New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-02-12
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.


Mr.. vANDERBILTS ALLEGED PLAN
sToCKHoLDER CONTRASTS THE LAKE SHORE
RAILROAD WITH THE NEw-YORK, CHICAGO AND
ST. LOUIS ROAD AND PROTESTS AGAINST THE
PURCHASE OF THE LATTER BY MR.. VANDERBILT.
10 the Editor Of The Irt6une.
SIR: A para graph in The Mail and Express leads
me to think that Mr.. Vanderbilt contempates buy
ing the New-YoTk, Chicago and st. Louis Railtoad.
Before he does so / hope he VIII examine INTO the
merits of that line and learn what he is buying lie
will find that il along just south OF the Lake
Shore line most of the way from here 10 Cleveland
but at the crossings of the deep gorges and streams
il DIVORCES TO the higher lands further south,
where the gorges are deeper and wider. For III
stance, at Elk Creek, Penn the gorge Is about l3o
feet deep and 800 feet wide, while at the cross
ing of the Lake Shore road it is less than 100 feet
deep and 800 feet in width. At gainesville the
new road crosses Grand River. where the gorge is
some l. 900 feet wide and more than 100 feet deep,
while it Is only $50 feet VIDE at the Lake Shore
crossing and less than so feet in depth and other
crossings are similarly increased. But this IS
not the greatest ObjecOn all of these openings are
crossed on trestlework on the new line on
which trains cannot be run safely at q
speed greater than twelve miles per hour, while on
the Lake Shore road all of these streams and gorges
are spanned by arches and viaducts OF stone, the
strongest truss bridges of ron and solid earth en-
bankments over which trains are safely passing at
the rate of mile minute. At Elk Creek the Lake
Shore road at first crossed on trestles, which are
now rep aced by arched cuverts, having more than
10 600 wards of stone masonry in them and 2OOOOo
yards OF earth embankment, at cost OF more
than 100000. large portion of the culverts ana
cattle guards the line are construc ed OF TIM
ber while on the old road all constructed with
large block stone. At Cleveland the new line
crosses the Cuyahoga Valley OH trestles fifty feet
high for some 1000 feet. From Cleveland 10
Chicago it appears TO be located as to avoid all
large towns except Fort Wayne. and this for dis
tance of 1925 or more miles, while the Lake Shore
road runs through and to by branches more than
thirty large towns and cities, including Toledo.
Detroit and Grand Rapids. But this does not
show the ridiculous mex pedency of procuring such
an auxiliary anything more than one-tenth OF Its
cost which IF needed at ally may be Ill Illustrated as
follows: The Lake Shore road runs each way DAILY
an average of six passenger trains with capacity
for dong all the business required, with more than
81 LOCO 600 invested in cars and lOcomotlvesf0r TINS
service. The new line must have similar Value OF
equipment for similar service; this would all be
Vaueless to the Lake Shore road The Lake shore
road has some 1900 freight cars and the new
road would be considered well equipped with 3 500
freight ears worth say, 81 500, 600 and 40 freight
locomotives, worth 1000, Giving total OF
s., $50. 900; while the Lake Shore road. bv pnr-
chasing $500 freight cars at cost OF Sl,SOo'OO0
and 10 freight ocomotives for SI3O0Oo ana Oy eX-
mend for addltlOnaI Slue uaCks, utpol PIuuhus
etc say III 900 000 making, in all. S3.35O,OOO
could earn all the increased net profit that IT could
earn were the whole of the line turned over to
1t when completed
Understand the line to be capitalized about
as foiloAs:
First mortgage. bonds. ...-...... $2oo0oo00
Preferred stocR-------.----.-.-.. 4U"oV"U''UpVOOO
Common. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. fV'''VVVo
Aggregate. ........................$I 500, 100000
Now if there is certainty of general increase of
business in the country, and Mr. Vanderbilt could
work the new line cheaply as he could his own
for the service performed (which he cannot dOl he
might poss bly, afford topaz 80 900 600 for the whole
line. but not more hope he VIII not conclude
purchase at any price until he has carefully looked
the matter over, and has consulted his stockholders
1t NAV be well to inquire how the structures on the
new line are he made permanent, as The OLD line
was opened with only a single track with many |
wood cuverts, and was carried over the deep |
rayines on trestles; but all have been made |
permanent with double track. The money used |
for that work, however was mostly procured from
surplus earnings when the road was getting IRON
Que and hail to three cents per ton per mile Tor
carving freight, while now only about SIX mills
per ION per mile can he got or One-third what 1t
got until those great impTov emens were completed
think only indicate the feelings of other stock
holders here toward Mr. Vanderbilt as being de-
oided V opposed to the purchase of The property on
anv terms. S1OCAHOLDER.
Buffalo, n. T., Feb. g. 1882