New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-15
Mr.. LEWIS'S MISSION ABROAD.
p1-MoR THAT IT Is TO SELL. THE ERIE CANAL
TRACTION COMPANY TO AN ENC
IJSH SYNDICATE


c,ar,or r Lewis the attorney Of the Mutual
1ic Insurance Company sailed for Europe on
Saturday last on the steamship Campana' IN
response ostensiby, to cable dislatch from rich
ard A. McCurdy. president OF the COMPANY re-
ouesting him to join him abroad. MT Lewis Is
also secretary and treasurer of the Cataract Cen
eral Electric Company and Of the subsidiary com
many the Erie Canal Traction Company. Niiiam
Mertens. of l.. Won Hoffman Co.. the president
of the Cataract General Electric Company Is no"
IN Europe Rumor. fashioning these lac's 10
gather hut leaving out the fact Of Mr. McCurdA $
cahIo message now has 1t. as published yesterday
that Mr. Lewis has gone abroad 10 meet MT Mer-
tens and sell the Erie Canal Traction COMPANY
outright 10 an English syndicate Tor S"oV"
Incidentally the assertion is published that the
s3 900 600 represents the value of State FRANCHISE
which did cost one cent" and also that inc
Cataract General Electric Company is the largest
of the subsidiary companies Of the Niagara Power
Company"
Ex-senator Commodore p. Vedder Is the general
manager OF the Cataract General Electric Com
many His office is at No. 1856 Liberty-st When
asked about Mr.. Lewis's trip and the En9llsh
syndicate tale. he said yesterday: "All know
about the trip Of Mr. Lewis is that he showed me
a bile message from Mr.. McCurdy. who Is In
London asking him TO join him The Erie 'anal
Traction Company has purchased from me a'a-
ract General Electric Company certain rights to
use electricity IN Transporting oSacS Tb b
company sell out If il chooses but THIS - me
frSt nave ncdru ABOUT an JsIlbIl1H SHil"'"t' III
the matter 49,. ,,
II has secured certain rights from the Niagara
Falls Power Company, wholly distinct organlza-
ton. There is not one stockholder in common be
tween them unless II be Frank W. Hawlcy the
vice-presdcnt of the Cataract Company Our con
tract with the State cost us from Sl5ODO
10 $4,000 in the money we expended in 1895 in ex-
perimentng. That contract was drawn up. every
word Of It. by Governor Flower He put in the
strongest kind of restrictions. limits upon our
charges and other things calculated 10 frighten
us out. ! should say. | was opposed 10 going into
The company after seeing those restrictions. but
finally went in.
The rurnor referred 70 has it that the Yam
derbilts ana representatives Of the Erie Rail-
road fought the granting Of the franchise to the
company. and that they were behind the rcstric
tions. on this POINT Mr.. Nedder said II know
nothing about that. do know that Governor
Flower made the restrictions as severe as he well
could. We then made contract with the Erie
Canal Traction Company for the use Of our cleo
tricity I'm the way that we, the other
hand secured rights from the Niagara Falls
Power Company for the use OF the electricity
generated by Il from the power of the falls. There
IL no reason why the present stockholders OF the
Fri. Csnal TRACTION Company should not sell out
The following persons interested in the Cataract
and the Erie Traction companies declared that
they knew nothing about the English syndicate
alleged sale: Thomas G. Platt. George c. Haven.
jr. Adrian Iselln jr.. F. NJ. Theiriot, one Of Mr.
Mcrtens's partners; Mr.. Latham, OF Winslow. La
nler e. Co. and others