The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-09
RAILROAD NEWS.
Denver TramWay Line is Sold to
David III. MOffat.
Denver & Northeastern Railroad
Assumes the Title.
ROCK ISLAND is IN IT.
Move Indicates Financing of the
Moffat Short Line.
The First Step in Building New
Line is Successful.

Denver. May 9-The Denver city
Tramway company has been purchases
by the Denver & Northwestern Railway
company, the Moffat road. The deal
has been closed by David H. Moffat.
who is now in New York on business
connected with the financing OF the
Denver & northwestern
George E. Ross-Lewin said yesterday
that the merging Of the tramway COM
pany into the railway company has
been accomplished. but the formal
transfer VIII take place socn. The Den
Yer & Northwestern company takes over
all stock. properties and holdings of all
descriptions of the Tran way company
and assumes the indebtedness of that
corpOration David H. MOffat and VII
lam C. Evans, in reality, retain control
of the TramWay company.
Capitalists of Providence, r. J., ana
the Rock Island railroad are behind the
NOmat road and the absorption OF tns
TramWay company is taken as an ltdl-
cation that the MOffat road has beeh
financed and this is the first step IN me
progress of building the line Just VINO
is behind Mr.. MOfat Will not pc an
nounced until his return from New
York. Those in q position to know, VINO
were approached yesterday, said thar
Mr. MOffat had been successful IN Nh
ancing the short line.
The taking over of the Tramway by
the railroad, it was said, was primarily
to gain terminal rights into the clty
and to consolidate the two interests into
one the Tramway company having been
the father Of the Denver q Northwest
ern, which was originally organized by
Denver men to construct lnlerufpaA
lines to the north The present manage
ment of the Tramway company Will re-
main in control, at least until the for
nal transfer of the property to the Den
Yer & Northwestern. Mr. Monat VIII
have the controlling voice in the Tram
way company it is said authoritatively
as he has in the Denver & Northwestern
company.
The Denver City Tramway company
has been on the market before. Two
years ago a deal to purchase the com
pauy, engineered in London by MI MOI
fat, fell through. A year ago negoIla-
lions began While Mr.. MOffat was in
New York. looking TO the absorption OF
the company by the owners of the Cen
eral Electric company of New York city
and other capitalists. The purchase
price was said to be So. 600
The deal, however, hung fire after
firm of Denver attorneys sent east an
exhaustive report regarding the rights
titles and claiTe I'd. franchises of the
Tramway company.
The Denver City Tramway company
is in better condition physically and fin
ancially, il is said, since it absorbed the
UfOHEILlEE
has more than $50 miles of track in OPP
Grafton and 25 lines. The system is made
mp of not less than a dozen systems
built by different companies and gradu-
ally consolidated. The greatest deal in
this connection was the absorption of
the cable company. resulting in spend
ing in 1900 S400.0 900 in betterments. i'm
proving and changing the motive power
on 30 miles Of cable road to electricity
The IramWay system was built ana IS
controlled by Denver men and it Is
doubtful if the physical condition OF
the property is eXcelled by that of any
other street railway company in the
country Many of the lines are laid
with 72-pound steel rails, on ties Of
tamarack wood, treated in vacuum with
dead Oil Of coal tar. 50 that their life
is al least 80 years. The TramWay en-
gineers devised the high Trail for paw
ed streets, introduced it here and saw it
adopted in almost every large city in the
United States beginning with Chicago.
On the company's payroll are more than
] COO men. It's new power plant has ef-
fected a saving of $4,000 a year.
Tt is said that an option upon the
Colorado Eastern and its terminal
ground and rights Of way into the Den
YER union depot has been secured by
representatives Of the Rock Island. It
is said that negotiations are on be-
tween the Denver & Pacific, the MOffat
road. and the Rock Island for a joint
Ter lAAAAtfll tAti CIV est lA AAAE ul4lDu 0EEDt
Recently a large piece of land adjoin-
ing the Colorado Eastern right Of way
was transferred in the course of the
last six weeks to Albert Smith. who is
connected with the law firm of c. J.
Hughes. Mr. Smith acted for Mr.. D. H
Momat i'm the transaction. Mr.. Hughes,
who is attorney for the Moffat road.
said last evening.
Mr.. Moffat now has this land which
was secured for him by Mr.. Smith in
connection with a matter ante-dating
the announcement of the projecting Of
the new railroad to Salt Lake City
The Colorado Eastern railroad com
pany owns continuous right of way
from Scranton to the union depot liz
Denver with the exception Of the
ground opposite the Burlington & Mis-
souri, railway shops south of the Platte
river. in Garden addition, which is
owned by George N Brown This
ground is a suitable site for a railroad
terminal. Mr.. Moffat has been inter
ested in securing terminal ground east
of the union depot in Garden addition,
and several suits to establish title are
now pending. which are said to be in
the interest of the new road. Property
In Garden addition was transferred to
George Ross-LeWin during November,
1901
This is the last of the large holdirg
OIL terminal ground. and If the Moffat
road and the Rock Island secure this
land theirs viii be the last railroads
tnat VIII come into the present union