The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-03-26
JAY GOULD II.
George Gould Plans an Immense
Railroad System.
Designed to Cover the South
west and Reach the Pacific.
HE WILL CONTROL IT.
Has Squared Himself With
Rockefeller and Hartman.
Alton and X. C. Southern In
clnded in the Deal.
HE WILL CONTROL 1T.

New York, March 26s-George Gould's
plan to become the head of a combina-
tion of railroads capitalized at $300,0O0,-
600 is progressing favorably says the
World. His plan, the World adds. meets
with the approval and has the co-opera-
ton of Pierpont Morgan, the Rookie
fellers and the Hartman syndicate
Continuing, the World says: 1.-The un-
ification of the Gould system of railroads
under the control of the Missouri Pacific
will include the Missouri Pacific. St
Louis and Iron Mountain, ST. Louis
Southwestern, Texas & Pacific Interna-
tional & Great Northern, Wabash, Mis-
souri,, Texas & Pacific and Denver & Rio
Grande. George Gould has just bought
a controlling interest in this latter rail-
road and it is intimated that he pur-
poses to utilize it as an important factor
in the construction of the greater Mis-
souri, Pacific system, of which he will be
the head
1T is known definitely that the roads
named will be included in the scheme OF
consolidation. but it is probable that
when the negotiations now pending shall
have been completed it will be found
that the list will have been augmented
by the addition of the Illinois Central,
Chicago & Alton, Chicago & Eastern Ill1-
nois, the st. Louis & San Francisco and
the Kansas City Southern.
THE Railroad Securities company,
which was organized several weeks ago
by Kuhn, Loeb & Co, E. H. Hartman
and George Gould, will acquire con-
trolling interest in all of the companies
and will operate them as one combina-
tion, though their corporate integrity
will be maintained.
THE Rockefellers and George Gould
have reached an agreement whereby
they will Immediately set about the con-
struction of a railroad from FL Paso,
Texas, to Santa Rita, N. NJ, and thence
to Santa F'a. The Importance of this new
line in any plan for extending the power
and scope of Missouri Pacific can be
readily understood when the fact is
taken into consideration that Ell PasO is
the western terminus of the Texas &
Pacific. which is controlled by the Mis-
souri, Pacific, and Santa Fe is reached by
the SOuthernmOSt branch of the Denver
& Rio Grande, so that such an extension
would connect the Texas & Pacific with
the Denver & Rio Grande, a very i'm
pOrtant link in GOuldS chain of south
western railroads.
This explains George Gould's recent
extensive purchases of stock in the Den
yer & Rio Grande and also its remark
able strength of late in the stock mar
ket
It is generally believed that the pro
ject to build from Ell Paso to Santa F,e
is part of a well defined plan on the part
of George Gould to extend the Missouri
Pacific system all through Colorado,
Utah and New Mexico. The Missouri
Pacific connects with the Denver & Rio
Grande at Pueblo and Denver Colo.
Gould now being in control of the Den
yer & Rio Grande and the directors of
the latter road having traffic arrange
ment with the Rio Grande Western,
even If they have not already under
taken to purchase it, an outlet to the
Pacific coast is assured to the Missouri
Pacific via Ogden, which is reached by
the Rio Grande Western.
The arrival in New York from London
yesterday of Ansel Oppenheim, the first
vice president and practical manager
of the Chicago Great Western railroad
familiarity known as the Maple Leaf, led
to rumOrs that George Gould contem-
plated purchasing the road and adding it
to the lines he proposed utilizing in his
projected combination. Some strength
was lent to this proposition by the fact
that before Mr.. Oppenheim so hurriedly
left London for New York he gave an
interview on the railroad situation in
which he said:
consolidation is becoming the order
of the day in the United States Com
petition has been so great there that
large financial interests have become
satisfied that the only way to maintain
a fair rate of dividends for owners of
American securities lies in the consoI-
dation. So far as our line is concerned, |
there are negotiations now pending
which may result in the road being alb
sorbed. But all can say at the mo-
ment is that every shareholder will be
protected
George Gould, when asked if he con-
tenplated purchasing the road, answered
impression that he did not consider the
acquisition of the road material to his
scheme of railroad consolidation and ex-
tension