Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-10-07
Vanderbilt LINES
TO- Be CONSOLIDATED
Greatest Of All Railroad Sys
tens Will Presently Come
Into Existence.
COMPRISES $4,000 MILES
New York Central, Northwestern, Lake
Shore, Michigan Central, Nickel
Plate, Erie and Chesapeake
and Ohio.

Chicago, Oct. 1.-William H. New
man-who started in business life as
a ticket agent in a microscopic town
on the Texas & Pacific railway-will
within the next thirty days become the
head of the greatest railway system
the world has ever known.
Newman, as head OF the Vanderbilt
lines, combined and placed under one
management, will control nearly 24,000
miles Of railway, with a capital stock
of $1,169, 96,133, equipped with the
finest rolling stock in the world. He
will control railway lines that If run
in a continuous direction would almost
encircle The globe, and III the double
tracks and side tracks were counted,
would girdle the earth with a double
chain of iron.
The engines used on the system
would make a continuous train from
Chicago to Detroit, and the rolling
stock, If stood on one straight track
would reach from Chicago to New
York.
All the lines of the Vanderbilt sys-
tem-the New York Central. North
western, Lake Shore. Michigan Gen.
trail, Chesapeake & Ohio, Nickel Plate
and the Erie-are to be brought into
one SyblCfis ultQNI OhC ldn16CltlCIl
and at the head of that management
will be William III. Newman, formerly
ticket agent at Waco, Texas.
Radical Reorganization.
The reorganization will be the most
radical ever attempted by any railway.
The highest officers of the Vanderbilt
roads will compos the board of d.
r~eetors, and Newman, the ex-ticket
agent, will be the chairman. He viii
resign the presidency of the New York
Central railroad to assume his position
as the controlling yer OF the great
est railway system of the world.
The Vanderbilt lines, combined, will
make the gigantic Pennsylvania sys-
tenn appear short, exceeding It in
length by nearly 5000 miles. the total
mileage Of the Pennsylvania system
now being 10, 300 miles.
Under the direction Of Mr.. Newman
will be 1872 subcompanies or subsidiary
corporations, and he will control
wealth enough to purchase an empire.
William G. Brown of Chicago, now
vice president of the New York Cen
trial and Lake Shore roads, will occupy
the position second only to that OF
Mr.. Newman, for upon him will de-
volve the active direction of the entire
Vanderbilt system. His offices will be.
moved from Chicago to New York,
and from there he will direct the run
ming of over 1900 trains daily.
Newman's Upward Career.
In July, 1865, Newman started rail-
,roading as a local ticket agent on the
Texas and Pacific, at a little town, the
name of which nearly every one else
has forgotten. He was sent later to
Waco. He came in contact with Jay
Gould when that railway Napoleon OBJ
tanned control of the road, but before
that, in three years he had pushed his
way up until he was general freight
agent of his division.
Newman at that time was associated
with Thomas A. Scott, who moved up
ward with him. Gould made Newman
worked up steadily.
The work of the young raiiroader in
Texas attracted the attention of the
iVanderbilts, and he came to Chicago to
take charge of the traffic department of
the Northwestern. j. ]. Hill also saw
him n made him a big offer to join
the Great Northern forces. He went
to st. Pau and became vice president.
The Vanderbilts wanted him back
and offered him the presidency of the
Lake Shore. Hill and his son made
every effort to keep Newman, offering
to AGATE the presidency and letting
him have control of the Great North
ern, but he came to Chicago and as
,sumed control.
Since then he has beer indispensa-
BILE g William X. vanderbilt anu has
held the highest offices in the gift or
Ilthe railway.