The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-09-24
WAR ON THE
WESTERN UNION

Ion telegraph company and the Penney.
vunia Railroad has expired, anu notice, II
not already conveyed to Mr.. Gould, Ia now
being prepared to the effect that unless
bis encoachment in the territory OF the
Pennsylvania is abandoned the com pany' 9
entire telegraph privileges will be turned
over to the Postal Telegraph company un
der long time contract. The Importance
of this move can we comprehended when
1t is under stood that the Pennsylvania
system includes IL, SSl miles OF railroad,
made up us follows. embracing the eXten.
" ~ Miles.
The psnnsylvania Railroad. ......1 7s9
The Psnnsy ivaniu Company ....... $50
baltimore and ohio Railroad......"Ssls
Chesapeake and Ohio. 4o4
Norfolk and Western Railroad.. l6of
New York. Philadelphia and Nor.
folk Railroad: .................. ~
Long Island Railroad. .54
A total mileage Of of...................1 1881
Along tha lines OF these railroads there
are l5G. COO miles Of telegraph wire and
some three thousand Offices. The value
the receipts of the company at these Of
fees, hut in the creator emoluments
through the receipts at oil other offices OF
the telegraph company. owing to Its abil.
lty to take messages directed to the OIL
ces on the line Of the Pennsylvania sys
tom.
A. ]. Cassatt. president Of the Pennsyl
vania Railroad company. has demanded
Of George Gould the surrender Of the Wa
bash Railway ~ stem and the wheeling
and Lake Erie, at o price which will net
profit to the Goulds under threat OF cut
ting Of The whole of the Western Union
Telegraph lines from the entire Fennsyl.
vanin Rnilr DAD system. MS we'll as from
the Vanderbilt lines which have agreed
to the deal.
This Is a threat that means q war grsat
OF than any that has ever taken place in
this country and 10 comparable only with
that OF the Beech Greek and South Penn.
in 1856, which resulted IN the abandon.
mspt OF these lines except as built which
were swallowed up by the Vanderbllts and
the Pennsylvania.
The penalty means that the Western
Union will suffer the greatest blow in Its
history and will lose many OF its most
profitable lines, which will be turned over
10 its greut rival, the Postal Telegraph
company,
1t means that the community Of inter.
est idea in ends to force the Mississippi
and Missouri as the dividing lines OF raj!
way systema and that no road
now In existence is to bo allowed 10 pass
from one territory to tho other, whilo the
Goulds. who alone. at present trespass on
both sides of the line. m ust recede beyond
the Nj sl,sippi.
The ultimatum means more than any
other railway deal In the history o; this
country. 1t Is believed hat the Goulds
will accede 10 the domand and that the
Pennsylvania will not only add nearly
1900 commitant miles to its trackago. but
r,,il Len rot ri nf n rival fnr thA Car.
noeie steel busine IS, whi ch is the largest
factor'ln the whole matter, resulting from
a contract made by Mr. Carnegie with tho
Wheeling and Lake Eric. bofore tho Uuit-
ed States Steel Corporation was formed
and to carry out which the Goulds were
trying to build line into Pittsburg.
There is just one cloud upon tho har
mony In tho railroad world, created by
the Community OF interest millennium
until 1t becomes dangerous factor In the
financial and railroad world. 1t Is the
quarrel which has arisen out OF tho am.
hition OF George j. Gould TO create a new
trunk line In connection with the Missouri
Pacific, Wabash and Wheeling and Lake
Eric Railroads. Gould is now at wcrk
building o line which will connect the
Wheeling and Lake Eric with Pittsburg,
and |, is said that hc is negotiating for
lne Westoln MdryluHu hhIironu WlVh OAo
idea Of making II an important link In o
line to the seaboard from Pittsburg to
Baltimore. Gould's determination Is so
fixed and his actions so aggressive that
the situation has become desperate. In
fact crisis has been reached, and Presi-
dent A. j. Cassntt. of tho Pennsylvania
Railroad, has concluded to play a trump
card, which will either cause complete
downfall for tho Gould dynasty or prove
q most costly affair for the Gould estate
AMI the roh capitalists who are associated
with 1t.
Tho move which Mr.. Cassatt contem.
plates means the eventual destruction Of
tho Western Union Telegraph Company
as an import ant corporation and such All
immediate loss OF Its earning power us TO
impair Its ability to pay dividends upon
its stock.