The morning call., 1893-01-18
ITS GRIP BROKEN.
The Pacific Mail Meets With an Able
Rival.


Rival.
From the nature of tile dispatches sent
from New York and published yesterday
morning it is evident that the Pacific Mail
monopoly has received severe body blow.
Relief for shippers. in the shape of the
Columbian transportation line, is almost an
assured fact.
Interested parties here would neither
affirm nor deny the statements made by
Frank S. johnson of the Johnson Locke
Mercantile Company Of this city, but enough
was said to establish beyond doubt that
the North American Navigation Company
would soon be doing business on the route
so long monOpolzed by the Pacific Mail.
The news from New York is. in substance,
that during the two weeks Mr.. Johnson had
been pushing the scheme he had completed
negotiations with the directors of the Pana-
ma Railway Company whereby the new
Columbian line would have communication
between Colon and New York in spite Of
the opposition offered by the Pacific Mail.
With the steamers OF the North American
Navigation Company to complete the cir
cut Oh this side of the continent there was
nothing left for the promoters of the scneme
to do but receive freight and ship il.
Thus were three transportation companies
merged in one. and the new Columbian was
ann nounced as intending to open up for
business about March l.
While affairs were drawing to focus at
the New York end those interested on this
side of the continent were not idle Ar
rangements for line of steamers between
this port and Panama are being completed,
but the officials of the company are nom
ecmmttal OIL the subject. Captain W. L..
Merry, president of the North American
Navigation Company, was questioned in
regard TO the New York dispatch yesterday.
We'll" he said, 'this is private bus-
ness proposition, and for the present de-
cline to discuss 1T in the newspapers. We
are going ahead with our plans and in time
the whole thing will be made public"
When asked If he had received additional
news from New York Captain Merry said
that he had. but il was mostly in the nature
of deep, dark secret
This much l will say" he continued,
"and that is the Panama Railway Company
has chartered a line of steamers to run in
conjunction with the freight trains across
the isthmus. A wharf has also been
secured at Twenty-fourth and East streets,
New York. from which the first steamer 0 (
the new Columbian line will sail on Feb
ruary s.
''We also have an Office at 81 Rroad way,
formerly occupied by the old Guion line of
steamers. which has gone out of business.
OF course the plan is meeting with strong
opposition The attempt to declare the
Panama Railway Company ins0lvent and
place it into the hands OF receiver Is part
Of the Huntngton-P Pacific Mail fight to beat
our com bination.
From the time the read was built until
the Panama Canal Company got hold of it
the corporation paid Is per cent dividends,
and since then it has paid from to per
cent. There is but slight grounds on which
to ask for receiver or base claim of in
s0lvency, but with Pacific Mail pull there
Is no telling what might be accomplished. :"
Further than this Captain Merry refused
to talk. but from his confident cir 1t is evi
dent that the steamers of the Columbian
line will soon be discharging large quanti-
ties of freight somewhere along the water
front greatly to the discomfort of Hunting
ton and the Pacific Mail.