Evening star., 1896-10-29
RAILROAD RIVALRY
Recent Developments in the Seaboard
Air Line Fight.
MAGNATES CONTEHDING FOR CONTROL
The Rothschilds Said to Be Oppos-
ing J. Pierpont Morgan.
SOME INSIDE HISTORY

The rivalry between contesting parties
for the ownership of the Seaboard Air Line
railway has developed into a fight between
the great money kings of Europe, the
Rothschilds. on the one side, and the leader
in gigantic financial transactions in Amer
lea. j. Pierpont Morgan. that is. If informa
tion which reached The Star late last night
is not at fault.
When the history of the war in which
the Seaboard has been apparently the
prime mover comes to be written by those
who inaugurated 1t and the deal is finally
closed by which its future absolute control
Is determined. some very interesting trans
actions will find their way to public at
tention.
As the case now stands. it appears, as
stated by some of those who are on the in
side to Star reporter, that Gen. John Gill;
who inaugurated the movement which Was
intended to oust Mr.. X. Curzon Hoffman
from the presidency of the Seaboard sys-
tenn, has been completely outgeneraled by
Mr. Louis MoLane Of Baltimore. Although
Gen. Gill controls =, 200 shares of the Sea-
board stock. he is as helpless in debating
Ine policy OF the company or in saying
VINO are to occupy its executive positions
as man who holds but one share
1t has also come to the surface that the
probabilities now are that Messrs. Thomas
and Ryan, who had secured an option on
some 5000 shares of the Seaboard stock,
are holding TO that option by only the
most slender thread. SO to speak and tha ,
tnelr venture In getting the option the
tlme Tor the completion of which has about
esApIeu, VIII cost those gentlemen their
hackers, who are said to be the Morgan
syhoicate, very large sum of money.
The ROthschflds Are After Ii.
1t is believed, though SO far nc one who
| Is interested in the matter will admir- i,
| that the Rothschilds, who are the holders
OF immense blocks of stock of the Louis
'liie ana Nashville stock and securities are
IN communication, through :heir New York
agents, August Belmont & COMPANY with
the proper PARTIES. but not Messrs. RYAN
ana Iho:nas. for the purchase CT the 500
man pool
IEe history of the formation of the lat
ter Is Interesting. When Mr. Moncure Rop-
lnson OF Phi.adelphia. Mr.. Louis McLanc
anu s Mr Il: Curzon Hoffman of Baltimore.
together with Judge Leigh r. Watts of
portsmouth. Va, the general counsel CT
the Seaboard, found, a few days ago, tina:
General Gill had secured 300 snares of
ine STOCK OF the road and was doing all
ne couid TO get enough more 10 give him
and his friends the control of the .roper-
W they set to work to compass his de-
1eat, ana SO far they have been apparently
IuIly able 10 secure this end.
For this purpose they Organized what
mas come 10 be known the HOFFMAN
McLane pool, with Mr.. McLaue as chair
man. MI McLane at once ISSUED a cir
cuiar letter to the stockholders requesting
them to deposit their stock with the com
mlttee and to sign agreement "em-
towering the committee to manage the
stock for a period of five wears AT Inc
same time authorizing the committee to sell
at any time on advantageous terms" 1t
Is understood that the right 10 ratify the
action Of the pool committee IS vested in
Mr Moncure Robinson, although there is
said TO be a clause in the agreement re-
quiring vote of tnree-four.hs Of the stock
| holders to ratify a sale.
Control the Situation,
While this occurred but very few days
ago there has already been 50 much stock
deposited with the committee as to make
1t masters Of the situation and those
brokers who were offering SIPS per share
for Seahoard stock have ceased making
purchases. This however, is attributa-
tle in banking circles tc two causes; the
1lrm BELIEF that the stock will soon COM
mand a much higher figure than is now
publicly offered for 1t and the disinclin:.-
tion of those who are associated with
Gen. Gill in getting scattered shares of
stock on account of the impression which
| is abroad that Ryan and Thomas will
not after all get the road.
If the Hoffman -McLane pool sells out to
the parties with whom they are said to
be negotiating, it will mean it is said that
they have been able to secure a very
handsome advance on the figures which
the Ryan and Thomas people offered aud
| ii is also understood that the minority
stockholders who should fail to deposit
their stock previous to the stipulated
time for the closing of the deal will get
the same gilt edge price for their holdings
| ii they should in the near future want to
close out their shares as though they had
availed themselves of the offer of the
pool committee in the first instance.
1t is said to be the wish of the Louis
vile and Nashville Company, which as
before stated principally belongs to the
RothschildS, to own every share of stock
of the Seaboard if il takes any, and this
| is thought to be the reason why the pool
is SO willing to treat the minority with
such unusual fairness as 1t is said to be
contemplating
Giving Ryan md Thomas n Chance
Notwithstanding the evident desire of
the pool committee to prevent the Sea-
| board from going into the hands of the
Ryan and Thomas people and the fact that
the latter have not complied with the terms
of the option, the committee is said to
have given Messrs. Ryan and Thomas an
other opportunity to exercise their option
and save the money they deposited as an