The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-11-18
Various Big Groups Are TO Be Brought
Into Close Relationship Each Hav-
ing Representation on Board
OF Directors of Others.
Lines Marked for Combination.

Total. 49, S3 S3,utS. 100000
Southern Railways
J. 2. Morgan. ..lS,sls ; ao1,5U,to
New England. New
Haven, Ontario *
Western, grand total 2,2l9 lgf,oso,V0
Western 96,le4 4,495, po0.0o
Eastern 49, 3,ri3, sec. 600
Southern ..............1S .S79 49,, 500. ZOO
New England ......... 2,5l9 1874. 10000
Total .162,ess ss.@o,Soo,oco
Total mileage OF all roads in the cctn-
Total capitalization, s14, So, oGo, 600.
Chicago. Nov. 16.-Details are work
ing out rapidly for the formation OF the
gigantic railroad trust beside which all
the other great trusts heretofore or
ganized in this ountry dwindle into
insigniacance. y dozen eastern finan-
ciers headed by the Standard Oil in
terests With their unlimited wealth eN-
pect 10 control the entire railroad sys-
tenn in the country and prevent onpe
tition among the various roads.
The plan is to divide the railroads of
the country into a few groups or sys-
TENS, each one of which is to OWL Il
substantial interest in the stocks and
securities of every other big group or
system. and all TO have representation
ON each others board of directors.
10000 Miles CT Road.
tln dozen llIdlCltES, an represented
on the boards of the various roads.
will control, from present Appearances,
more than 100000 miles of railroads,
Including every important trunk line
In the country, representing a capital-
iaztion of about 5000 million dollars in
stocks and bonds. They VIII see to 1t
that the roads are managed as econom-
ically as possible and the rates kept
up to as high n figure as the traffic
will bear in order TO secure all the rev
enue necessary to pay good dividends
on the capitalization.
The r%ecouping of systems, which has
been going on for some time, has not
yet been completed. but from present
indications the western roads will be
divided into about six systems, the
eastern into three or four, with the
southern and New England lines form
ing a separate system each The west
ern systems or groups probably will
be as follows:
Stocks, bonds
Systems. Mileage. and debts.
h noI5 Central laf'aains IN. %. 900 81. 2s4. oao. GOO
Could, including Wabash. 400 ca, Goo,Coo
Hin. including Burling-
RocS Island, Frisco -
ss Meof rs and allied lines .ls SIS Is. S$S &c
Rockefeller. Milwaukee
& st. Paul, etc........l,26 GlO,GNO,Ic
. F.. 30, li} VI, i.J,Vb, NVl
The eastern systems probably Will be as
follows:
Vanderbilt ......,.......2 1883 $1,lA1,5eo,0eN
PENNSYLVANIA ............. 30, 1873 1.442, 900, 900
Erie. Pere Marquette, c.
ii. 4 observation-disclosures. 1852 4'i,ooo,eoo
Totals. 49, $50 S3,0G3, 5000
The southern railroads are all con
trolled by j. p. Morgan, except the
Illinois Central. which is classed with
the Hartman system. The mileage OF
Morgan's Southern railway system is
1S,S79 miles, with a capitalization of
S29T.50 goo.
Gould's Big Ambitions.
The plans of the Gould interests are
known to be most ambitious. 1t is be
lieved to be their intention to con-
struct or establish a transcontinental
line stretching from the Atlantic to the
Pacific. Through the acquisition of the
Wheeling & Lake Erie, West Virginia
Central and Western Maryland, with
the construction of some new mileage,
the eastern terminus of the Gould syS-
tenn practically has been moved to the
Atlantic seaboard. Through the ac-
QUESTION Of the m & Rio Grande
and the Rio Grande western, the west
ern terminus has been advanced to Salt
Lake City. Arrangements have been
made lately for the construction of a
new road to be known as the Western
Pacific, in which the Gouids are largely
interested, n which is expected to
furnish them with the desired outlet
from Salt Lake City to San Francisco.
The Western Pacific. if carried to com
pletion will become a direct rival of
the Southern Pacific as a u line to
the Pacific coast. The capitalization
of the Western Pacific is as follows:
Stock Cpaid up, 81, 500, ooO). ......... SEC, 000, Coz
Bonds Cougar, . per cenU...... $1,000, Hl
500, COS. DOC
Gould and Vanderbilt.
The Vanderbilt system is the only
one in the east that extends into the
territory west of Chicago and the Mis-
sissippi, just as the Gould system is
the only western n that laps over into
eastern territory. The Nanderbilts, how
ever, unlike MIR. Gould. are making
no effort to extend the Northwestern
to the Pacific coast. but are content
with the traffic alliance the road has
with Farriman's Union n Southern
Pacific roads. Although the Chicago
& Northwestern is a Vanderbilt prop
erty, yet s~cfupulous care has been
taken not to have it closely identified
with the Vanderbilt roads east of Chi
cago, and it exchanges traffic with all
of it's eastern connections on the same
terms as it does with them.
Some time ago it was reported thai
the Pennsylvania was trying to secure
control of the Santa Fe system. with a
view OF securing u continuous line
from ocean to ocean. This has beer
denied, however, by both the Penn,
sylvania and Santa Fe people. and
there is nothing to indicate that the
Pennsylvania has any large interest
in the Santa Fe.
Watching the Changes.
Nearly all the changes thus far made
in the %regrouping of the western and
eastern railroad systems suppest
Standard Oil control of railroads to ar
extent that no single interest has ever
Thought Of undertaking before. Changes
sin the directories of the various trunk
railroads are being watched with grea,
interest because it is believed they