The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-20

" ruHSt.
Rumors of important changes with
reference to the management and poll
cy of the Delaware and Hudson Canal
company are just now agtating rail-
road, coal and financial circles. The
Philadelphia Stakeholder is authority
for the statement that the Delaware
and Hudson contemplates the absorp-
ton of the New York, Susouehanna
an1 Western and it's coal field extern
sion, the Wilkes-Barre and Eastern.
and is then in turn to be absorbed by
the New York Central and Hudson
River railroad. The fact that the con-
tract of the Delaware and Hudson with
the Erie for hauling its coal over the
jefferson branch Is about to expire is
also referred to and the statement
made that the New York, Susquehanna
and Western is offering to haul the coal
at very much less than the present
contract price of the Erie.
al of these movements on the finan-
cial checkerboard are made, it is said.
with view to giving the Morgan syn
dicate more absolute control of the
coal trade than it has at present.
There is no official of the Delaware
and Hudson company in this city who
can speak with authority about these
rumors. They may or may not be true
say the Scranton officials, still they do
not give the rumors much credence in
the way they are stated in the Stock
holders news story.
RELATIONS FRIENDLY.
The present relations of the Della
ware and Hudson and New York Cen
trail and Hudson River railroad are
very cordial, the Vanderbilts who alb
solutely control the latter, having also
for several years had an actual inter
est in the Delaware and Hudson and in
the Delaware, Lackawanna and West
ern, too, for that matter. The Della
ware and Hudson company is practic-
ally committed to the policy with refer
ence to the coal trade that the Nor
gans are pursuing and it would there
fore be no great advantage to control
| the property further than it is at
| present. That is one of the strong
| reasons advanced to combat the rumor
| that the Delaware and Hudson is likely
| to be leased by the New York Central
| and Hudson River railroad.
1t has been known in railroad circles
| for some time that there has been talk
| of the Delawre and Hudson becoming
| the actual owner or lessee of the New
York, Susquehanna and Western
Since the Wilkes-Barre and Eastern
| was built the two roads have had much
| more extensive business relations than
| ever before. Almost Immediately after
| the Wilkes Barre and Eastern was
| completed a spur was constructed at
| Mill Creek TO connect the two roads
| and since then there has been an in
terchange of business that amounts to
| considera BILE annually.
NOT PROFITABLE.
The purchase or lease of the road
would not prove a very profitable ven.
| ture for the Delaware and Hudson, eX.
perienced railroad men say, and II
would not by any means make the
Delaware and Hudson Independent oi
the Erie. The jefferson branch of the
latter road now serves as the connect
ing link between the Delaware and
| HudsCn's New York and Pennsylvania
roads. TIC get coal to its New Yorl
state tracks the Delaware and Hudson
is compelled to use the Erie and it alsC
has to use the lattcr's tracks 10 senc
coal and freight direct to New York
as its own road runs to Albany.
For some time the Delaware and
Hudson has had surveyors at work
running the lines for a road from
Carbondale to Ninevah but it is mo-
known that it is proposed to build q
road between these points which would
be paralleling the Jefferson branch OF
the Erie. A half dozen similar surveys
have been made in years gone by but
nothing was done beyond laying tht
road out on paper. Officials of the
company now say it is not unlikely tn,
proposed branch will be built The
management feels that 1t is not righ
to have sections of the road divorced
as they are at present and that il
should own the link connecting them
Another matter that Is now occupy
ing the attention of the officers of tn
road Is the tearing up of the third raj
laid to accommodate the narrow guag,
coal "jimmies" that run over the gray
ity road. 1t means that the gravit!
is to be made a standard guage. Al
ready the third rail has been aban
doned below this city
1T IS INVOLVEMENT
Much confusion, expense and delay
is occasioned by the use of cars of TIVE
different guages. Coal loaded in ordin
airy cars cannot be sent over the gray
ity to the Honesdale coal docks be
cause the gravity road was construct
ed for narrow guage cars only. Conse
quently large pockets had to be erect
ed in the northern part of Carbon
dale into which 1t is necessary t
dump a considerable portion of tn,
coal that comes from the mines anC
then reload it into "jimmies" or "gon
dolas" according to the destination o
the coal. If there was one STANDARD
guage the cars might be sent any
where and coal that came up from th
Wyoming valley and was destined 70
the coal docks in Honesdale could b.
sent over the gravity road from oily
phant which would relieve the Car
bondale yard to a considerable extent
Loading and unloading coal cause
much waste. Every time the coal 1
dumped into pockets and drawn OF
again into cars a considerable amour
of it is broken and ground into dust
Any change that will have the effec
of reducing this waste will be an ad
, vantage. The officers of the compan,
. realize this and when they were II
Scranton last week the changing of tn
guage and the corresponding change
at coal breakers together with tn
construction of some short branche
| haf l. 4