The St. Louis Republic., 1902-08-18
Having Sufficiently Strengthened
Their Interests, They Seek
Northern Connections.
LAKE AND GULF ALLIANCES.
Promoters and Capitalists Goa
struct Cross Lines for Cennec-
tions in the Big Mergers
That Are Indicated.

Railroad building in the South and South
west having become greater than in any
other section OF the country, and that COM
bined developing country having been grid
ironed with railroads, parly sufficient to
take care OF the country's Commerce for a
time, the Southwestern Railroad builders
have turned their attention to procuring for
their respective systems connections TO the
North, Northwest and Northeast, and are al
lying their roads with East and West sys-
TENS. which form links in the great trans
continental systems.
Within week there have been reports of
an alliance of the Gould hiies to the South
and West. with the Chicago. milwaukee,
and St Paul; another Of the St Louis and
San Francisco, through the Chicago and
Eastern illinois. and the Clover Leaf. with
the Grand Trunk; the Chicago and Alton
with tde Kansas City Southern; the Katy
with the Milwaukee,: the Frisco with the
Milwaukee; ;he Big Four with the Glover
Leaf and the Frisco; the Cotton Belt with
the Clover Leaf and the Wabash. or Grand
Trunk. including the ST. Louis Valley as d
connection; and the Morgan roads have al
ready secured the Monon, and VIII secure
others, probably the Milwaukee. Gates IL
building Il line north and south through
Missouri and Iowa for no other purpose
than to make il necessary 10 a North-Fft
or Southern system
the same thing is being done with the south
and North, and slowly. with sufficiently
apparent purpose the fight is going on
among the four or five big interests to Sc
cure the advantage, not only for tile pur7
poses of economy growing out OF mergers.
but also to be ready for whatever may
come upon the opening OF the istnmlan ca
nal. and to occupy such position when the
final contest for American railroad su-
premacy comes that each may have sure
chance for victory. Knowing this. ana
taking advantage of the prosperous condl-
e., rt,. -.,-fin n
country promoters and small capitalists are
busy organizing and constructing. with an
eye to the future when the great sysR!ns
shall have reached objective points with
direct lines and begin buying feeders and
connections. These small lines. most of
them Independent now. viii eventually come
under control of the big ssytems. In this
activity the South and Southwest continue
TO lead; the Northwest is d fair second ana
there Is much building and reconstruction
in the East.
The established railroad systems are
reaching out i'll direct lines here and there
for the Gulf. the Atlantic or the Paci1c ana
stronger Mexican connections. So far these
extensive systems. whatever interests theN
have in mergers, trafflc alliances. trafnc
agreements. trackase agreements ana 'he
like. are all enjoying prosperity ana are at
present rivals for advantage. Thus, from
the rumors Of the past two weeks. many
things are made, and the actions of rail-
road builders that went unnoticed few
months ago are now recalled and used TO
weave together systems that the future
may COIlSOUuale INTO the NOIliDiIlru
lean Railroad System. Here in the South
west that little visit OF President Yoakum
to London last summer Is recalled with the
first breath of the Grand Trunk rumor-the
Grand Trunk president lives in Londoni In
connection with such little things. and the
work OF stock johbers the slightest reason
able movement Is enough TO send stocks
soaring. But after all. the big movements
are slow. and out OF a hundred rumors one
may nix the situa ton truly. while the real
movement may show ,itselt in full consum
nation as something entirely unlocked for