The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-03-30
RAILROAD DEALS.
AN Interesting Bit Of Gossip to the
Eject That the
.UNlONTOVN 6 WHEELING ROAD
Il Is b Backed by the Wabash, and
TllAt the Latter WIN Acquire the
Wheeling & Lake Erie, Thus Civ
ing the Great Western System an
Entrance Into the Western Penn
sylvania Coke Fields.

Railroad men have within the last rev
days been collecting the broken ends Of
certain THREADS. and are now weaving
a pretty fabric out of 1t. A few days
ago 1t was announced that a new line
Of railroad was to be constructed be-
tween Uniontown and Wheeling, as a
short cut outlet for the coke region
The following day came The anounce-
ment that Iumors were afioat that the
wabash railroad had designs on the
wheeling & Lake Erie. The Uniontown
line has been connected, since Its incep-
ton, with the name of the Wheeling,
and the belief has been that 1t is to BE-
built for the convenience OF the road
named. Now the railroad men have
Joined these two stories together. and
have cemented them with some things
which recently occurred in Chicago, and
the story is going, as u result, that the
wabash railroad is backing the Union
town and wheeling railroad, and in-
tends by means of the Wheeling TO get
an entrance into the coke fields Of west
eru PennsylvanIa and West Virginia
The rumor is rather picturesque, but
it is given the greatest credeuce by
many well posted railroad men, says
Yesterdays Cleveland Leader. The
story is even made to be OF greater ex-
tent. 1t is now said that the Wabash
intends to build line from Toledo to
Montpelier, Mich, to connect this terri
tory with the Chicago line. giving
through connections from the West
virginia fields to that territory,
These reports come violently in con-
flIct with some facts in the case. 1t is
known that the Wheeling Bridge and
Terminal company's property Is owned
Jointly by che Wheeling and the Balt-
more & Ohio. Other events of late have
shown these roads to be close together.
making 1t more likely that in case the
wheeling makes an alliance 1t viii be
with the Baltimore & Ohio When this
phase OF the question Is brought out
the railroad men are inclined TO COM
plicate the matters still further and
predict tina: the end OF the matter VIII
be combination of the Wheeling and
the Baltimore & Ohio, and the two abb
sorbing the Unlontown line. Then a
close alliance will be formed between
the Wabash and the Baltimore & Ohio.
By which the former secures its desired
entrance INTO the eastern field. To
many this sort of combination seems
homogeneous. anu they are inclined to
the belief chat II the Baltimore & Ohio
gets the Wheeling. the Wabash viii
stay out Of the territory, and also If it
is at all possible the Wabash will Sc
cure the Wheeling. and win thus enter
vigorously into the eastern business.
The recent attitude Of the Wabash has
been such that railroad men have come
to expect uncommon things from It. It's
latest move was in securing an entrance
into Kansas City. whereby it struck a
blow into the heart OF the territory Of
strong western lines, and at once open
cd up fierce fight for business. 1t
stands alone in this territory as having
interests on both sides OF the Mississip-
pl for which 1t Is caring, and with such
an advantage 1t is 4 thorn in the flesh
Of many Of the roads in both territories.
II the Wabash succeeds in making an
alliance with the Wheeling 1t viii be
alone also in having line on both the
north and south shore Of the lake. its
present line extending through Detroit
to Buffalo. The relations existing be-
tween the Wheeling and Wabash have
always been the most friendly, and it is
to the Wheeling that the Wabash has
always turned for its feeder in this ter
itory. The outlook is sufficiently seri-
Gus to cause some OF the officials of the
other roads much concern, and the de-
velopments are being watched with in
terest, especially since it is said that the
plans will be matured before the end Of
the summer.