Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-13
SOUTHERN RAILWAY MERGER
Louisville 4 Nashville May Pass Into
Hands of Morgan Interests,
RESULT OF FACTIONS CONFERENCES
community of Interest" Deal BE-
tween Rock Island and southern
Railway, IL IL Thought, VIII
Follow Change Of Ownership.

NEW YORK. April 12.-As a result Of
several conferences held today there Is a
very general conviction that control Of the
Louisville & Nashville road has passed, or
will pass. to the Southern railway.
Representatives of the Louisville e. Nash
Vile and Southern roads and a member OF
the Gates faction were in consultation
early in the day and later John w. Gates
was closeted for almost an hour with
George w. Perkins at the office Of J. p.
Morgan & Co. Neither Mr.. Perkins nor
Mr.. Gates would say what passed between
them, but It was admitted that the Louis
Vile & Nashville situation was discussed
In it's several phases.
The most authentic report dealing
with the recent course of Louisville &
Nashville is substantially as follows: Some
time ago Southern Railway interests,
alarmed at the increasing strength and
prosperity Of Louisville & Nashville, made
an offer for majority interest. The offer
was declined, so report has It, by foreign
holders Of Louisville G. Nashville, who held
the balance Of power. Recently when
Louisville G. Nashville increased its capital
stock by $4,000 900 Mr. Gates and his as
sistants saw an opportunity to squeeze the
Insiders by buying Louisville in the market
and creating a scarcity in the stock. To
what extent the Gates faction succeeded Is
still a matter Of conjecture, but it is not
doubted that they were in a position to
swing a large block of stock either way.
Conditions seemed ripe for an attempt
to gain control of Louisville & Nashville,
and Southern railway interests. as rep
resented by Morgan G. Co., authorized
Moore Bros. to acquire as much Of the
stock as possible in the open market with
the understanding that this stock would be
taken over by the Southern railway.
Moore Interests Heavy Buyers.
Banking interests in which the Moores
are especially prominent have been heavy
buyers OF Louisville & Nashville, and one
bank in particular is said to have called a
number of loans this week so as to accumu-
late the money for its purchases Of Louis
VILE stock.
Wall street believes that SOM sort of a
community OF interest" deal between
Rock Island and the Southern Railway will
follow the change In Louisville & Nash
Vile ownership.
The Evening Post, discussing the situa-
ton in Louisville & Nashville, says:
All indications seem to point to the fact
that the control of the Louisville & Nash
Vile railway Is now SO held that 1t can be
The matter had not been determined at
the close of business today, and facts are
excitement in Louisville & Nashville shares
began some days ago. Opinion in Wall
street is in a nebulous condition as to who
controls the company, but there is con-
viction that control has passed from the
Belmont interests, and that John w. Gates
has been a factor in Its passage.
There appears to be good foundation for
the opinion that Mr.. Gates may now be in
or the other, to decide what interest shall
hereafter control Louisville & Nashville.
Not much doubt Is felt that the Moore in
he holds.
According to the Evening Post the Choc-
taw road will be purchased for the Moore
interests as part Of the plan for Rock
Island extension.