Evening star., 1897-01-30
Baltimore and Ohio VIII Abandon
the Central Ohio.
4 new ROUTE 10 CHICAGO
The Reading and Western Mary
land Traffic Alliance.
VARIOUS RAILROAD ITEMS

The Inauguration this week by the re-
ceivers of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company of a new through line between
Baltimore, Washington and Chicago is re-
garded by the travelling pubic and among
| railroad men generally as one of the most
important steps taken by the management
since the present aggressive policy was
entered upon.
1t is also taken 10 indicate that the re-
ceivers are preparing to render themselves
Independent of the Central Ohio Railroad
Company, whose line extending from Bell
aire, opposite Wheeling, W. Va, Oh the
Ohio river. to Columbus. has heretofore
been considered as Indispensable TO the
receivers of the Baltimore and Ohio in the
transaction of the larger part of the busi-
ness of the road, both west and east bound,
west of the Ohio river.
The history of the deal by which the
Baltimore and Ohio gained control of the
Central Ohio more than thirty years ago
has already been printed In The Star, and
there is but little to add in reference to
| that matter beyond the fact that the rail-
road men of the present day who have in
vestjgated the subject express the opin-
ion that the lease made by the late Pres
| ident John w. Garrett was extremely IA
| vorable to the Central Ohio company, and
as later developments have, 1t Is asserted,
proven, very onerous to the Baltimore ard
Ohio
| 1t should be borne in mind. however.
| that at the time the lease was entered
| into in 1865 there were not nearly SO
| many railroads in Ohio or the west gener-
| ally as now, and that it was absolutely
necessary for Mr.. Garrett to take the
| course he did in order to reach Chicago,
| or 1t would have been impossible for the
| Baltimore and Ohio lines to have reached
beyond the Ohio river for many years
| longer than was the case.
The opening Of the new line compels
| the Baltimore and Ohio to give 360 miles
of its hauling between this city and Chi
| cago to the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Day
| ton road, and the Louisville, New Albany
| and Chicago roads. but while this is the
/ fact the Baltimore and Ohio will not be
| the loser financially thereby, as for the
present only Pullrnans will be taken by
| that route after leaving Cincinnati. 1t ac-
CON pl1shes what was possibly more to
be desired than anything else, the indepen-
dence OF the receivers in the matter of the
| outcome of the pending controversy be-
| Central Ohio and the former.
b. and O.'s Three Routes.
AS the situation now stands the Balti-
more and Ohio has three separate-and. for
the great Portion of the way, distinct
routes to Chicago and the west and north
west. One of these is via Pittsburg and
over the Pittsburg and Western to Chicago
Junction; the second via the Central Ohio
and Columbus, and the third, the one Just
inaugurated, via Cincinnati and Indianapo-
lis.
1t has been rumored that the Pennsyl-
vania company. which for many years has
owned half of the Central Ohio's line be-
tween Zanesvihe. Ohio, and Columbus. was
in sympathy with the pending move of the
min ority stockholders of the Central Ohio
to force the receivers Of the Baltimore and
Ohio to pay the former a large sum Of
money which it is claimed by them TO be
due as rental, but which is denied by the
| receivers. and that If the Baltimore and
Ohio should decide to Teinquish the Central
Ohio the Pennsylvania would take the
property, either under lease or otherwise,
| and incorporate the Central Ohio into a
new route from Pittsburg to St. Louis aid
the southwest. 1t is only the lack of pos
| session Of the Central Ohio that prevents,
it is said the accomplishment of this long
| cherished design of the Pennsylvania, for
it already has two lines from Pittsburg to
Wheeling, one Of which was built with the
| ultimate intention of eventually extending
| to Kentucky. The ability to run trains to
the southwest via Wheeling and Columbus
| would give it much shorter route to St.
| Louis than 1t now has.
| There is also every reason to believe that
the Baltimore and Ohio is preparing to
enter the field of southern traffic to a much
greater extent than has been the case
| hitherto, and that the receivers are in
hearty sympathy with the movement made
| by the Norfolk and Western to reach At
lanta. and that at the proper time they will
| extend to the enterprise all the aid at their
| command
According to the reports. which seem to
be well authenticated, the Norfolk and
| Western, whose line reaches Bristol, will
directly aid the Atlanta. Knoxville aid
Northern Railway Company. which recently
purchased the Marietta and North Georgia
| road, In extending their line from Knoxville
to Bristol and from Marietta to Atlanta.
The Norfolk and Western and the Balti-
more and Ohio have each long wanted a
southern outlet and now that the oppor-
tunity has presented itself of attaining
that object they do not. 1t is believed. in
| tend to allow the scheme to fall through,
and It Is understood that engineers are al
ready in the field making a preliminary
t | survey south of Bristol.
OF course, 1t is well understood that al
| though the Baltimore and Ohio is in the
1 hands of receivers, that fact is no bar to
: | the company extending Its lines, as the
! | capitalists who are financiering the road
have abundant funds at their command to
i make any improvements and extensions
| which promise to be profitable If they see
proper to provide the funds with which tC
| make them.
Norfolk and Western RumOr.
: 1t Is understood that the Norfolk and
! | Western company is negotiating for some
, 1 property on the south side Of the Potomac
, | with view to using it when its much-de
sired line from Front Royal, Va, to Wash
: ington is constructed.
! Receivers Cowen and Murray have made
l a contract with the western MarylanC
| Railroad Company to deliver to it $50 cal
| loads, or about 5000 tons of soft coal daily
: | at the latter's terminus at Cherry Run, w
: Va, for trans-shipment to the Reading
| which will haul 1t to tide water. 1t is ex
!, | pected that the addition of this much addi
= | tional coal to the eastern coal market viii
. have considerable influence on the price Of
: the product In Boston, New York ard Phil
! adelphia, and perhaps enable the mining
operators of Maryland and West Virgins
| to regain the large trade lost by then
under the operations of the present tariff
l which. 1t Is said. enabled the New Engiant
railroad companies who previously had Sc
cured all their coal from this part OF ths
4 | country to import their fuel from Novs
! Scotia at a lower figure than the sam.
quality of American coal could be bough
| for in their own markets.
Some far-sfghted people think. however
. | that they see in the making Of the abov,
t contract indications that the Reading, OF
e Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Com
' pany as 1t has been called since its pur
I chase by Mr.. J. Pierpont Morgan and re
| organization under his directors and tn,
e Western Maryland win In the near futur,
. carry out important plans which wer,