Morning journal and courier., 1892-06-13
coNsoL1DArED OWNS TT NOW.

l solidated Now owns all the Tracks
 in this State Except the New Eng.
 land,s-The Purchase Will be Rati-
 fled by the Directors-The Offices
 Win be Probably Moved to New
 Haven.
 The following, which appeared in the Tribune yesterday, was pronounced last evening by Manager Futile, Major Bromley l and Director Ezekiel Trowbridge to be substantially correct. It has not been de- | cided yet whether the offices at Bridgeport of the purchased road will be moved to New Haven, but that will probably take place when the proposed offices in this city are built. The Tribune says:
 Negotiations which have been going on for several weeks between parties repre- senting the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad company and the hold CTS of majority of the stock of the Hous- atomic Railroad company terminated on Friday with the purchase of the latter, and consequent control of the railroad lines in Connecticut and Massachusetts, compris- ing the Housatonic system, by the New York and New Haven. The negotiations were carried out by J. Pierpont Morgan and William Rockefeller in their own names, but there is no doubt that they were acting for the New Haven company, and that their action will be ratified by the full board, if indeed it has not been already.
 This is the most important railroad deal that has been consummated in New Eng land for many years. It not only adds 192 miles to the New York and New Haven system, but it strikes rather decisive blow in the long contest that has been car ried on with much bitterness and at great cost to both, between that road and the New York and New England. For several years the New York and Housatonic have | been in close alliance with each other in i mutual hostility to the New Haven road, | and have been making combined effort to procure by legislation and other wise rival through line between Boston | and New York, which should give the ! New England an entrance into this city ! and furnish New business and increased 1 facilities to part of the Housatonic system. The fight over this question in the Con l necticut legislature of 1889 was one of the bitterest and most prolonged ever known. l The Housatonic main line extends from | Bridgeport to Pittsfeld, Mass, passing through Lenox, to which point the sum- mer travel is large and profitable, and talk ing the traffic of western Massachusetts to the shore of the sound, whence it has here | tofore reached this city by water lines. Under the consolidation the New Haven road will take this traffic through without transfer. The length of this line is Ill miles. In short, in the system are the Danbury and Norwalk, 27 miles; the State Line branch, ii miles; the Brookfield
 branch, miles; the Hawleyville branch,
 miles; the Ridgefeld branch, miles;
 and the New Haven and Derby, 27 miles.
 The purchasing company acquires also
 the very valuable terminal properties of
 the Housatonic at Bridgeport, and the
 New Haven and Derby at New Haven, and
 very likely the transaction will lead to the
 purchase of the Wilson Point property at
 Norwalk, now used by the Housatonic
 company for the transfer of freight to
 boats. The possession of these properties
 by rival company has hitherto interfered
 with the plans for four-tracking the main
 line, and prevented some very important
 changes in Bridgeport and New Haven in
 the layout" of the road, and the erection
 of freight and passenger stations and of
 fee buildings. These improvements will
 soon be made, the four tracks will bs com
 pleted for the entire distance between New
 York and New Haven, and much better &C.,
 commodations for the public will be fur
 nished at Bridgeport and New Haven.
 The first and most important effect of
 the consolidation will be that the travelling
 public will be greatly benefited in the
 added facilities and better accommoda-
 tions that will result from having the con-
 nections of the main line managed by a
 single corporation and running harmoni-
 ously, without clashing of interests or di-
 vided responsibility. To the purchasing
 company it brings very solid advantages
 in relieving it of an annoying if not dan
 gerous rivalry and placing it in an almost
 impregnable position. With the absorp-
 tion of the Housatonic system it comes in-
 to control of the entire railroad mileage of
 the state of Connecticut with the excep-
 tion of the New York and New England
 and the New London and Northern, which
 is leased to the Vermont Central.
 : It not only cripples the fighting capacity ; of the New York and New England by de- taching from it powerful ally, but it goet far toward reducing it to helpleasness ir the matter of making the connections
 necessary to give it the independent through line it has been so long seeking
 That road will now have only steamboat } connection at Norwich and New Londor
 to depend upon as an independent through } line. Whether it will hasten or delay the
 ultimate absorption of the New England ! remains to be seen