The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-11-05

entire new system is to be put under a
management which will overlook the
whole line and handle it as a system, and
ultimately a consolidation may follw.
The tendency of the railroad systems of
the country is now towards consolida-
ton, and this new movement of the
Reading managers is a marked step in
that direction. The process has gone on
in the same way that it began here in
Maine years ago when Boston began to
reach out for the railway system of
Maine. The Eastern railroad people be-
gan buying in Maine Central stock, until
after a time they had a majority and con-
trolled the road SO far as votes in the an
nual meeting was concerned. But for
long time this control was carefully ex-
ercised, with due regard to the Maine
men who were at the head of the Maine
Central. Indeed, it may be said that
this regard still continues. since the
Boston & Maine has leased the Eastern
and thereby acquired the control of the
majority Of the Maine Central stock.
This state of things is probably due as
much to confidence which is felt in. the
managers of the Maine Central system as
to any natural forbearance on the part of
the Boston & Maine. Indeed, at the last
Maine Central annual meeting the direc-
tors of the Boston & Maine, headed by
President Jones, came down here and
voted the stock which their road holds,
thus controlling the meeting.
Now, the same thing seems to be hap
pening to the Boston & Maine that hap
| pened to the Maine Central. The Read
ing railroad people are buying up its
| stock. It is not understood that at pres
ent they have the absolute con-
| troll; but it is not improbable that they
will attain it at no distant date. AT pres
emit their holding is large enough to JUS
tify President Mcleod in becoming
president of the Boston G. Maine, thus
uniting under one head an immense rail-
road property.
The PRESS publishes for the informa-
ton of its readers this morning two maps
showing the main portions of the great
system, the Boston & Maine and Reading
portions. The first map shows the main
lines controlled by the Boston & Maine.
It includes the Maine Central road, the
Portland & Rochester and the Vermont
roads which were acquired several years
ago. It will be seen that this portion of
no Poo H. IN
entire State of Maine, as well as the re-
mainder of northern New England. Tt
reaches all the great summer resorts
from Lake Champlain to Eastport. The
White Mountains, the Rangeleys, Moose
head Lake, Bar Harbor, Old Orchard,
the sporting regions of the Upper Kenne-
bee and Penobscot, Lake Winnepesaukee
in New Hampshire, are all on this por-
ton of the system. Then there are also
the paper and lumber mills of Maine, her
cotton and wooden mills, the great man.
ufacturing towns of New Hampshire, and
Massachusetts,, in fact nearly all the ma
tributary to this portion of the new sys-
tenn.
The second map shows another portion
of the system. From the Hudson river
to Boston the Reading makes connection
by the $50 miles of the New York and
New England road. This road the Read
ing controls absolutely, having bought
the majority of it's stock. The Reading
also connects with and controls the
bridge across the Hudson at Poughkeep-
sic, thus making continuous all rail
line Prom Pennsylvania and New Jersey
into New England. OF the Reading sys-
tenn west of the Hudson it may be said
in general that it controls the New Jer-
sey Central Railroad, and on the map
the two are not distinguished, being rep
resented together as Reading.
1t will be noticed on the second map
that the Reading system terminates on
the northwest at Elmira, New York.
There begins the Lehigh Valley railroad,
which runs northwestward to Buffalo on
Lake Ontario, thus giving communica-
ton with the Great Lakes and their traf-
| fic. This Lehigh road is also controlled
by the Reading, and by means of it and
its large feet of steamers on the lakes, a
large through traffic is hoped for from
the West.
Considerable is made of this trunk
line feature by the railroad men who talk
of the new arrangement, and it seems to
mean that the Boston & Maine has at last
become part of great trunk line system
such as the Grand Trunk or Pennsylva-
MIA roads are. The great elevator which
is to be built in Boston is probably in an
ticipation of the through grain traffic of
this new trunk line.
The mileage of the Boston & Maine
system is about 1900 miles, not counting
double tracks and sidings. OF the entire
new system the total mileage is aboul
six thousand miles, which allows it to
take rank a ong the great systems of
the country,
England's Oldest Man.