The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-10-31

the Delaware ana hudson canal COM
pany becomes more closely allied than
ever before with the Erie company.
After the first of the year the Della
ware and Hudson Canal company viii
be unable to get any OF its coal, gem
eral freight or passengers out Of this
valley without passing over the Erie
tracks. For years the Delaware and
Hudson has used the Erie road from
Carbondale to NineVah, as the connect
ing link between its New York and
Pennsylvania divisions.
officials of the company from time
to time advocated the building of a
road parallellng the Erie between the
points named, but the directors of the
company could not see the wisdom of
it and nothing was done further than
to make surveys of the route.
The recent decision with reference
to the canal and gravity road will cause
the Delaware and Hudson to lean more
heavily on the Erie. After the first
of the year its coal will be transferred
to the Erie and Wyoming Valley road
al various points along the valley
and taken to HaWley where it will pass
on to the Erie tracks. \ trackage ar
rangement between the Erie and Wy
oming Valley and the Erie makes it
possible for the Delaware and Hudson to
make use of the road of the first
named COMPANY
ANOTHER ROUTE.
If desired coal can also be shipped
over the Wilkes Barre and Eastern
and New York. Susquehanna and
Western railroads, running from
Wilkes Barre to New York. They are
now controlled by the Erie. The Del
aware and Hudson company probab bly,
i'm anticipation of the recent change.
some months ago connected its road
with the Wilkes Barre and Eastern
near Wilkes-Bar 1t is probable that
the coal from the mines of the COM
pany in the vicinity of Plymouth de-
stined for New York will be shipped
over the Wilkes Barre and Eastern.
While changed conditions of the coal
trade and to some extent the shifting
of the territory in which the Delaware
and Hudson Canal company sells it's
| coal, has AIMED the abandonment of the
| canal and gravity road necessary, the
condition of affairs that now ConfrOnts
| the ofiiL g of the company would not
have existed had the progressive ideas
| of Thomas Dickson, when he was pres
| ident of the company. been adopted
| as the permanent policy of the COM
| pany.
Mr.. Dickson early in his career as
railroad man realized the great value
| of the immense coal deposits of this
| valley. He said the company possess
! ing them would have a commodity that
| would always find ready sale and at
| the same time furnish an immense
amount of carrying business for the
road. He favored the purchase of eV-
cry available tract Of coal land the
| company could secure.
This policy did not find favor with
the majority of the directors of the
| company at that time and the golden
! opportunity of the Delaware and Hud.
| son passed. The lands it might easily
have acquired in the early days of the
| development Of the Lackawanna Val.
! ley PASSED into the hands of individ.
uals and they erected breakers anC
begun to mine coal. That made thu
| Scranton branch of the New York. On.
tario and Western necessary and posi-
BILE.
ONE OF THE RESULTS.
This Circumscribing of the limits o.
the coal business of the Delaware an(
| Hudson made it a far less importan
| factor in the anthracite coal trad,
than it otherwise would have been anC
left it with such a small amount O
coal to ship that it is no longer profit
able TO conduct the gravity road anC
canal.
This end was hastened to some ex
tent by the New York, Ontario anC
Western. which secured for it's road th
coal from the openings Of about all o
the individual operators between For
est City and Scranton.
The coal properties of the Delawar
and Hudson are naturally not as val
liable as they were a decade ago an
they will continue to depreciate in val
u. There are no reliable figures as T.
the probable life of their mines but the,
Pro Gmong the Oldest i'm the vale,
and immense quantities of coal hav
been removed from them. 1t may b
that the company is preparin,
for the day when it will have a rail
road on its hands, but no coal WORT
speaking of to ship over it.
The Erie and Wyoming Valley rail
road in making the contract with tn
directors of the proposed new road I
New York was probably preparing fo
similar contingency. BY the arrange
ment entered into the Erie and Wyom
ing Valley company will carry I
Winners the coal from the col
lieries along the valley that Wi
shin otpr tba p1N r,,j A