The evening times., 1899-08-31
MAY BUY A RAILROAD.
Competitive Bidders for the Western
Maryland.

BALTIMORE. Md, Aug. Ex-senator
Stephen B. Elkins is expected in
Baltimore today. Mr.. Thomas B. Davis
reached the city yesterday and was last
night in conference with his brother. for
mer Senator Henry G. Davis. Mr.. R. c.
Kerens, of ST. Louis is in New York. These
gentlemen constitute the big four which
controls the West Virginia Central and
Pittsburg Railroad, and immense coal and
timber interests along the route of that
road. The coming to Baltimore of Mr.
Elkins will make three of the four in this
city, while the other member, Mr.. Kerens,
is in New York, within easy reach.
Former Senator Davis said last night
that his presence in the city was to watch
the developments in the Western Maryland
Railroad situation. 1t is now believed by
those best informed on the subject that
the New York syndicate will have a COM
petitor in the West Virginia Central when
the question Of selling the city's interests
in the Western Maryland comes up For
mer Senator Davis, when asked last night
if the West Virginia Central had abandon
ed its idea of securing the Western Mary
land Railroad. replied that it had neither
abandoned nor taken up the subject. When
Mr.. Elkins arrives it is thought that some
understanding as to the position to be ta-
ken by the West Virginia Central on the
subject of the Western Maryland Railroad
will be taken up, and remark made last
night by former Senator Davis that the
city's interests in the property would not
go for nothing, strengthens the belief that
he and his associates are getting ready to
make an offer for the property. He stated
that there was nothing now that he could
say on the subject of the proposed sale.
but, speaking of his own road he said that
1T penetrated a country of great mineral
and timber wealth which was fast being
developed. ac
"Our territory is steadily growing he
said, land Baltimore should be in a posi-
tion to participate in the commercial deyel-
| opment which comes with developing the
natural resources of that territory. A di-
rect connection with Baltimore would
| prove of great value; to the business inter-
| ests of this city and iopen a territory TO its
| trade that is yearly growing in Importance
| Baltimore would furnish an outlet for the
coal and lumber of bour section and there
would be reciprocal relations that would
benefit both the city of Baltimore and the
| territory along thesline of the West Vir-
| ginia Central Our intention. when the of
| fer was made in 1891 for the city's interest
in the road, was to build connection from
| Cumberland to Williamsport, joining the
| tracks of the West Virginia Central and
| the Western Maryland Railroad. Surveys
were made through this country on the
| Maryland side of the Potomac River. Mr..
/ C. H. Latrobe, the well-known engineer of
Baltimore. made report on the proposed
| route. Public sentiment at the time was,
however, opposed to the sale of the city's
interests in the Western Maryland, and the
proposed connection was not carried OUT
One of the counsel for the New York
syndicate, headed by John /. Waterbury
President of the Manhattan Trust Com
pany, which had been investigating the
Western Maryland Railroad, with view OF
making an offer for it, was in Baltimore
yesterday. His visit was to gather data
relative to some points developed by the
attorneys who have been examining the le-
gal status of the mortgages and agreements
of the Western Maryland Railroad. He
had a conference with Col. Charles Mar.
shall, counsel for the Western Maryland
Railroad, and the requisite information
will be sent to New York today.