Daily Republican., 1881-03-23
FUuRrH EnlTiGa
TINE COmPECING LINE.

Ihe Batl01ng Of . Competing L1Ue
AssuTed-lt f. expected 10 be
finIshed Between WtImtnxt0n
sOa Philadelphia by JaIy the
FIrst.
AT last there is something definite In
relation TO the Baltimore and Ohio's
Competing line Of Railroad which has
occupied the public more or less for the
last three or four weeks or indeed siDes
so, after the Legislature met in Janu-
ary when Mr.. Belts introduce sup
elemental amendment TO the charter Of
the Delaware Western Railroad.
Al the gentlemanly imitation Of l.. c
Bird. B:q., Counsel for the Baltimore
aud 0nio road in this city, a representa-.
tive Of the RBPusLIcAS called at his
flee to-day between II and II O'Clock
when Mr.. Bird gave a short suocinct
account OF what has seemed to many
complicated question.
Going back come distance over
the Oft travelled ground it will be re-
meml cred that the Baltimore and Ohio
road was negotiating for the control Of
the Delaware Western road TO enable
that company to establish a through
line to the p, W. L B. road to Phils-
delphia and from thence BY the Round
Brook road secure bee line road to
New York. The Legislature being tar
dy in passing the necessary legislation
ptertd into negotiations with Nathan
iel Thsysr and other heavy stockhold'
ers OF the P. W. 4 B. road for tae pur
chase OF q controlling interest. The
sale OF the road was effected, but the
stock bolders referred to we're unable TO
deliver q control interest, and Mr.. Thay-
or paid the forfeit for not doing 30 IN
the presence OF l. c. Bird, ESQ, and
others.
The obstacle to the delivery OF con-
trolling share in the road by Thayer
was pool 6rued by Messrs. Kidder,
Peabody and others, and which got a
shortly Of the stock in their hands of
the p, W. & b. road. The
stock was thrown upon the market at
$7s per share with privileges until
July Let. 1t was for sale to any rail
road company or any individual who
would give that price. II was, Mr..
Bird says, offered to the Baltimore and
Ohio Company and the offer was de-
clined. Then It was that the Pepnsyl'
vania Company came in and bought up
the stock offered BY the Kiddsr n Pea
body syndicate. The day after the
sale Of the ?. W. & h to Pennsylvania
Central, the Baltimore & 0nio through
Robert Garrett, Vice President, COM
menced negotiations with Col. II. S. Nc
Comb for the purchase OF the Delaware
Western R. K. The meeting Al which
negotiations were conducted was held
at the Hotel Brunswick, New York, Oh
the 9Th of March. There we're present
At that meeting, Vice President Robert
Garrett OF the Baltimore x Ohio road,
John X Covan, Esq General Counsel
for the company, Mr.. Randall Chief
Engineer, Levi C. Bird, Bsq, counsel
tor the road at Wilmington and Col.
II. s. McComb, principal owner Of the
Delaware Western road.
At the meeting various plans were
submitted both by Mr.. Garrett and by
Mr.. McComb, which resulted finally in
the purchase OF the Delaware Western
road BY Mr.. Garrett on behalf OF the
Baltimore and Ohio road. Col. McComb
agreeing to deliver 1900 shares OF
stock Of the Delaware Western and q
certain percentage Of the money was
paid to Col. McComb at that time for
his stock by Mr.. Garrett and the stock
80 conveyed by Colonel McComb)
was 10 be used in the construction OF q
road from Baltimore to Philad-lphia
Col. MoComb with Mr.. Vanderbilt tb en-
offered to furnish the money TO the Bal
,imore and 0his road with which to
build the competing line at s per cent.
sut the offer was declined by Mr.. Gar
rett who said the money had already
been offered at 4 per cent.
Mr.. Bird stated that other parties
were trying to purchase the Delaware
Western road from Col. McComb and
had offered a larger price than the Bal
timore L Ohio had offered, but IS that
was to prevent the building OF oompet.
ing line Of road the offer was rejected
by Col. McComb.
Arrangements, Mr.. Bird says, are
being made for completion of the
road between Wilmington and PhilA.
.delphia by the first Of July. Enei,
neers are surveying in and around
Philadelphia, and corps OF engineers
under Mavor Candy is doing the same
thing in Wilmington and vicinity. The
balance of the road from this city TO
B altimore will be built as soon as
money and men can build it.
Reminding MIR. Bird that arrange.
ments had been entered into between
the Baltimore Il Ohio and the Pennsyl-
vsnia Railroad for the carrying Of
freight and passengers over the latter
road to New York City, M. Bird
g. ated that it was no indication tha:
the building of the competing line
would bs abandoned; that it was to the
interest of the Pennsylvania to make
liberal offers nov to present the build
ing il the new line is possible and
1t was equally the interest OF tbs Baln-
more & Ohio to accept all such liberal
offers until their own road was built.