Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-13
NO RIVALS WANTED.
Prospective Combination Of Alle-
gheny's Street Car Lines.
SHUTTING OUT ALL COMPETITION.
A Street Railway Combine Beyond Any
thing America Has Seen.
IMPROVEMENTS OF TIE TWO ROADS


considered magnificent creation from its
birth. Not thus satisfied, however, over
bridge of its own it will cross the Mononga-
hela river and draw life and travel from. ten
miles more of street railways. Mr.. c. l..
Magee is the head of the Duquesne Traction
| Company, and he, with the persons inter
ested with him in the Duquesne Traction
Company, are almost identical with the
owners of the Citizens Traction and Central
Traction lines. With the exception of the
Pittsburg Traction Company, the Birming.
ham Company and the Second Avenue
line, the Duquesne controls all the street
railways of Pittsburg, and has so surround
ed the other lines mentioned that it is gen.
orally agreed they will have to become a
part of the new system, sooner or later.
With this the system was supposed to
end. but Mr.. Magee made a combination
with the Pittsburg, Allegheny and Man
chester, and that line is now practically
leased to the Duquesne Traction Company
for term of SO years.
TALK OF NEW DEAL.
Now is the greatest surprise of all. The
Pleasant Valley Company is the only rival
of the Duquesne. Yesterday it was the talk
everywhere that even that corporation
had made terms with the Pittsburg, ALLIE
gheny and Manchester Traction Company,
which virtually puts the last rival out of
the way, makes the Duquesne Traction
Company sole arbiter of street railway af-
fairs in the two cities, and gives it an ag-
gregate of about IS miles of double-track
street railways.
The grandeur of such deal can be un-
derstood when it is realized that this gives
to the Duquesne Traction Company unlim-
tied control of the street railways in the two
cities, and practically prevents any other
company from entering the city. 1t will
thus have entire control in Pittsburg and
reached the Southside by its own bridge.
On the other side through the Pleasant VAL
ley company it gets control Of the new
bridge under construction at Ninth street.
Over the Seventh street bridge the Pleasant
Valley company holds the right to run its
cars, and, though the bridge is not generally
used now, it runs all-night horse cars over
that bridge just to maintain its rights.
The new bridge which is to be built at
Sixth street will be controlled by the Pitts
burg, Allegheny and Manchester Company
lis, in fact, to be built expressly for them.
Colonel Flod, the consulting engineer of the
Sixth Street Bridge Company, is in Pitts
burg now, selecting the design for the new
bridge, and will probably make decision
in a week or SO. Work will be commenced
and pushed as fast as possible.
SOMETHING OF THE SCHEME.
The scheme of union, it is claimed, was
proposed by d. F. Henry, who is now
Presidens of the Pleasant Valley Company.
He expects to become President of the new
company, but large shareholder of the
company says Joshua Rhoades is slated for
the position if the deal is consum m ated. ~
The solicitor of the Pleasant Valley Com
pany would not deny the report, yesterday,
and as Mr.. Magee is not in the city. others
in the Duquesne Traction Company would
not confirm it.
When Colonel Stone, the solicitor of the
Pleasant Valley road, was interviewed, he
said: "While such might be the case, do
not know that it is. Still, would not like
TO deny it I am not director-only So
licitor for the company, and know no more
about the management of the road itself
than Solicitor John Hampton does about
the management of the Pennsylvania lines.
There may be union effected between the
new Pittsburg, Allegheny and Manchester
Company but from my knowledge of it 1
q
clined to disbelieYe the story. About three
months ago there were such rumors, and six
months ago there was considerable talk be-
tween the two companies, but have not
heard much said on the subject for the past
three months"
d. George B. Hill & Co., who have consider
able Pittsburg, Allegheny and Manchester
holdings, were visited, and they denied such
a union was ever contemplated They hold
that the Pittsburg, Allegheny and Man.
chester is making too much money to COM
bine with the Pleasant Valley.
Fred Gwinner, of the new Pittsburg,
Allegheny 8 Manchester, was seen at his
magnificent home at Superior station. Mr..
Gwinner said he had been sick for some
time, and had not been at any of the meet
ings. Said he: "I do not know much about
the management at present. At the last
meeting of the stockholders I was elected
director, and notified of my election by
mail.
HOW IT HAS BEEN BRoACHED.
ST do not know anything about combi-
nation of the Pittsburg, Allegheny and
Manchester with the Pleasant Valley, but
James Hunter, President of the Allegheny
Common Council, has talked with me about
coming into such combination, at different
times. don't remember just how long ago
it was. hardly believe the report is true"
W. 81. Graham, Secretary of the Pleasant
Valley Company, had just returned, yes
terday, from Snow Mountain, with a good.
fresh color, and an abundance of fish stories.
He had been there two weeks. When asked
about the deal, he said: 81 have been away
two weeks, but such action as that would
not have been taken without nv knowing
1t. I do not believe it has been done.
There have been such rumors, but I don't
believe in paying much attention to them.
We don't need to combine. We are getting
along by ourselves, and it is true we have
received many favors from Allegheny
City,"
Over both of the great Allegheny lines
at present there is wonderful display of
activity. The Pleasant Valley cars ordered
from the Pullman Car Company are at
last coming in from the shops. Owing to
the rush of business their completion has
been delayed, but now every few days
bring in some additions to the stock. Four
new cars arrived last week. A number of
little Improvements have been made on
each of them. During the time the COM
pany has been compelled to wait for their
cars they had old horse cars fitted up with
motors and put on the road. These, how
ever, are disappearing as fast as the new
cars arrive.
SOME OTHER IMPROVEMENTS.
The tracks of the Pleasant Valley road,
too, are receiving attention. On Sanduskv.
Lacock and Monterey streets new steel rails
have been scattered along the route, to re-
place the old ones. On Lacock street men
are already at work laying the new T.
shaped steel rails. Unlike the old ones.
they are being laid on cross-ties, and the |
rails rest on iron supports While these |
are poinO IN tho caru ara |