Los Angeles herald., 1890-11-04
TO SPAN THE CONTINENT
J. PIERPONT MORGAN'S TRIP TO
THE WEST
His Purpose Said to Be the Furtherance
of a Big Railroad Scheme-The Van
derbilt's Transcontinental Line.

CHICAGO, Nov. 3.-The following is
published here: j. Pierpont Morgan's
present trip to the west has more signi-
ficance than is generally supposed. AL
though it is claimed his visit has no
other object than pleasure and, incl
dentally, to inspect the properties of the
Elgin, Joliet and Eastern, and Chicago,
Milwaukee and St. Paul, in which COM
panies the banking house of Morgan &
Co. holds a controlling interest, yet men
supposed to be we'll informed claim that
startling developments in the western
railroad situation will be made soon
after Morgan's return to New York.
Their opinion is that Mcrgan's visit
means the speedy contamination OF an
other Vanderbilt deal, more startling
than the much talked of Union Pacific
Northwestern deal. The fact is gener-
ally known that Drexel, Morgan d Co.
hold controlling interest in the Elgin,
Joliet and Eastern Belt line, and the
Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul roads.
The latter has been compelled to take
sides with those opposed to the North
western and Union Pacific, which is not
what Drexel, Morgan & Co., desire ;
their intention is to bring these roads
into the Vanderbilt fold. The opinion
is expressed that this will be done as
soon as Morgan returns to New York.
Those ON the inside pretend to know
that before many days an agreement
similar to that existing between the
Union Pacific and the Northwestern will
be made between the Northwestern and
Milwaukee and St. Paul, and it is even
predicted by some that a consolidation
of the two systems will be made. The
attitude lately assumed by the Union
Pacific indicates that something of the
sort will be done. The Northwestern
alone could give the Union Pacific the
west-bound traffic it needs, but with the
Milwaukee and St. Paul added, which
connects with the Union Pacific at
Kansas City, Omaha and Sioux City, the
latter would have all the eastern feeders
it needs, and could defy all other con-
nections.
The Elgin, Joliet and Eastern con-
meets all the Vanderbilt lines east from
Chicago, with the Milwaukee and St.
Paul and the Chicago and Northwestern
systems, and by the use of this connect
ing-link, the Vanderbilt lines east and
west of Chicago would be able to trans
nit through traffic without going
through Chicago and paying heavy term
inal and transfer charges.
The contamination of the deal out
lined in the foregoing, will give the Van
derbilts control of gigantic system
from New York to Ogden, Utah, and all
they would need would be the control OF
the Central Pacific branch of the South
ern Pacific, to give them an independent
line from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
with terminals both at San Francisco
and Portland, the Oregon Short Line OF
the Union Pacific already furnishing an
outlet to the latter point.
The fact that negotiations are all
| ready going on between the Vanderbilts
| and Leland Stanford and other owners
of the outhern Pacific, with the view OF
obtaining possession of the interests oi
those parties in the Southern Pacific
has already been mentioned, and c., P
Huntington admits that there is prob
ability that the Vanderbilts will succeed
in getting control of that property
| With the Southern Pacific in their con
troll, the Vanderbilts will be masters
of the situation, and able to dictate
terms to all the other roads in the coun
| try.