The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-21
GENERAL NEWS
OF INDUSTRIES

INT lght that Is now on for the pos.
sessio bf the franchises and right OF
waye the old abandoned South Noun
tain lad, between the Pennsylvania
MidlaAd and the Blue Mountain rail-
road, OF which Clinton Rover is the
president, promises to be an interesting
one, and already, says the Philadelphia
Record, examinations and re-crimlna'
tions are flying thick and fast between
the rival corporations. The Blue Noun
tain railroad is the outgrowth Of an
organization effected by James Marsh,
q Lebanon contractor, who had lien
against the old South Mountain for
construction work done and who pur-
chased the rights and franchises OF that
road at sheriff's sale some months ago
To comply with the laws of the com
monwealth and maintain the validity
Of his purchase, 1t was necessary to er'
feet an organization within thirty
days, and the Blue Mountain company
was the outgrowth. 1t was not very
long before the organizers or the
Blue Mountain railroad awoke
TO the fact that though they
had purchased the rights and fran
chises of the South Mountain road they
possessed nothing but the bear fran
chise, the rights of way having revert
ed TO the original owners OF the land.
Upon discovering this fact they at once
set about to secure the necessary
rights of way, and W. @. Mayne, the
counsel for the company, and one OF
the prime movers in the projsct is au
thority for the statement that fully
two thirds Of these have been secured
Mr.. Mayne further states that the
Pennsylvania Midland. which is CAPT
talized at So. 500, 900, and claims to have
secured by deed the entire right OF way
OF the old South Mountain road. pos
sesses nothing but a franchise, which
represents cash outlay 80 far Of about
$4,000. made up mainly OF counsel fees,
and the purchase at sheritfs sale OF
Mr.. Marsh's interest as an incorporation
in the Blue Mountain railroad. The
Blue Mountain company has for some
weeks been engaged in a careful result
vey Of the old South Mountain route,
and the action of the Pennsylvania
Midland directors in approving the
hasty survey and ordering il to be file
at Harrisburg is taken as an intention
on their part to forestsll their rivals IN
the matter Of location,
A belief once prevailed. says the
Stakeholder, that the Pennsylvania,
through its refusal to cooperate with
other companies, would eventually be
the means of disrupting the combina-
tion. This belief was intensified when
the returns Of 1893 were in, showing
that the company increased its tonnage
during that year 276,921 tons, or per
cent. over 1892, following the increase
in 1899 over 1891 Of s par cent. The
decrease to be noted in its output this
year, therefore, is surprising, and lie
construed to indicate that it has al
most reached lat any rate, temporarily J
the maximum producing capacity.
The anthracite coal regions are also
becoming girdled with electric rail-
roads, which connect town after town
with their neighbors on both sides. 10
the main the securities Of these COM
panies are paying investments. and
their patronage increase from week to
week. The closeness with which the
steam railway companies watch their
movements is the strongest evidence
that could be found of the probable
future of the electric lines. Whatever
may once have been thought Of them,
it is now evident that they have come
to stay, and general willingness to
admit the fact has been reached by
their competing lines. But while this
is true, and while it is also fact that
their completion does not swell the re-
ceipts of the steam roads, their exten-
zion is to be complacently regarded by
the public. 1t gives the latter the
choice of travelling by different lines at
lower rates, and does not force the old
companies into receivers hands. Iti
the knowlsge Of these facts which i'm
pels the people to urge on the work OF
electric extension. n.-Philadelphia In.
quirer