The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-04
TOABS0RB THE WEST SHORE
THE NEW FORK CENTRAL TO GoBBLE
IT UP COMPLETELY.

After April I of This Year, When General
Manager Laying Is to Retire, the Rail-
rond win Cease to he Operated Under
Its old Title-The Cause of the Change.
The announcement that Second Vice. Presi-
dent and General Manager James D.. Laying of
the West Shore Railroad would retire on Aug.
l. which was printed in THE U yesterday
morning, was not a SURPRISE TO those who know
Mr.. Laying: but the fact that. with his retire.
ment. the operation Of the West Shore Rail-
road as such will como to an end had not been
definitely expected. The entire absorption OF
the West Shore into the New York Central has.
however. been determined upon. and will 20
into effect Immediately after April l. The
West Shore will thereafter be simply a cor
pornte name under which one portion Of the
New York Central will maintain its charter.
There will. OF course, be annual meetings for
the election Of officers. but that will be all.
The West Shore. 1t will be remembered. was
built to compete with the road along the other
side Of the river, which at that time was I'M
popular because OF an apparent Indifference
to public opinion and convenience. The
watchword for the employees OF tho West
Shore wns Courtesy and no effort or eXp onse
WAS spared in securing the comfort OF passen-
gers. The road, however. was not n success.
Not only that. but its Older rival adopted new
methods and its business began to increase
even at the expense of the West Shore, which
finally had TO give, up tho struggle. The out
come was that. in December. 1876. all the cap
ital stock and a %+fEl-year lease on the property
OF the West shore. Company were given over
to the New York Central. which undertook to
pay the interest of the bonds OF the West Shore
road Tor 4B years. and then redeem them.
These terms were proposed by the New York
Central.
Under them the West Shore has been In con
tinual operation as the West Shore. rs OFF,
Central, people. Of course. but they have been
but little interfered with. For some time the
600 u year interest on bonds which the Central
guaranteed, but FOR the last two or three years
it has paid about thrce-Iuarters Of that
amount. The road has been run for fourteen
years now as a leased line and as a virtual rival
to the Central and its connections. The Cen
trial hns, in the meantime. increased its bust
ness to such IA degree that this plan is deemed
no longer economic. hence the proposed
chance The ultimately Determining factor is
ness taxes 10 its utmost the freight terminal
facilities Of the Central, while the West Shore
terminal facilities at Weehawken. After the
change the Central will divert "A large amount
is probable that considerably more Of the mag
nifcent water front and yard room at Wee
h h@wks9 io will! ii Pc ,bn NJ VIII int sbG use: vii, The I present Sent.
land and Western lines will also he modified so
as to commentaries muchfreight, as possibleon
Railroad, n a name. will disappear from cars.
tickets and advertising matter. The road will
S'WR i@s- rfes 4 Ear' I Ii yms G then lT viii f hsye been
shore Railroad. lie has held the place since
Jan; ]. 1874. and his railway experience dates
back TO Aug. ., lS4", when he became a rod
man iii the engineer corps OF the Ohio and
PENNSYLVANIA Railway. From 1874 to 1891 he
was general manager of the Pennsylvania
Company's lines and from 1881 to X gen.
eral Superintendent of the Chicago and North
western Railway. In 1897 he became Presi.
dent, Of the Cleveland, Columbus, CINCINNATI
and Indianapolis Railway Company. BY next
August, when Mr.. LAYING intends to leave ne:
tive railroading, he will have completed a full
half century OF service.