The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-01-06
A GREAT RAILROAD deal
The Heads of Several Trunk Lines
Hold a Conference.
A Contemplated Combination which
IL Expected TO Result I'm the Dis
appearance of DemOrhlizinE Rate
Wars i'm the East. south, and
Central StnfeS-WHII Street Views.

A0lA- AEANLAda W T. AAAt1eA-ef 4 -elN'NAlN ~
the Big Four and Chesapeake and Ohio
systems. Henry Fink. President of the
Norfolk and Western. and A. ]. 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 It 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 great combination
would be effected. and that the following
reads would be in Il: 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
N0uLIQllDQ Ol the NEW lUIh 7 TIM uia hhNoI
roads practically cover the field OF New
England. Besides these. the speaker nam
ed the Pennsylvania. the Baltimore and
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 nature as TO prevent future compe-
tition and a consequent cutting or freight
and passenger rates This. he thought
however, was only the beginning, and il
was his CONVICTION that other roads would
be taken in later. both In the South and
West
Opinion In 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 20 the identity OF the roads
concerned. While the stories printed from
time 10 time Of q consolidation OF all the
railroads Of the Middle and Eastern States
may be dismissed as impossible and absurd.
stiu it is an Uudoubted and significant fact
that the trend Of the times Is toward uni
ficatiOn and harmonious agreement
The last two or three years have witness
cd the uuhCatiOu Of the New York Central
system by the virtual absorption into the
New York Central and Hudson River Rail-
road Company Of the Lake Shore and Mich
ig8u Southern. which controls the Nickel
Plate road the West Shore. and the Mtchi-
gan Central Il mas for a good white been
the belief of the best informed railroad
fuauCer5 that IN the near future 1he 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. ".
Seward Webb. The Rutland road Is init
mateIy connected with the FltChburg- and
HttIe later the New York Central made
its first overtures toward obtaining a lease
or the latter property.
Negotiations UnSuccessfuI.
These negotiations were not successful
ard the Central made an arrangement. rat
fled only a week or two ago, whereby Il
obtained control Of the Boston and Albany
en- a long lease Adviees from Boston yes
terday quoted the president Of the Boston
and Malne-which company. as already
noted. controls the Maine Central-as ad-
hitting that his road was in negotiation for
the leasing OF the Fitchburg. With the
Fitchburg the Boston and Maine would
have a western outlet from Boston. and
the Rutland road without the Fitchburg
would be unable TO realize its project o.
establishing a new Vanderbilt line between
New England and the West.
But Wall Street opinion has conceded
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 Haver
and Hartford Road which, although 1t may
not be taken over by any other company. II
still not likely TO be disturber OF harmony
for J. PierpCnt Morgan and Senator DepeS
are among its directors. and another j!
William Rockefeller who not long agC
entered the New York Central board Pl
successor TO the late Cornelius Vanderbilt
Moreover. the New Haven Road is in clCs
business relations with the Pennsylvania
between which great system and the New
York Central a compact of amiJy exists.
An Important Agreement.
But not only in the East do the signs
point to combination and concord. A
month ago i. 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 il is gen.
orally believed the two roads win 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 tldewater at Newport News. and south
OF the Chesapeake and Ohio the Norfolb
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 70
Richmond, has it's terminus at Norfolk.
At Roanoke. Va, one line Of the NorfolB
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 a branch extending to the Ma
tiOnsi Capital.
For two or three weeks there has been
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 a Nor
gan property would be apportioned among
the Vanderbilt Morgan, Pennsylvania and
Baltimore and Ohio interests. thus bringinf
the Chesapeake and Ohio into the sphere o.
trunk line influence and eliminating II
from the list of possible rate-cutters in th,
territory between Cincinnati and Chosa.
peake Bay.
Some Conclusions Drawn.
The presence OF President Fink at tn,
WaldOrf-AstOria conference naturally lead
TO the conclusion that the Norfolk and
Western may. like the Chesapeake and
Ohio. be brought within the scope of tn,
working agreement now operative between