The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-14
TWO.BILLION "'COMBINE"
DETAILS OF THE ALLEGED GREAT
RAILWAY ALLIANCE.
Pennsylvania and Vanderbilt Inter
ests Reported to Have Divided
the Coal Territory.

CLEVELAND. Sept. 13.-Concerning the
alleged financial alliance between the Van
derbilt interests and those of the Pennsyl-
vania system, the Leader further says:
THE working agreement has been close in
the past, but Ii has never come TO an allot-
ment of territory and division of property
between two big houses such as the new
agreement entails. The new agreement
grew out of a competitive movement of
several months ago. The two big interests
were mutually interested in the bituminous
coal fields, and in the hard coal fields as
well. The Pennsylvania system FREEDOM
mated in the former and the Vanderbilts
in the latter. BY an understanding the
Vanderbilts yielded the soft coal fields to
the Pennsylvania in return for similar
concession in the hard coal region from
the Pennsylvania. The Eastern field was
threatened by an invasion, first by the
Goulds and later by the Grand Trunk Rail-
road, and these big financial interests want
ed to preserve the territory for themselves
and the ties that had been formed by the
coal deal were strengthened in the endeavor
to protect the Eastern field. The interests
of the two big houses were growing gradu-
ally together. and soon resulted in an I'M
Outstanding such as has now been reached.
"A short time ago, just before w. K. Van
derbilt went abroad. Mr. Cassatt, the presi-
dent of the Pennsylvania Railroad, went
to New York to call upon him. This is
the meeting of which so much was conjec-
tured at the time, but so little was known
definitely. At that time Ii was agreed to
form an offensive and defensive alliance
in the East to completely control the situa-
ton and exclude all others from that field
except the favored members of the alli-
ance.
THE combination of interests makes one
OF the biggest deals ever seen. To consider
the vested rights of the two big houses
east of Chicago, to say nothing of their
property west of that point, gives them a
capitalization of over 81, 900 900 and mile
age of over $4,000. The organization prom
ises to be the most domineering that has
ever been formed. The aim of it is to alb
solutely control the transportation facili-
ties between Chicago and st. Louis, the
great lakes and the Ohio river, and the Ca
madam boundary and the Potomac river.
through to the Atlantic coast. In that ter
ritory they will regulate rates and condi-
tons to do about as they please. subject to
the interference OF the Interstate-com-
meree Commission, and il is their aim to
block the progress of every other road
which tries to invade that territory. They
are not content with the establishment of
a supervision and oversight of the trans
portation facilities of that territory, but
also control the coal mines, many of the
steel mills and all of the elevators for the
export and transshipment of grain. The
roads included in the combination are the
New York. Central, the Pennsylvania, the
the Norfolk & Western. the Philadelphia &
Reading, the Lake Shore, the Big Four,
the Michigan Central. the Nickel-plate,
the Boston & Albany, the Baltimore q Ohio
Southwestern, the Pere Marquette, the
Hooking Valley and the Lake Erie g. West
ern.