The evening times., 1899-12-25
THE GRAIN TRAFFICFIGH1
Moutrears Efforts TO Get Business
: From This Country.
New York. baltimore. Newport News.
and Othcr cities to Suffer-Thc Con-
temrIntcd Transcontinent"iL Line n
Remedy-The baltimore and Ohio
Railroad as the Eastern Branch.

The great effort of Canadian railway
companies and business men to divert the
universal movement of grain frcn the West
through Montreal, instead of through New
York. Boston. Baltimore, Newport News,
Galveston. and Portland, has attracted the
Keen attention of the American railway
world Congress. and the business men OF
the American seaboaid cities. 1t is ac-
knowledged by seme CT the most prominent
interests affected that the Montreal
business men have besn most sue
cessful up TO the present time, and that
contracts already secured by them are like
ly to have q very serious effect upon the
commercial prosperity OF lake. Atlantic.
and gulf ports.
The latest suggestion made by those in
terested is that the great transccntinental
railway system so long discussed be taken
up and made an immediate reality. as a
result of the Montreal competition.
1t is also said that the Baltimore and
ohia Railway is likely to be the Eastern
end Of the system.
President Hilrs Views.
probably as much if not more, directly
interested in the diverting of grain in
enormous quantities to Montreal than eny
other individual railway officer. II IS
known that he looks upon the contract Sc
cured by the COnnors syndicate ut Mon
treal as a very serious matter Mr.. Hill
said TO 4 reporter in New York yesterday:
That arrangement will kill Buffalo
commercial centre and prove disastrous To
the same interests at New York, Boston.
Newport News. Baltimore Galveston. and
Portland. The diversion has begun and
cannot be checked. The remedy? There is
none that | can discover at this time. be-
cause a point has been reached when the
men who have carried this scheme through
have stolen march on the interests that
have been concentrated so long n the
lakes and the seabcard and have felt TOO
secure in their long time prestige
It is believed. however that Mr.. Hill is
not quite so pessimistic in his belief as
this would Indicate: When his comments
we're mentioned to a man whose business
viii be affected by the sending cf grain to
Montreal for export, the latter said:
Il am not sure that there is no remedy
though possibly it may not be Immediate
and from what | know of Mr.. Hill and his
methods l question whether he really is
prise me If the matter of a through line
from the Northwest by way of the Balti-
more and Ohio Were not nearer realiza-
tiOn now, owing to the success of the Con-
nors syndicate. than il has ever been. and
| confidently believe that II the actual facts
were known concerning a deal between the
PENNSYLVANIA. the Baltimore and Ohio and
the Vanderbilts. Of which there have been
so many conflicting stories. it would be
ha 10 a cen 10
late to combination designed TO coun-
tsract the effects Of the Montreal scheme
The interests | have mentioned. which
also include the Chesapeake aud Ohio and
The Big -Four. are more concerned in this
matter than any other. They are Ihe
dominant factors in the territory between
Chicago and the Eas, thai will be badly
hurt for it means a big loss of traffic that
they have controlled for years. and they
must cireumyent Mr.. CCnnors. or else the
earning power of their properties will he
seriously affected.
Some Connecting Links.
Mr. Connors has now anjagonizr,! A
large and influential element in the sai.-
road and financial world, and while he is
apparently ahead at this time. it will be
strange if he should be able 10 permanent
ly outseneral the brainy and financially
strong railroad operators whose prosperity
he has imperiled. l believe that in the end
they will outwit the syndicate. which has
undertaken such a big contract.
Now there is another fact to be kept
in view, and that is that the statement Of
Chairman Solomon that the deal under
way means something coed fer the Bal
timore and Ohio justfies the conclusion
as TO the purpose OF these magnates. but
they are not going TO show their hand
until the time is near fer the opening of
navigation. East of Chicago Mr. HilT's in
terest and that of the men who invested
with him in the Baltimore and Ohio. is in
that particular road, but it would be most
lnpolit1c fer them to antagOnize the Van
derbilts and the Pennsylvania by under
taking to make arrangements indspend-
emily of these influences, fer new through
trunk line that would reach from the
Eastern seaboard to the Pacific Coast
They had to be consulted. and you will
remember, too that President Cassatt has
significantly said that the understanding
between his company and the Baltimore
and Ohio people relates entirely to an ar
rangement in regard to traffic.
There is another and very important
feature which must not be lost sight of II
the Great Northern and the Baltimore and
Ohio are to be Joined. a connecting link
must be secured and while | know moth
lus dpOul II, vi lnt TWO aNalldDIS TOduS
that were mentioned months ago. the Wis
cCnsin Central and the Chicago Great Wes-
tern, the former. think is the more like
ly to be wanted. These two roads have
been the distributing element in the Chi
cago-St. Paul rate situation, and the re-
moval Of either of them from the field az
an actual competitor would not cnly mate
rally improve the situation, but also close
the gap between the Baltimore and Ohio
and the Great Northern.
The Chesapeake and Ohio is particular
iy interested because of its large export
grain business and very heavy investments
at Newport News, and that place is in
cluded by Mr.. Hill in the seaports that
will be affected by the diverting of grain
for foreign shipment to Montreal So far
as the Gulf ports are concerned they proba-
bly, have not been considered in the Penn
sylvania Baltimore and Ohio Vanderbilt
deal"
Dynamite Used a. SaIvc.