the open union of the Jay Gould and Van
derbilt interests, as evidenced by the recent
sale of S25000,000 of New York Central stock
| by Vanderbilt to what is called the Jay Gould
syndicate. Vanderbilt had control of the New
| York Central Michigan Southern, Michigan
| Central, Chicago and Northwestern and dear
knows how many more trunk and tributary
| lines. Jay Gould controlled the Ere, Lake
Shore Fort Wayne and other Eastern lines
and the Union Pacific with host of its tribu
talcs west Of Chicago The union of the
Gould and Vanderbilt interests, under the nom
inal control of powerful syndicate, has at first
blush the startling appearance of virtual
consolidation into one mammoth, monstrous,
souless corporation Of all the railroad lines of
any consequence between the Atlantic and Pa
cifc-a combination controlling such untold
millions of capital and therefore capable of ex.
erting 50 unlimited domination over every
business interest and relation Of the country IA
to justify widespread uncasness and apprc
hension. There is however, a rift in the cloud.
Vast and widely interlacing as the chain is
linking together the Gould Vanderbilt comb
nation, there are yet many miles of railroad
that have eluded its grasp. These belong large
" to what Is known as the Boston syndicate,
ever which the Wall street kings never could
extend their domination. The backbone of
the vast railroad system over which the intu-
ence of tins rival syndicate extends is the At
Gibson, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad For n
month past we have heard daily Of G0uld's
movements in the West To-day he Is at st.
Louis, tomorrow at Kansas City, next day at
Omaha, &c, all his efforts being directed to
shutting off the Atchlson, Topeka and Santa
Fe from its eastern connections, as well as pos.
sibiltics Of gaming route to the Pacific But
ed In spite of Gould's Establishments, the
rival syndicate has been able to wrest from his
grasp the Chicago and st. Louis road, with its
connections to the Missouri river, thus giving
with Chicago and st. LOUIS; and as to shutting
off the A. r. IL St f. from the Pacific, Gould
has again been Circumvented and headed off
as effectually by the success of the Atchson
road or Boston syndicate IN getting control Of
the ST Louis and San Francisco road BY this
arrangement the Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fe Railroad gets a half-lntcrest in the old char.
ter of the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad known
as the thirty fifth parallel line, owned by the
st. Louis & San Francisco, and to which a
large and valuable land grant is attached. The
two roads Will build jointly on this charter
from the main line Of the Atchison Topeka &
Santa Fe Railroad at Albuquerque due west to
Los Angeles, and thence north to San Francis.
CO. and the track will be owned Jointly by both
roads The line has been surveyed, and there
are no obstacles in the way Of It's speedy COM
pletion. Work is to be commenced at once
and will be pushed forward with all possible
speed and energy, and it is expected to have it
completed and in running order within two
years from date. This line to the Pacific will
be considerably shorter than the Union Pacific,
and, AS 1t runs through more Southern lati-
tude, will not be blockaded by snow during
the winter, but Will be in good working order
all the year round.
Not only this, but the Atchison, Topeka &
Santa Fe company will have a second route to
California, by way of the Southern Pacific
The man line is now being pushed forward at
the rate Of two miles q day to FL Paso, which
point will be reached next summer The Rio
Grande will be reached within ior,y.tive days.
AT FL Paso the arrival OF the Southern Pacific,
which is rapidly pushing eastward, will be
awaited. 4 branch line is also to be construct.
ed into Southeastern Arizona from a point on
the main line Of the AtchSon, Topeka Il San
Ia Fe twenty miles south Of Bolomas
And it will have third route to the Pacific
by the road now in course of construction
through old Mexico to Guyamas To this line
the large Mexican land grant is attached Work
on this line is being prosecuted with the same
speed ana energy as on the other lines That
part OF this road from Guaymas to hermoslllo
Is Already under contract, ana work eastward
will be commenced at once.
So il will be seen the mighty Gould.V Wander
bilt combination Is yet far from having unlm.
tied control Of the whole railroad system from
the Atlantic to the Pacific. With its splendid
connections by means of the Chicago & St
Louis road TO the East, the Atchison, T. & St.
F. will also have these lines to the Pacific, thus
certainly placing ii in a brieI time largely
ahead Of anything that Jay Gould can putlnto
the field and clean beyond the reach of what.
ever competition he can organize against it.
The Chinese of California have apparently
concluded TO take Dennis Kearney at his word
and go" The semi.monthly steamer from