The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-12-17

the New Road Was to Be Reality.
A the Waldorf Astoria. in New
York. tomorrow, will occur Il meet
ing Of the Independent Anthracite OPP
orators association. at which will he
witnessed the closing scene of a war
that has been waging for over twent"
years, the conflict between the inde-
pendent operators and the coal car
riers over carrying rates, in which
millions have been srrayed against
millions. and in which the COuntry's
greatest fnanciers have participated
on the one side or the other.
The battle closes with victory perch
ed on the banners of the independents.
They were the weaker in the matte"
of wealth. but they were just strong
enough in money and their leaders
great enough in mind to keep the OPP
position constantly disturbed and
fearful of the disastrous results that
would follow their agGressions, and.
after a series of minor victories. and
virtually on the very heels of a threat
ened defeat, they came out of the
warfare with their aim acheved--all
that they demanded, granted.
OF especial interest i. the history
of the conflict to this city. because
of the fact that the fight of the in
dependents was directed from hero,
and because of the further and more
interesting fact that the elimination
of their victory was brought about by
a Scranton man.
FIXED THE RATE.
During the years Immediately pre-
cedinS 1879. the Delaware, Lackawan.
na and Western company took the
lead in the matter of fixing coal car
rying rates. 1t arranged to take the
independent operators coal and pay
for it at the rate of - cents on the
dollar of tideTater price This was
the best offer at that time. and the
Delaware. Lackawanna and Western
having been the first to make it, Sc
cured the lions share of the con.
tracts. Other carriers, OF course, hal
to come up to the Delaware. Lackl-
wanna and Westerns offer. and the
consequence was that the indepenu-
ents the whole region over secured
better prices for their output than
they had been getting.
In 1879 New York party bought
up the stock Of the New Jersey Mid
land railroad, with the intention of
extending it TO Scranton ana secur-
ing the trade of the independent OPP
orators by Offering them a. better price
than was then being paid. The New
York. SusQuehanna and Western road
was projected as the means of con-
Meeting Scranton with the Delaware
River, where the New Jersey Midland
had it's western terminal. The road
was built as far as Stroudsburg, but
the capital to complete it was not at
hand and the stretch between Strouds-
burg and Scranton had to be abnn-
doned.
Contracts had been II ade with
number of operators CT the fifty per
cent. basis, and az the latter waited
on their execution, the New York,
SusQuehanna and Western people We're
forced to make AN arrangement with
The Delaware, Lackawanna and West
ern to deliver the output of these on
orators to them at Stroudsburg.
WAS uNPRoFITABLE
This was an Improbable arrange
menr TO the New York, Susquehanna
and Western and after four years OF
in a sufficient amount to build the
Wilkes Barre and Eastern and to bus
up enough large holdings in the lowe
l.ackawanna and upper I.n"crne dis
tricts to insure a. paying traffic.
The completion of the Wilkes Barre
and Eastern caused the 80 per cent.
rate to prevail all through the region
and it so continued for about year,
i,,,a nf napt fnl
lowed the entry of the Ontario and
Western into the coal fields,
This new rate continued for five
years, 1t was a fair rate at the time
it went into operation, but mining all
the time was growing more expensive
and the independents began to mur-
mur, They felt that the carriers could
afford to offer better figure and de-
manded that they should receive 60 per
cent. The coal carriers turned a deaf
ear to their demands. thinking the in.
dependents were powerless to cause
any bother, but they reckOned wrong,
In 1891 came the big Reading COM
bne. Mcleod took hold of the Read
Ing, Joined it with the interests of it's
two chief competitors, the Jersey Cen
trail and Lehigh Valley; and was pre-
pared to do all sorts of things in the
coal world.
AN AWAITED OPPORTUNITY.
Here was the opportunity the indie
pendents We're awaiting. A committee |
In which the moving spirits were
Simpson & Watkins and Il. l.. Fuller
waited on Mr, Mcleod i'm Philadelphia
and, after a four days session, brought |
him to believe that, by offering a go per
cent rate. he could capture practically |
the whole output of the independent |
and when this belief was
made a surety by an agreement on the |
part of great number of the indie, |
pendents to make long term contracts |