Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13
Wabash's Huge Contract.

Toledo Blade.
Sealed, signed and approved IN the
sale of the Wabash Railroad Co.'S office
at St. l.ouis is Il contract for the trans
portation of 1000, 900 tons of iron and
steel products. This immencc volume OF
traffic is to be TUNED over to the Wa
bash railway, yearly, by the Carnegie
steel company, on condition that the
Wabash own and operate a line into
Pittsburg.
When President Joseph Ramsey, jr.,
closed this contract he provided that
nothing in the way of a combination
would invalidate it. When the Steel
trust took over the Carnegie company,
the contract was included IN the deal
Just as much as the plant and other as
sets of The Carnegie company. In order
to'rcach Pittsburg it was necessary for
the Wabash to secure control OF the
Wheeling, deal involving the purchase
of S7,0O0,00 or $S,O0O,00O i'll sccur-
tiles and the construction of terminals
at Pittsburg at the expense OF several
millions more. All of this may be done
in opposition to the Pensylvania's in
tcrests At n time when an attempt
is being made to bring all of the large
systems into closer relations is this
movement a bold stroke of almost in
credible magnitude.
Even in these days OF large combina-
nations, when deals run up into the
dizzy millions and billions, this one
ranks among the largest. 1t is an al
most impossible task to get at anything
like conception of the magnitude OF the
Some of the largest railway
systems of the country do not move A.
600, 600 tons, including all classes OF
freight, in year With one dash OF a
pen President Ramsey secured sufficient
traffic to support a railroad system.
Last year. when its traffic was the
heaviest in the history of the road, the
Wabash, with mileage of 2,36S, ex-
tending from Buffalo to Kansas City,
through the most important CONNER
cial ccnters, moved only little over Twice
the amount called for in the Pittsburg
contract. In the previous year the num-
her of tons moved by the Wabash lines
EAST and west of the Missouri river
to a little over 200, 600 tons.
There was time when the Wabash
officials thought that the property
would reach its limit when il moved H.,
900, 900 tons.
And the earnings resulting directly
from the handling of the 1000 900 tons
will scarcely exceed the revenue from
other business which the tonnage will
bring to the company. 1t is very diill-
cult to estimate the strategic importance
TO the Wabash of this great increase IN
tonnage. 1t will go to all OF its connec-
lions with 100000 tons of new bust
ness. The western lines, i'll distributing
their castbound business, will give great
consideration to the fact that the Wa
bash has 100000 tons of steel aud
iron out of Pittsburg. They will want
their share of it, and will increase the
amount of business routed by the Wa
bash. With line INTO Pittsburg the
Wabash tonnage ought to he almost
doubled, with a corresponding increase
i'll earnings.
s The volume of business represented by
1000, 900 tons is not conprehended by
considering the abstract figures. 1t VIII
require from eleven to twelve trans per
dav with the largest locomotives to han
die the business out of Pittsburg' This
calculation is based on the supposition