The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-12-09
RAILWAY MATTERS.
MASSACHUSETTS CENTRAL.

MASSACHUSETTS CENTRAL.
The Massachusetts Central Railroad was origi-
nally chartered to run as direct route from Bos-
ton toward the Hudson river making shorter
line to the West. The road passed through many
years of trouble and was vigorously pushed by
the lines running west from Boston But it has
always been well known that the route projected
by the Central road, was shorter than either of
the others and that it passed through the most
flourishing part of the State during the whole dis
tance 1t runs between the Fitchburg and the
Boston Albany and at the present time is under
the care of the Boston & Lowell road
The effect of the present management greatly
enhances the interest of the Central road, and to
make it patent to all that the investment was a
good one. The Fitchburg road at its present man.
agement loses over $1,000 per month by traffic
which is diverted to the Central road. There has
been going on in the Boston market some quiet
buying OF the Central stock conducted with ap-
parent secrecy; but some parties have absorbed a
considerable amount OF these shares. Those who
know best about it claim that the stock is being
purchased by friends of the Boston & Lowell road
ana lhe merging into that road is not very far
distant date among the probabilities
There seems to be in the line of railroads a con-
solldatlon in our own and other States, and some
OF these line mornings people will be surprised to
ind another road has been absorbed by a greater
element.
GRAND TRUNK-vERMoNT CENTRAL.
The new tariff contract between the Central
Vermont and Grand Trunk Companies recently
mentioned, virtually creates consolidated line
from Bellows Falls and White River Junction to
Detroit and Chicago. The agreement covers pc
riod Of thirty years. with possible revision every
five years. Each company is bound to consult the
other as to through fares and freights through
trains, ETC., and the free interchange of business
in general. 1t is also to be the policy of the par
ties not to enter into any arrangement with other
companies for the interchange 4f traffic in compe-
tition with the lines worked or controlled by their
companies except by mutual consent but on the
contrary they mutually agree to make use of their
respective lines for the conveyance of all traffic
which is controlled by them respectively, and
which can be reasonably and properly forwarded
by their respective lines. And moreover the
fact announced in the last annual report of the
Grand Trunk that it had received one-half of the
capital stock of the CENTRALLY ermont 1870 shares
makes it certain that the latter road is in the com
pete power of the Canadian road for good OF evil
and that all the talk of consolidating the Central
Vermont with the Lowell or the Fitchburg has no
real basis to rest upon.
NOTES.
The annual meetings of the Boston & Maine and
Eastern roads will be held today
The financial article of the Boston Post of Dec
z, relating to the Trustees of the Sinking Fund OF
the Eastern Railroad contains the following state
meut:
lit is rumored that the $475 900 in their hands
as trustees mas been loaned out on bonds of the
Eastern Rail- DAD Company as collateral security
IN order TO give the trustees power to vote ON such
securities at the next meeting
The Boston journal on the authority of the
trustees states that If such rumor exists its is
wholly false, and that not one dollar of the sink
ing fund is or ever has been loaned on said
bonds as collateral