Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-12
WABASH COMING HERE
Advent Only a Question Of
Time.
LINKS BEING FORGED
DOOR" POLICY.
Baltimore and Pittsburg Both to Be
Reached From Here Over
New Lines.


satisfactory view which officials Of the
great Wabash system take so far as the
national capital is concerned. While there
is no visible maneuvering being made at
the present moment in the great transporta-
ton "war game In the way of extending
an arm Of the new Gould system of roads
to Washington, there is no question that
such an extension Is on the boards, and
| that as a finishing touch to the new sys-
tenn Washington is to be brought on to its
map.
1t will be eighteen months at the earliest
before the various roads which have been
recently purchased by the Goulds in their
plan to reach tidewater on the Atlantic
seaboard as outlet to their great west
ern system of roads can be connected up
| through the construction of the necessary
links in the chain. The Western Maryland
road, with its terminal in Baltimore, is be-
ing connected with the West Virginia Cen
trail by sixty five miles of new construction
between Cherry Run and Cumberland. The
West Virginia Central will in turn be ex-
| tended practically to GAINESVILLE, Ohio,
| through new construction and the use of
| the Little Kanawha road. At GAINESVILLE 1t
| will tap the Gould system proper by con-
| Meeting with the Wheeling and Lake Erie
| road and thus establish connections with
| the great western shipping centers.
Contracts for this new construction have
already been let and the work Is being
pushed rapidly forward. When these vari-
Gus projects are completed developments In
the direction of Washington may be looked
for
Where Washington Comes In.
When the new system does come to WASP
ington it Is safe to predict that it's pro-
motors will take advantage of any rail-
road construction which may be available.
While any plans which may have been
made to this end are not discussed for pub
LEGATION by officials of the road, the indica-
tons are that the electric line, which is
gradually creeping in either direction be-
tween Washington and Baltimore, will be
taken over at the proper time by the new
system. The problem of extending new
line to Washington from Baltimore is not
regarded as a railroad feat of any great
dimensions when compared with what has
been accomplished in getting an eastern
outlet for the Gould system in face of the
combined efforts against these efforts by
the eastern combination of roads.
1t is in this connection that section IL
of the terminal legislation in Washington
is regarded with satisfaction by railroad
officials inclined to cast covetous eyes on
the national capital Congress made every
effort 10 legfslate In such a manner that
competing roads entering the District Of
Columbia at any time in the future might
avail themselves of the terminal facilities
to be provided in that city. If terms for
the joint use Of those facilities could not
be satisfactorily arranged between the
roads in possession and the roads seeking
admission the whole matter may, by the
terms of the law, be taken into the federal
courts for adjudication.
Without this section of law the problem
Of reaching Washington with competing
railroad would be entirely different and de-
cidedly much more perplexing To get to
the District line with new railroad would
not be an extraordinary feat, but to try
and secure special legislation for admission
and terminal facilities in view Of the oppo-
sition that would be made by roads enjoy
ing the privileges of Washington business
would be a task which would require time
and great diplomacy to accomplish. While
very little agitation was made over the Sec
ton of the terminal legislation in question,
it was watched by the outsiders in the
railroad business as the most important
part of the law
Merely Question Of Time
The Washington competing road situa-
ton then resolves itself, in so far as the
extension Of the Wabash system to that
city is concerned. into one of time. The
way is considered open and this extension
is a feature of the new system which has
been decided upon. 1t will be delayed,
however until the connections between the
east and west have been completed.
When the Western Maryland road was
taken over by the Goulds last June by the
purchase for @,1s5OO0 Of the interests of
the city of Baltimore, which gave with it
the controlling interest in the road, the
problem of a tidewater terminal was not
solved Since that time route six miles
long through the city of Baltimore has
been practically acquired and twenty-eight
acres of land purchased for the terminals
at old Fort Covington, in South Baltimore,
the fort which was the defense of the
city has gladly parted with now as a de-
Tense against railroad monopoly. This old
fort is located at tidewater and when the
legal proceedings incident to the few con-
tipn SllitS necessary to reach the site
have been cleared up, the construction Of
the terminals will be pushed rapidly to
completion
To finance this scheme, the Western
Maryland company was reorganized so far
as it's capital stock was concerned when
IL came into the hands OF the new owners.
New common stock to the amount of $780,
100000 was authorized, this was added to
by the authorization of $4,000 600 Of 4 per
cent first mortgage bonds, and $4,000, 600
of per cent convertible general lien
bonds.
Purpose of the Loan.
OF the bonds, s25 5000 were issued for
the purchase of the West Virginia Central
road and the construction of the connect
ing link between Cherry Run and Cumber-
land and for the purchase of equipment,
locomotive power, etc. The necessary funds
for the acquisition Of the Baltimore tide
water terminal was also to be taken out
of this sum.
This issue of $25,OOO,OOO was underwritten
without the slightest trouble. the money
raised and is now in the vaults of the
Western Maryland company, being drawn
on as the execution of the plan progresses.
This fund OF cash has also been added to by
the recent issuance of the SlO,OO0,OO0 con-
vertible bonds authorized
The sale of the Western Maryland road
to the Goulds instead of the Reading COM
pany. which was after it. is one of the in
tensely interesting chapters in Baltimore's
municipal history. The Reading bid for
the property was raised to $4,000 900 before
the sale was made. 1t YVES rejected by the
city officials on the ground that the city
would be benefited more by having a COM
peting line than by the additional amount
Of cash offered by the Reading road, which
was believed to be part of the Pennsyl-
vania system. Shortly after the sale the
control OF the Reading went jointly to the
Pennsylvania and Baltimore and Ohio
roads. and Baltimore has not yet discon-
tinued her rejoicings over the sale of the
property to form a part Of the Wabash
system
New Line From Here to Pittsburg.
A direct new line from Pittsburg to Bal
timore Is one of the important features of