The evening times., 1900-01-06

NEW YORK. Jan. 6.-An important rail-
road conference has been in progress in
this city for the last two days at the Wal
dorf- Astoria. NJ E. Ingalls,, President OF
the Big -Four and Chesapeake and Ohio
systems; Henry Fink. President of the
Norfolk and Western. and A. J. Cassatt,
President of the Pennsylvania system, have
been in attendance. John X. COwen. Pres
ident of the Baltimore and Ohio, is also
said to have been present.
One important matter that was disposed
Of was the rate for hauling coal for the
coming year.
For some time Il has been known that
the Vanderbilt Morgan interests were IN
control OF the Big Four and the Chesa-
peake and Ohio. There have been persist
ent rumors, too, regarding a combination
between the Pennsylvania and Baltimore
and Ohio systems and of these two roads
with the Vanderbilt systems.
a Combination Predicted.
A man usually well informed said yester-
day that he had been given to understand
that in the near future a great combination
would be effected, and that the following
roads would be in it: Boston and Maine,
which also means the Maine Central and
the Fitchburg. north of Boston; the New
York New Haven. and Hartford, which on
account OF its ultimate traffic relationship
with the Pennsylvania could not well stand
aloof, and the Boston and Albany, now
controlled by the New York Central lhese
roads practically cover the field OF New
England. Besides these, the speaker nam
ed the Pennsylvania, the Baltimore ana
Ohio. the Chesapeake and Ohio, the Big
-Four. the Norfolk and Western, and the
New York Central system, including the
Lake Shore and Michigan Southern and the
Michigan Central. as well as the Nickel
Plate and West Shore
The combination would certainly be OF
such a nature as TO prevent future compe-
tition and a consequent cutting OF 1relghl
and passenger rates. This, be thought
however was only the beginning, and il
was his conyiction that other roads would
be taken in later, both in the South and
West
Opinion Ina Wall Street.
For two or three days there have been
persistent rumors in Wall Street that
railroad combination OF the first magnitude
was impending. but there has been much
mystery as TO the identity OF the roads
concerned. While the stories printed from
time 10 time of consolidation OF all the
railroads OF the Middle and Eastern States
may be dismissed as impossible and absurd.
stin it is an undoubted and significant fact
that the trend CT the times is toward uni
fcation and harmonious agreement.
The last two or three years have witness
ed the uuhcation Of the New York Central
system By the virtual absorption into the
New York Central ana Hudson River Rail-
road Company Of the Lake Shore and Mich
igan Southern which controls the Nickel
Plate road. the West Shore and the MichI-
gan Central ID has for a good while been
the belief of the best informed railroad
financieTB that in the near future the rail
roads OF New England would be operated
under a single ownership or control, and
this prediction apparently is approaching
its realization.
year ago last month the New York
Central interests secured control of the
Rutland Railroad. the purchasing syndicate
including W X. Vanderbilt and DR.. W.
Seward Webb The Rutland road is init
mately connected with the Fitchburg. and
a little later the New York Central made
It's first overtures toward obtaining a lease
OF the latter property.
Negotiations UnSuccessfuI.
These negotiations were not successful.
and the Central made an arrangement, rat
fled only a week or two ago, whereby it
obtained control Of the Boston and Albany
On long lease. Adviees from Boston yes
terday quoted the president OF the Boston
and Maine-which company. as already
noted controls the Maine Ceutral-as aa
mitting that his road was in negotiation for
the leasing OF the Fitchburg. With the
TTtchburg the Boston and Maine would
have a western outlet from Boston, and
the Rutland road without the Ftchburg
would be unable to realize its project OF
establishing a new Vanderbilt line between
New England and the West.
But Wall Street opinion has coiHcided
with the view that the Boston and Maine
was soon to pass under the control of the
New York Central There remains in New
England the big New York, New Haven
and Hartford Road, which, although ii may
not be taken over by any other company, is
still not likely TO be disturber OF harmony,
for J. Pierpont Morgan and Senator Depew
are among its directors, and another is
William Rockefeller. who not long ago
entered the New York Central board rs
successor to the late Cornelius Vanderbilt.
Moreover. the New Haven Road is in close
business relations with the Pennsylvania,
between which great system and the New
York Central a compact of amiJy exists.
An important ASreefncnt.
But not only in the East do the signs
point TO combination and concord A
month ago it became known that an i'm
portant agreement, the exact details of
which have not yet developed had been
entered into between the Pennsylvania and
the Baltimore and Ohio-an agreement,
however, as a result Of which it is gen.
orally believed the two roads will be ope-
rated as friendly competitors.
Somewhat south of the Baltimore and
Ohio runs the Chesapeake and Ohio, ex-
tending from Cincinnati through Richmond
to tidewater at Newport News. and south
OF the Chesapeake and Ohio the Norfolk
and Western coming down from Colum-
bus. Ohio. traverses the coal fields of West
virginia and Virginia, and passing through
Petersburg whence a branch extends to
Richmond, has it's terminus at Norfolk.
At Roanoke Va, one line of the Norfolk
and Western runs northward to Hagers-
town. on the Baltimore and Ohio, and
reaching Washington by a road from
Front Royal. The Chesapeake and Ohio
also has branch extending to the Ma
tionsi Capital.
For two or three weeks there has been a
marked improvement in Chesapeake and
Ohio on the stock exchange, and rumors
have been frequent that the control of this
system, which has been reckoned as Nor
gan property. would be apportioned among
the Vanderbilt Morgan, Pennsylvania. and
Baltimore and Ohio interests, thus bringing
the Chesapeake and Ohio into the sphere of
trunk line influence and eliminating il
from the list of possible rste-eutters in the
territory between Cincinnati and Chesa-
peake Bay.
Some Conclusions Drawn.