Evening star., 1896-11-07
OCEAN TO OCEAN
Baltimore and Ohio to Secures a Trans
continental Route.
EFFORT TO INCREASE REVENUE
Employees to Have a Chance to
Buy Stock.
l n S 7 A L L M f. N T PLAN

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
pany has started a fight for Pacific coast
business against It's two strong competi-
| tors. the Vanderbilt and Pennsylvania
lines, and in furtherance of this measure
Mr.. Peter Harvey, who has for several
years past been the representative Of the
Baltimore and Ohio at San Francisco, has
been appointed Pacific coast freight and
passenger agent for the Baltimore and
Ohio. for California, Arizona, Idaho. Mon
tana. Nevada. New Mexico. Oregon. Utan
| and Washington.
Mr.. Harvey was also authorized to ap-
point an assistant freight and passenger
agent. and for this he has selected Mr.. F..
B. Meyers, who. for nine years, has been
| agent of the Atchison. Topeka and Santa
Fe road at Stockton
The trade. that arises in California and at
various points the Pacific coast has
long been regarded a very deSira BILE by all
the eastern roads, but 1t Is only recently
that the Baltimore and Ohio has been able
| TO make such arrangements as have put 1t
| IN position TO hope to succ ccessfully COM
pete for its share. AT present the bulk Of
both the passenger and freight traffic goes
east by way of the Sunset line New Or
leans and the Southern Railway Companys
system or the Northern Pacific route from
Portland and other roads Via ST. Paul and
Chicago to eastern TointS
1t Is claimed that by the Union Pacific,
with which it is said the Baltimore and
Ohio has made a traffic arrangement the
haul will be much shorter. as the route to
be followed. which is by way of Denver,
Omaha and Council Bluffs, is an almost
air line. and that it will be possible for
the rev competitor to ask with reason for
a difYerential
The entrance of the Baltimore and Ohio
into the Pacific coast field is taken by some
well informed persons to convey further
RprtjyprS md
have. as has been heretofore reported in
The Star. determined to cut loose from the
Joint Traffic Association. and to make
everything that can produce a dollar of
revenue do SO.
Increasing Revenue.
Every recent move made by the Balti-
more and Ohio shows 1t. whether the mat
ter dealt with be an investment in which
the company has hundreds of thousands of
dollars locked up. or one that has not
qL1red the expenditure of a single dollar,
and but change of rules is needed to
bring in additional revenue
In the latter class may be placed bicycles
For long time past the Baltimore and
Onio has been carrying bicycles free. and
1t has carried an immense number of them
be tween this city and other places. notably
baltimore and Philadelphia. because Of its
concessions on this point. Now however
1t Is reported that the receivers have de-
termined to charge for carrying bicycles
and many owners of the latter who do
much travelling by rail on part of pro-
posed trip are talking about what they
will do If the baltimore and Ohio changes
It's present rules in this respect.
In the Irst class may be placed such
cases as that of the Immense electric
plant built near Camden station for the
purpose of supplying the electricity neces-
sary to run the locomotives which pun
the long freight trains through the Bel,
Line tunnel. 1t has been found II is
stated.
locomotives. even after the hauling of pas
senSer trains is added to that of freq :
as will. 1t is expected, be done in a little
while. will not require more than , per
cent of the electricity generated and it is
understood that If sufficient number of
customers can be secured the Baltimore
| ard Ohio will enter the commercial field
against the other electric light compa1ttes
doing business in Baltimore.
Costly Undertaking..
Some of the most prominent of the Off
cials of the Baltimore and Ohio have stat
ed that the running of trains by the new
method while successful. has proved Il
very expensive toy. The improvements
which have been put in by various locomo-
tive builders to produce engines that con-
| sumo to a large extent their own smoke,
together with the fact that there is more
than one concern in Baltimore of sufliriep.
capacity to meet all the demands of the
Baltimore and Ohio in this line. have served
as a source of regret that the immense
plant should ever have been built by the
railroad company, representing as it does,
| the expenditure of at least $1,OOOUOO, that,
| 1t is now believed, could have been put to
better use.
Sc far as the freight traffic of the road
is concerned. there not, it Is said
enough cars to meet the demand and it is
| believed that the receivers will soon have
| to ask for authority from the court at
Baltimore to add to the equipment The
Ia
| heavy. but there Is not nearly such a lack
| of accommodations in this department as
| in the other. The fact that the Baltimore
| and Ohio frequently these days for weeks
| at time. carries more tonnage east from
| Chicago than any of the other great trunk
| lines has attracted the attention of the
| board of managers of the Joint Traffic AS
| sccation, and it is said that an inyestiya
| ton is oontempla ted. 1t is alleged that tn,
| managers. most of. if not indeed, all of
| Wnom, know by experience how hard it il,
| :or one road to secure much greater
| amount of business to- the same points than
| its competitors If the tariff established by
| the Joint Traffic Association is adhered to.
| are not willing to conCede that the Baltt-
| more and Ohio has the most persuasive
| freight agents in the country and it is said
| that they profess to believe that some one
| in authority connected with the company is
| making concessions in the way of rates.
| Should this prove to be the case, the mat
| ter will. 1t is reported. be brought to the
attention of the interstate commerce com.
| mission, unless less harsh means which. it
| is said. will be tried prove efficacious in
! getting the Baltimore and Ohio back into
| the traces.
Selling Stock to Employees. 81.
| 1t is reported that a plan to get the
Baltimore and Ohio employees more direct
| ly interested in the affairs of the com
pany is under consideration. and will be
put in operation when the road is reor-
| ganized.
The Illinois Central road is now expert
menting with plan Of this kind anG the
| following is taken from a circular issued
| by the management of that corporation on
| the subject:
! ION the first day Of each month the
| company will quote to employees, throue h
| the heads of their departments, a price at
| which their applications will be accepted
| for the purchase of Illinois Central shares
! during that month. An employe IS offered
I the privilege of subscribing for one share
| at time, payable by installmen.s, in sums
| of s.. or any multiple Of IS, on the COM
| pletion of which the company will deliver
| to him certificate of the share 1esis-
| tered in his name on the books of the com
| pany. He can then If he Wishes begin the
purchase of another share on the Install
| a.,