The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-05-21
GOULD AND
THE WABASH
WRITER'S OF RAILROAD FICTION
COME IN FOR A SLIGHT
"ToUCHiNG UP" BY a sAR-
CASTIC EDITOR.
is GEORGE J. GOULD SICK AND
WEARY OfTRYiNG TO GET
INTO PITTSBURS?
WELL, HARDLY.

Among the writer's of fiction in the
PittsburS papers of yesterday were
several who guessed that the visit OF
the younger Rockefeller to this city
was for the purpose of smoothing over
the railroad war that has been pre-
ciptated by the entry of the Wabash
system to the Pittsburs territory 1t
was an interesting guess. but there
was nothing conclusive in the accom-
pauying narrative, and Why il was not
printed. in the fiction department in
stead of the news columns is myS-
terry. The incident, however, affords
4 suggestion for the railroad reporters
who build SO many lines on paper or
Of our daily papers-the gentlemen
in the air.
Let these romancers of the rail in
quire whether it is not true that
George J. Gould is sick and weary Of
the whole scheme of extension to
Pittsburg 1t would be interesting al
so to know whether it is a fact that
he has declared his purpose to pour
no more millions into the enterprise
until he can see his way to get some
of his cash back. Like the man from
Missouri. his cry is: SHOW me-!
They do say that this Wabash road is
the most alluring proposition in blue
print that was ever conceived, and
the most costly in construction that
was ever undertaken. There are
strange stories of real estate that cost
as much as if II were rich in free
gold, of coal lands that were put in at
radium rates, OF construction contracts
that have amazed Mr.. Gould's asSo-
ciates because of their lavish proper
lions. and of various and sundrX other
discoveries that Mr.. Gould has made
since he began his invasion of this
section.
Then, too, our newspaper experts
on railway operation might inquire
Just how Mr.. Gould hopes to make eff
fective the muchboasted and boosted
contra ct for tonnage he is said to have
made with Mr.. Carnegie and the Car
nege Steel Company. 1t would be
worth while knowing how Mr.. Gould
is going to haul material from the
Carnegie plants without tracks TO
those plants. Likewise it would be
of interest to know how the Wabash
is going to handle the product of the
Jones & Laughlin company. in the alb
sence of the trackage to that concerns
works. If it be claimed that the Wa
bash may use the terminals now
owned and operated by the Carnegie
and Jones & Laughlin it might be en-
tertaining to recite what reply has
been made by those two mammoth
corporations to the Wabash proposal
that this be done and how disconcert-
ing that reply was to the Gould peo-
pie. But even if such a trifinS OBJ
stacle be overcome by the experts, 1T
would be valuable information to the
new lines officials if someone would
tell them how they are going TO en-
ploy the incoming cars necessary to
handle the outgoing traffic from the
Carnegie plants. For it is minated
that when Carnegie. made his famous
contract with Gould he did not bind
his com pany to take any incoming ton
mage. The Carnegie's have ships. rail
roads. cars and all that sort of thing
of their own, it seems, and while they
were willing to guarantee tonnage
from their plants for the Gould lines
if the latter could handle it-they fig
ured on laying down their own raw
materials over their own lines.
These are only a few of the prob
lens that have been confronting the
Wabash builders. There are said to
be others just as serious. and some
even more perpleXinG, but it would be
unkind to make TOO many suggest ions
to the editors of our local railway col
unans Some of them should go to the
puzzle editor. Mr. Gould's disappoint-
1nent. however. is said to be the kind
that won't come OF. Meanwhile it is
understood that the officials of the
Pennsylvania, Baltimore and Ohio and
Vanderbilt lines are profuse in the ex-
preston OF their sympathies and re
newed assurances OF their distin-
guished consideration - Pittsburs
Times. :E
4