The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-09-07
GENERAL NEWS
OF INDUSTRIES

Luzerne, and the great Lehigh Valley
is just now in the throes of the great
est railroad fight ever known 1t is
night for control, and the principals are
b. T. Wilbur, president Of the road,
and John B. Garrett, one Of the vice
presidents, and the prize they are strug.
Cling for is the presidency Of the road.
In III the railroad romances nothing
ha' 1r possessed the strong human
in st that the Lehigh Valley affairs
n, posaess. E. P. Wilbur is candidate
TO. reelection. His plan is to resign
after his election is secured. In favor of
Robert E. Pattison, who will be presi-
dent. and A. A. Mcleod, late Reading
magnRte, will be made general man.
ager. Mr.. Wilbur considers Mcleod
the ablest railroad man on earth, and
aided by cool, calculating president
like Pattison at the head. believes that
the Valley would be far in the lead. Mr..
Garrett is simply opposed to Mr.. VIII
bur's plan, and is the candidate OF the
conservative element which claims that
it has had entirely too much OF Nc
Lsod. The block Of stock owned by
the Packer estate, which has been
largely increased In the past six months
is voted by atrust composed Of E. P
WILDER, j. B. Garrett, H, B. Harris.
horne, R, A. Ssyrs and James l.
Blakeslee. -
AS 1t stands three Of the trustees can
vote the stock. and Wilbur has Sayre
with him. while Garrett has Harts.
horne. This makes tie with Blakes-
lee as the unknown quantity. He is
the most sought after man in the state
today and is being isqueezsd by both
sides. He was until resently favorable
to Garrett, and all his family were at
one time bitter against Wilbur. They
are alleged to have gone out Of their
road to attack the policy of e. P. Will
bur and r. H. Wilbur, but lately they
have been very thick with the Will burs,
30 tnat the chances are that James l.
Blakeslee will vote for Wilbur and
that means new slate, making
the President Pattison; vice-prssi-
dents, r. d. Sayre, and R.
Fl. Wilbur, Alvsn Markle, of
Hazleton, will likely be a di-
rector on the Wilbur slate. John B.
Garrett has contemplated slate with
Calvin Pardee, of Hszleton, and Charles
Hartshorne as vice presidents, an al
most complete change in the board of
directors. and restrictive" policy.
The floating debt of the Lehigh Valley is
said to be about $7,250, 900, though no
definite statement has been given out.
AS before stated the odds are in favor
Of Wilbur's reelection, though the can
vass for proxies is very exciting, and
recalls forcibly struggle for the votes
OF delegates in o convention by the
candidates. and will be more so in a
few weeks But now all eyes are turned
on James L Blakslee, of Mauch
Chunk. He holds the situation in his
hands. what will he do with it,"
= 1t Is understood that q part of the
new Reading plan is that the holders
Of the floating debt extend their loans
on the present security for twenty years
provided that income bondholders take
$4,000. 900 of the present collateral trust
bonds at par, the money to be used in
paying off receivers certificates. The
general mortgage hondholders shall
agree to sell their coupons for five
years to a syndicate, the proceeds to be
used by the company il necessary. The
stock 10 to pay small assessment. 1t
is said the plan may be announced next
week.
The convention of state railway men
at Reading Wednesday afternoon
elected the following officers: Presi.
dent, John A. Rigg, Reading; vice
president Robert E. Wright, Allen
town; second vice president, G.. F.
Greenwood, Pittsburg; secretary. s P.
Light. Lebanon; treasurer, W. e.
Lanins, York. The following execu-
tive committee was appointed: John A.
Rigg. Reading; S. P. Light, Lebanon;
c. L. Msgee. Pittsburg; B. F. Myers,
Harrisburg, and j. j. Patterson, Lam
caster.
A Johnstown, Pa, dispatch says
"Iron and coke manufacturers have
demonstrated time and again that the
present manufacture of coke in the
beehive ovens Is such a wasteful one
that only so per cent. OF the value of
the coal 10 utilized. Coal operators,
iron manufacturers and chsmists de-
eided almost two years ago to erect an
improved coke oven system, and their
projects will be soon carried out. Tie
Cambria Iron company. which success
fully introduced the manufacture of
spiegelsisen from Germany twenty
years ago, has decided to make all the
coke required for its large plant in the
new coke ovens The first of these
\ ovens may be In operation within six
months. The yield per ton of coal will
at least 10 per cent. more coke, than
: llbked in bee-hive ovent at con-
siderably reduced cost of labor. The
coke Is pushed out by machinery. About
80 pounds Of tar, 20 pounds of sui
phate Of ammonia and 5000 to 1000
cubic feet of surplus gases, not required
to maintain the coking process, will be
yielded per ton Of coal coksd The
surplus gases might be utilized for
raising steam, lighting, domestic use
or for manufacturing purposes. The
waste heat and gases of the ovens,
which enter the chimney with 42O de-
AS"s eioO w houu AOA
raising steam for running the coke
plant. The Cambria company is not
the only one to have the new coke
ovens The New England States will
have several mammoth plants to secure
the by-produets and surplus gases.
Manufacturers Of Pennsylvanis, Ohio,
Illinois, Tennessee, Nebraska and even
San Francisco will make coke in SINH
larA ovens in order to utilize the full
value Of the coal. The demand for
sulphate Of ammonia is almost unlim-
tied, and the erection of by-product
coke ovens will create new and remu
nerative chemical industries and fur
nish to the farmers cheap fertilizer"
Boston capitalists want to build an
electric railway between Harrisburg
and Philadelphia, 1OS miles, cars to
run at the rate Of ninety miles an
hour. The syndicate provides that the
Traction company shall give bonds to