Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-06-25
NO. 176
MIR. VANDERBILT'S VISIT.

VIII Eastern Trunk Lines BE Extended
to the Trans- Missouri Country 9-yaiua-
bls Hints as to the Effect Such Move
Would Have on Western Railroad Con.
nections East of Chicago-st. Paul the
Chicago of the Future.
Agentleman of st. Paul, well acquaint-
ed in railroad circles, who has recently re-
turned from the East, advanced the fol-
lowing theory to a GLOBE reporter yes
terday, when asked what he thought to
be the purport of Vanderbilt's visit to
st. Paul:
"To my mind it is plain enough" he
said. "The most marked feature in the
railway situation for years past has been
the concentration of the eastern trunk
lines in Chicago as common terminal
point There was the New York Cen
trail represented by the Lake Shore s.
Michigan Central, Of which they are its
feeders. There was the Pennsylvania
Central with its feeder, the Fort Wayne.
There was the Baltimore Sc Ohio, and
the Erie and the Grand Trunk. They
have at intervals pooled the traffic from
Chicago eastward, and then at intervals
waged relentless warfare. 1t has been
with the utmost difficulty they could
keep at peace for division of the
traffic. Giant powers as were these
trunk lines, there was not sufficient
temerity among them to build west Of
Chicago, but for years they have all rec
ognized Chicago as their terminal point,
and dared not brook the i'll will of the
Rock Island, Illinois Central and Bur-
lington to the south and southwest or
the Northwestern and Milwaukee g. st.
Paul to the northwest. Chicago was the
| terminal point of the eastern and west
ern systems by common truce, land her
greatness as city is largely attributable
to it. The western lines dare not build
east of Chicago and the eastern lines
dare not buildiwest of Chicago. A move
of either party over the truce line at Chi
cage would have made wild demorali-
zation in the railroad circles of the coun-
try, and any one line attempting such
| move would have incurred the hostility
of all others. The eastern trunk
lines have formed a money
pool and it would bid fair of lasting sue
cess if no new lines were to be built be-
tween Chicago and New York, but rap
| idly the New York, Chicago s. St. Louis
| is being pushed to completion, and when
done will demand share in the pool
equal to the New York Contra, and if it
gets in peaceably another Seney will build
another trunk line and demand a place
in the;psol. Vanderbilt foresees this and
is shrewd enough to capture majority of
the stock of the Chicago 6 Northwestern
and to hold that great corporation in his
grasp for the purpose, when the issue is
squarely forced upon him, of embracing
the New York Central, Lake Shore 6
Northwestern into one grand consolidated
system. When he does this the
Pennsylvania Central and the other
eastern trunk lines must, by
buying or building, seek their feeders
west of Chicago In my opinion Van
derbilt's western trip was with especial
reference to this move which will not be
long delayed"
elbow will this effect St. Paul9" the re-
porter asked.
cit will be immensely to our benefit"
the gentleman rejoined, s'if the truce
which makes st. Paul terminal point
for the two systems here be maintained
The Northern Pacific and Manitoba line
to the north and them Northwestern and Mil
waukee & st. Paul to the east, make St.
Paul terminal point. If the truce here
be maintained don't you see that it will
hinure greatly to our benefit, to have
new competitive lines from the
east? 1t has long been my idea
that Chicago would in time lose the very
important position which has so greatly
made her what she is. l do not think
any one city will gain all Chicago may
lose by the move. st. Paul will probably
greatly gain at the north, and Omaha and
Kansas City will be benefited as well. 1t
is very like game of chess, and 1 am
sure that Vanderbilt came West, feeling
the time so near at hand for this impor-
tant move, that he might see with his
own eyes and confirm his mind in the
wisdom of it.