The San Francisco call., 1899-05-09
Special Dispatch to The Call.

x LEVELAND, Ohio May THE
Leader will say tomorrow: Ac-
| cording to high official of the
~ Vanderbilt lines in this city the
details of big railroad trust,
which is to include all the lines between
Boston and Chicago, are now being
worked out and the consolidation may
be completed within the next few
weeks. The recent purchase of short
lines in New York, Pennsylvania. Ohio
Indiana and Illinois was in line with
the plans for the consolidation which
has been in contemplation. 1t is not
the purpose to have all the lines under
one management exactly, but to appor-
ton them among the Pennsylvania
company, the Vanderbilt interests and
the Baltimore and Ohio Company when
it shall have been reorganized, giving
to each system the lines that it can
use to the best advantage.
The first inkiing of the scope OF the
plan came when the TsuderbiIts an
nounced the other day that they con-
trolled ali the roads in New England
with the exception of the Boston and
Albany, with which they have now a
traffic agreement and which they ex-
pect to take in soon. The Vanderbilts
now control all the trunk lines between
Buffalo and New York with the excep-
ton of the Erie the Lackawanna and
the Lehigh Valley The Erie, it is
said, will come under the control of
the Vanderbilts through the influence
of the Morgans. While the Lehigh Val
ley may go to the Baltimore and Ohio.
The Lackawanna is now operated in
connection with the Nickel Plate, a
Vanderbilt line.
West of Buffalo the NanderbltS have
the Lake Shore, the Nickel Plate, the
Pittsburg and Lake Erie, the Big Four,
the Michigan Central which, with the
Flint and Pere Marquette, that is soon
to be absorbed, will give a line in
Michigan. The Big Four west is to be
operated in connection with the Monon,
recently purchased by the Morgans, and
the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton is
expected to be absorbed soon. The Lake
Erie and Western. acquired by the Nor
ganS is expected TO give the Wander
bits a line from Sandusky to Peoria,
III. These roads, with the Hooking Val
ley, the Ohio Central the Columbus,
Sandusky and Hooking, and the De-
troit Lima and Northern, will about
complete the Vanderbilt system.
The Pennsylvania, which has an i'm
mense system already under it's con-
troll, is expected to acquire the Cleve-
land, Akron and Columbus, with which
it has a traffic arrangement at pres
ent, the Wheeling and Lake Erie, the
Cleveland, Canton and Southern and
the Ohio Southern, as well as some
minor lines.
To the Baltimore and Ohio is allot-
ted the Lehigh Valley, the Cherry
Creek road, which with the Philadel-
phia and Reading would form
through line from Pittsburg to New
York: the Baltimore and Ohio South
western giving a line to Cincinnati
and ST. Louis; the Pittsburg and West
ern. the Cleveland Terminal and Val
ley and the Northern Ohio, opening
short lines through from Pittsburg
and Cleveland to Chicago, as we'll as
the Cleveland, Lorraine and Wheeling.
These are the outlines only of the plan
which is now being worked out, but
those who have been watching the
changes in the railroad world do not
doubt that it will be carried through
successfully.
The purpose of the consolidation is
said to be to prevent rate cutting and
to accomplish practically what the
Joint Traffic Association was or
ganiZed to do.