Evening star., 1901-04-09
ALLEGED RAILWAY COMBINE
REGARDED AS IMPROBABLE BY
PROMINENT OFFICIALS.
Director in One of the Roads the Only
One to Give Credence
to Rumor.

For several days past there have been
rumors in circulation throughout the ceun-
try that there was being organized or was
about to be organized huge railroad COM
bination which would comprise the entire
railway mileage of the United States, and
that all these enterprises, many of them
vast in extent, We're to be controlled by one
company. The names of Morgan and
Gould and Hartman and other equally
prominent fnanciers were quoted as favor
ing the movement which, 1t was predicted
would soon become a complete success. 1t
Is noted, however, that not a single one
of those quoted, and with whom an inter
view the subject has been sought, seems
to know anything about the proposed gil
gaatic combination, and some of the most
prominent railway officials of whom in
QuirieS have been made on the subject say
they never heard of it and regard it as
Improbable.
The nearest approach to an admission
that there might be some basis for the ru-
NOR is reported interview with General
Samuel Thomas. d director in the Chicago,
Indianapolis and Louisville Railway Com
pany. General Thomas is not as was stat
ed, the president of the company that
office being filed by Mr.. w. H. McDoil,
who is also the general manager of the
organization. General Thomas is quoted as
saying in this connection:
AT the present time there Is little to say
ABOUT the zeal. DelleVe the report that
comes from Cincinnati however. is little
bit premature. | don't believe the amalga-
nation has been effected yet.
ut is true that steps are under consid-
Grafton looking toward a combination of
the roads mentioned. | think it will be
effected. for all the interests are favorable
TO it 1t can scarcely be considered an
amalgamatiOn of the roads under the
scheme in progress. It is merely centraii-
Zation of power, looking toward the best
interests OF the various roads,
The lines referred to in the alleged inter-
view with Cen Thomas are those OF the
Southern, Cincinnati Southern, Cincinnati
Hamilton and Dayton, and Chicago In
dianapolis and Louisville Railway Com
pdnieS- A brief analysis of the conditions
under which these roads have been operated
for number OF years past would however
seem TO show but little foundation for the
rumOr that they are about to be consolf-
dated. The idea of uniting all the import
ant lines of the south under one manage
ment was conceived in the brain of the
late John II. lnman, a native of Atlanta
Ca, who. some years after the close of the
civil war, removed to New York where
he embarked in business and made a great
fortune in cotton. After some investigation
of the affairs of the southern lines which
he wished to control, all of which were In
dilapidated condition, he and some of his
friends organized what was known as the
Richmond and Danville Terminal Company
under the provisions of charter which
had been granted several years previously
to the Richmond and Danville Railroad
Company by the state of Virginia.
Property Acquired.
The terminal company lost no time In
going ahead with it's purposes, and in q
comparatively short time had secured a
large proportion of the railway mileage
south OF the Potomac and east of the Mis-
sissippi rivers. The company, however
found itself unable to secure the necessary
funds TO carry its business, the roads
not having sufficient equipment to carry
No. r1nR lrIr 70 .1- hnr tr
pay employees and fixed charges The road.
bed was not in proper condition to accom-
modate rapid travel, even if there had beer
enough rolling stock and in the course OF
year or two the Richmond and Dan.
vile Terminal Company. which started ou,
with such brilliant prospects, went into the
hands OF receivers. of whom Mr.. Samue
Spencer. now president of the Southern
was
Appeal was made to Mr. j. Pierpont Nor
gan to finance the defunct corporation &c
a paving basis, and he consented to un-
dertake the work of reorganizing the va
rious properties which had been secured
by it. In due course of time there arose
from the ashes and wreck of the Richmond
and Danvile Terminal Company a com
pany to which was given the name OF
Southern. and which, since it left the hands
of the receivers. has had its mileage in
creased more than 100 per cent, until II
now can run its trains over more than 6.0O(
miles OF its own tracks. 1t extends from
Washington to New Orleans, and by the
recent acquisition Of the Mobile and Ohio
has line from Mobile. Ala, on the gulf
TO Paducah. KY, on the Ohio river.
Through late purchases, but previous tc
that OF the Mobile and Ohio, 1t runs it's
own trains to St. Louis. Mo-, and by secur.
ing the Memphis and Charleston, which i,
did some months ago, 1t has through line
from Washington to Memphis. on the
Mississippi river. 1t also has another ter
minal on the same riyer-Meridian. Miss.
OF the various roads which. according tt
the report were to be consolidated the Gin
cinnati Southern, outside of the Southern
has the most interesting history. Soon af
ter the close of the civil war the mer
chants of Cincinnati realized that in orde,
to maintain the business prosperity of tht
city they must reach out for southern
trade There was, however. no line of rail-
way in that direction. and the nearest point
that could be reached. IL line was built
was Chattanooga, Tenn, 33S miles distant
From Chattanooga there was perfect net
work of railways which radiated In every