The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1901-09-14
IMMENSE CONTRACT.

Safe o. tuc Neo"S" !
pany's Office at St. Louis is a cou' !
Tor the transportation OF 4'VOO,uVV !
of o and steel products. This I
volume Of traffic is to DC
,urned oyer to the Wabash railway !
yearly by the Carnegie Steel company !
on condition that the Wabash own aoo !
operate a line into Pittsburg. +,
When President Joseph Ramsay Jr''
closed this contract he provided 'na'
nothing IN the way OF a combination
would inyalidate 1t. When the steer
trust took over the Carnegie company
the contract was included in the dea'
inst as much as the plant and o'her
assets of the Carnegie company IN
order to reach Pittsburg ii was neces'
sary for the Wabash to secure con'roi
OF the Wheeling, a deal involving tue
purchase of 81, 1000, 900 or s~S,OOo'ooo
in securities and the construction o
terminals at Pittsburg at the expense Oh
several millions more. All OF tnis
must be done in opposition 10 tue
Pennsylvanla's interests. Al "~e
when an attempt is being mace "
hiring all of the large systems into
closer relations Is this movement d
bald stroke of almost incredible mag
nitude.
Even in these days Of large comoi-
nations. when deals run up into the
many millions and billions his one
ranks among the largest. 1t is an
almost impossible task 70 get at any
thing like = conception OF the magnl-
,rde Of the contract. Some of the
largest railway systems in the country
do not move 1000, 900, including all
classes of freight, in a year. Win
one dash of a pen President Ramsay
secured sufficient traffic TO support q
, railroad system. Last year, when lis
. traffic was the heaviest in the history
Of the road, the Wabash, with q mlle-
. AGE OF 1865, extending from Buffalo
TO Kansas City through the most I'M
portant commercial centers, moved
ouly little over twice the amount
called for 10 the Plttsburg contract
In the previous year the number O
tons moved by the Wabash lines cas-
and west oil the Missouri rive
amounted to q little over 1000, o0C
tons. There was "a time when th'
Wabash officials thought that tn
property would reach its limit wheI
it moved 4 1000, 900 tons.
=. And the earnings resulting dlrectl
from the handling of the 4,OOO,O 0
,e tons will scarcely exceed the revenu
ts from other business which the tonnag
to will bring to the company. 1t is yer
Q difficult to estimate the strategic in
portance to the Wabash of this grei
ms increase in tonnage. 1t will go to a
ss of Its connections with 1000, 900 tor
nd of new business. The western lin'
i'll in distributing their eastbound bus
nd ness, will give great consideration
he the fact that the Wabash has 4,0O0,O'
tons Of steel and iron out OF Pitt
burg. They will want their share
it, and will increase the amount
a business routed by the Wabash. Wi
q line into Plttsburg the Wabash 10
mage ought TO be almost doubled WI
400 a corresponding increase in earning
The volume Of business represent
..,o by 1900, 900 tons is not comprehend
by considering the abstract figures.
60 will require from eleven to TIVE
60 trains per day with the largest 10
motives to handle the business out
~, Pittsburg. This calculation is ba
on the supposition that the weather
favorable TO the movement Of la
-. trains. During tie winter the mum
Of trains would be increased to fit
,,oo or sixteen.
-Four million tons of this chars'
roo, OF freight would fill between 1870,
~. aud lao, 900 cars. Put them in tri
~. with locomotives and cahoose attac
,.,v and you will fill a four-lrack line
-. the usual amount Of siding Of SUI
,h., line extending from Toledo to p
,.r,s burg. II you would stand them
I,or double-track line they would ex
,.;,o from Pittsburg to Chicago.
uo,il oI.o Ell tho wahaeh from 4