The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-13
New York Central
May Buy 1t.
THE RUMOR De MED.
But Strong Indications
Point to Its Truth.

Railroad circles in and about Worces-
ter are considerably exercised over the
report that is being circulated again
that the Fitchburg road will soon come
under the control of the New York Cen
trail and that in a year or two from
now the latter road will be throwing all
its through business to Boston and
New England over the Fitchburg.
There is a very considerable amount
of Fftchburg stock held by Worcester
investors, and the following statement
by the United States Investor may not
prove undressing:
This scheme would be an advantage
to the New York Central, as the dis
lance from Albany to Boston over the
t1tchburg is two miles less than over
the Boston and Albany. and the recent
acquisition of the Rutland road by the
Vanderbilts would render the Fitchburg
with its Cheshire branch to Bellows
rails part of a great thoroughfare be-
tween Boston and the lake regions,
ana which, it is stated, would make the
distance between those points about 16
miles shorter than through any other
route.
Reports of this character are of
course. vigorously denied. but it is
stoutly maintained by those who are in
close touch with leading bankers in
terested in railroad properties in Bos-
ton that program of this kind is pref
" sure to be carried out
IL IS also stated that the Massachu-
setts legislature of 1899 will be asked
10 confirm this deal by ratifying the
sale of the states interest in the road,
winch interest consists of $4,000 shares
or common stock. This common stock
Is now quoted at %.
Such a move is in line also with the
recent report that the Boston and AL
bany was seeking a western outlet. in
dependent of the Nanderbilts, the ac-
QUESTION Of the Poughkeepsie bridge
system by the Central New England
pelng construed as one step in the car
rying out of that plan. AS was shown
IN our issue of January q, it is pro-
posed TO build from Tariffvine, CT, to
Springfield, Mass, affording at the lat
ter point connection with the Boston
and Albany and the Boston and Maine.
When this line is built the Boston and
Albany, by connecting with the Central
New England and the PoughkeepSie
bridge, will have direct connection with
lines which will enable it to enter
Pennsylvania and southern points in
dependently of the Vanderbilt lines.
If the foregoing is a correct diagno-
sis of the situation with reference to
the Boston and Albany, the control of
the Fitchburg by the Vanderbilt inter
est would seem, to say the least. to be a
not improbable event. The Vanderbilts,
we are informed, are determined to get
as much of the business of northern
New England as they can. They can
get very little of this by opera ting
through the Boston and Albany, and
the most natural course for them 10
take would be to seek the acquisition
Of the Fitchburg 1t is claimed in
deed, that consolidation would have
been effected long ago unquestionably
had it not been for the large amount of
common stock held by the state of
Massachusetts. Its $4,000 shares con-
stitute more than a majority of the
common stock. At the present market
price these shares are worth 81, 100, 900,
which is all that the state has to show
for the millions which it spent on the
tunnel. At what price the state would
be willing to part with these shares is
an interesting question. In the mean
time 1t may be worth while to watch
the market quotations for Fitchburg
Loo CT