The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-02-09
1t Will Be Known as the LaCkaWaNna, Cats
kill Mountain and Boston.
SIMPSON & WATKINS BACK OF IT
Said TO Be Nothing in Building the
Road with a View to Future Profits,
as Other Roads Travel Proposed
Route-The New Line May De Sold
After CompIetion-What Railroad
Men Say.

The Wilkes. Barre Times last evening
said that j. B. Kerr. attorney for the
Ontario and Western railroad, il au-
th0rity for the statement that Simpson
& Watkins, Of Scranton, who have lat
terly been pushing their coal interests
III various sections Of the anthracite
regions, are back Of the LackaWanna,
Catskill Mountain and Boston railroad,
the building Of which Is only delayed
by the necessity Of securing certain
rights OF way. Mr. Kerrs statement il
verified by prominent official Of the
Delaware and Hudson railway, who
said to reporter:
Simpson & Watkins arc the promo.
terra Of the scheme. They are large
shippers. probably ranking next TO
Coke Brothers as producers Of anthra-
otis, At present the Ontario and
Western and Erie handle Simpson g.
Watkins tonnage, which amo UNITS 10
| probably 500 900 tons annually. They
cannot handle it for any less money
than they are getting out Of 1t now,
so that really there would bs nothing
in building the road with an eye TO
profits after wards. as a greater part OF
the route Is already traVersed by e1iat-
! ing roads.
But the road is likely 10 be built all
the same, and Simpson j. Watkins will
bs the construction company. That's
where the money will DO made They
are shrewd managers, and may be able
to get some railroad TO guarantee the
interest on the bonds necessary TO
build the road, if they can show that
the local traffic is likely TO be large -
which point they are making much Of
at present. After the road is built
think it will be for sale.
The local traffic between Delhi and
Walton will be split in two, the bigger
half going to the Ontario and Western
From Delhi to where tho new road
would cross the Ulster and Delaware
the new road would have u good local
traffic. From Deposit, which is d.
rectly north Of the uorthern limit Of
the northern limit Of the Lacks wanna
anthracite coal fields, about forty
miles the new road would get con
neciion with tue Erie. from which
it could get its tonnage over the
Erie's Jefferson branch and At
Walton it could tap the Lacka-
wanna Valley over the Ontario
and Westerns Scranton division by a
haul OF sixty miles The officers of the
LackSwsnnO, Catskill Mountain and
Boston railroad say they are prepared
to build an independent line from De-
poslt to Scranton, q distance of about
fifty miles. For thirty miles of this
distance the new road would parallel
the Ontario and Western and the Della
ware and Hudson or Erie, the two lat
ter using the same tracks.
The road from Deposit to Scranton
would be very expensive one to build,
the Ontario and Western trdversing z
practically the same distance, and their
Scranton division cost $50, 900 a mile, or
thereabout.
IF Simpson &Watkins.had not spent
a great deal OF money on this scheme
little attention would be paid to it, but
they have put in good many thous
aud dollars, and it looks now AS If they
were in earnest
Mr.. Torrsy, sales agent of the Della.
ware ana hudson Canal company, SAID
Simpson & Watkins were large ship
pers Of anthracite, and shrewd oper
ators. and it is understood at his house
in Scranton they were the promoters
of the Lackawanna, Catskill Mountain
and Boston Asked as to the feasibil
ity OF another competing line In the
Lsckawanna valley from the north, he
gave it rs his opinion that the roaG
would be expensive to build as the
Lackawsnna valley at different points
is narrow, and already occupied by
railroad tracks; but he added that il
could be built.