Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-30
BIG RAILROADS TO COMBINE
Pennsylvania Company Acquires Control Of
Baltimore & Ohio,
NEW YORK CENTRAL TAKES IN RIVALS
Executive Heads of Pennsylvania and
Central working Together and II
is Expected These Roads Will
Ultimately Unite.

NEW YORK, Nov. 29.-EXtraordinary ac-
complshments have been completed in east
ern trunk line railway affairs, according
+ to the Times. Changes are brought about
in three important railroad systems. The
! Pennsylvania company acquires control OF
the Baltimore & Ohio.
w X. Vanderbilt, in the interest OF the
New York Central, takes over controlling
holdings of ]. P. Morgan in the Cleveland,
Cincinnati, Chicago & st. Louis and the
Chesapeake & Ohio.
The two deals have been accomplished to-
gether. The executive heads of the Penn
sylvania and New York Central have worked
together. 1t is improbable that either the
one great system acquired by the Penn
syvania or the two important properties ac-
qulred by New York Central interests will be
forthwith attached in open corporation
mergers
Mr.. William O.. Salomon, chairman OF the
finance committee of the Baltimore & Ohio
line, when questioned said:
"I know nothing about the reported deal
have heard nothing about it."
The Evening Post says the following
explanation was current today on the au-
thority of Wall streets interests connected
with the heavy buying of Baltimore G. Ohio
stocks:
"A block of Baltimore & Ohio common
and preferred stocks had been purchased
by A. ]. Cassett and associates in the in
terests of the Pennsylvania railroad.
This stock, with the holdings of j. ].
Hill, places the control OF the Baltimore &
Ohio in harmony with the management of
the Pennsylvania. The New York Central
Is not concerned in the deal, except through
w. X. Vanderbilt, who an individual is
one of the syndicate formed to acquire an
important interest inc Baltimore G Ohio
stock.
Some of the largest buyers of the stock
said that their purchases were delivered to
and paid for by Kuhn, Loeb & Co., and that
banking managers, both of the Baltimore &
Ohio syndicate and of the so-called Harri-
man syndicate are included in the new pur-
chasing syndicate"
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 29.-Officials of
the Pennsylvania railroad today decline to
say anything regarding the statement printed
this morning to the effect that that COM
pany has secured control of the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad company.
William A. Patton, assistant to President
Cassett, was questioned by reporter for
the Associated Press and said: There is
nothing to be said. i have seen publica-
tons of this sort before connecting the
Pennsylvania company with various deals.
They all turned out the same way"
BALTIMORE, Nov. 29.-At the general
offices of the Baltimore & Ohio Railway
company in Il is city it was said this morn
ing that nothing is known concerning the
alleged deal by which the Pennsylvania COM
pany is said to have obtained control of the
Baltimore & Ohio. President John X.
Cowen of TIE Baltimore & Ohio is in New
York and First Vice President Murray is in
Pittsburg. No other person about the build
ing Is authorized to discuss matters of this
nature, but we'll informed official said that
no one at this point would be likely to be
informed as to the truth Of the story at this
time, because all transactions in the stock
took place in New York and not in Balti-
more.
"Our business" he added, "is to run the
road. Thus far all of our orders have ems
mated from Mr.. Cowen and Mr.. Murray. If
the road has changed hands, or II it is about
to do so. we would know nothing about it
until the general public also knew it."
CHICAGO, Nov. $3.50 far as l know
none of the Baltimore G. Ohio stock owned
by the Chicago syndicate has been sold"
said Norman B. Ream today. Mr. Ream
presents the Baltimore & Ohio directory
the Chicago holdings in that property Fur
ther than this he declined to discuss the
story.
From those close to the Chicagoans who
are interested in the Baltimore G. Ohio 1t
was learned that the local syndicate does
not hold the balance Of power and that 1t |
will be possible for the Pennsylvania peo- |
pie to purchase majority of the stock in
dependent Of the western shareholders.