The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-02-08
LEHIGH
WITHDRAWS
1t viii Surrender It's PottSville Short
Line Lease.
AN IMPROBABLE INVESTMENT
1t is Claimed the Royalty is Too Great to
Allow Sufficient Profit on the Lease.
Several Crews will be Dis
pensed with-other Re-
ported Changes.

A ripple of extraordinary interest was
created to-day by a report that the Lshigh
Valley Railroad Company is about to re-
l%inquish its lease of tho Pennsylvania Rail
road Company's short line between this town
and Pottsville, and the interest was increased
when this report was closely followed by an
other that there is to be a big reduction in
the operating force of the Lehigh Valley
Company.
Both reports are evidently well founded
and the public may expect to soon hear of
a number of radical changes in the system
operating under the Lehigh Valley colors.
Within two weeks changes will begin to
develop.
Lehigh Valley Railroad officials are r]eticent
on the subject. although admitting that a
number OF schedule changes are under con-
temptation.
1t was learned to-day from what appears to
be excellent authority that the Pennsylvania
short line will be released by the Lehigh
Valley by the goth inst, and that on and
after that date the line will be operated
directly by the former company
The cause for this REIMBURSEMENT by the
Lehigh Valley company is a subject of
speculation outside of tho immediate official
circles of the companies directly interested.
1t is said to be a policy of retrenchment
and economy on the part of the Lehigh
Valley. 1t is quite we'll known that
as a financial Investment the short line
has been a failure 30 far as the Lehigh Valley
company is concerned, and the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company has been the entire profit
maker by a large margin. Iii not pretended
that the line is not a paying one. Quite to
the contrary, the link is one of the best pay
ing in the country, The trouble has been
that the Lehigh Valley company is handi-
capped by royalty. 1t is understood that the
Lehigh company is paying a royalty of 60 or
SO per cent. for the lease and the surplus has
not been sufficient to make the investment a
paying one.
The change will be a severe blow to tho
Lehigh Valley cOmpany's force of employees.
1t is stated that with the relinquishmsnt OF
the short line the company will also dispense
with a lumber of crews. The figures given
at present are to the effect that twenty-seven
crews will be laid off, five of them to be
taken from the Mahanoy division.
There was also a report to-day that radical
changes will be made on the Ashland branch
of the l.. V. r. r. 1t seems to be a GER
tainty that some of the crews will be taken
off and there i, a possibility that the branch
will be given a schedule of its own, which
will mean that through trains shall be dis.
continued.
A gentleman we'll known in railroad circles
stated to-day that the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company will no doubt accede to the wishes
of the travelling public in many respects con.
corning the operation of the short line. One
of the first changes will probably be made in
tho morning schedule, whereby u train will
leave the Pennsy depot at SIS a. m. This
will enable people north of the mountain tC
reach the court house at 8 a. m. Under the
present schedule this cannot bO done unless
departure is made on the a. IN. short line
train, or on the 1888 a. m. train, via DelanC
and New Boston.