New-York tribune., 1905-04-24
BIG R. &. MERGER RUMOR.
RIVAL TO OLD SYSTEMS.
HoEIins-ZimmermOn People Said to
Plan Lakes to Gulf Line.
roledo. Aprl - Times' to-day says:

Toledo, April 23-''The Times" to-day says;
The F4ollins zimmerman syndicate. in control OF
the Great Central lines IS gradually acquiring, py
purchase or lease, new lines of railway and when
It's gigantic scheme OF mergers completed il
viii dominate q system which viii be one 81 the
most important in the world.
Il IS possible that some Of the deals for purchase
now under negotiation viii FAIL notably that or the
Louisville and Nashville Railway, but II the. deal
for outright purchase fails. traffic deal browsing
for through freight and passenger trains between
important cities viii be concluded.
Thus the Great Central people viii build up
community OF interest systeTn,Wheh VIII take ranA
with the Hartman. the Hi and the NanderoH1
communities as one of the chief factors in trans
portation. II viii be most active competitor OF
the Vanderbilt system-more than any other
system.
TIE Great Central lines now spread out over
Ohio Indiana and Michigan. The Erie Railway
deal long rumored and often denied. is TO De con-
cIUded, ard the Erie will become a member OF The
new group OF trunk lines. The Erie Railway ADDS
Pennsylvania and New-York 10 the States tapped
by the system. and the Louisville and Nashville
Railway deal takes the Great Central from the
Great Lakes 10 the Gulf. adding Kentucky. Ten
nessee, Georgia Alabama. Florida and Louisiana TO
the territory covered.
The purchase OF the Ann Arbor and Detroit
Southern by interests closely allied to the Great
Central end the merger OF these two properties
have been related One Of the members Of the
Zimmerman syndicate recently Informed a
Iere Marquette man that the Erie Railway Nlu
eventually be taken over as M Morgan desires IT,
We are now figuring buying the Louisville and
Nashville Railway, and If do not buy it out
night Il viii become member OF the group by
strong traffic deals.
Some time AGO when the Cincinnati. Hamilton
and Dayton Railway was reported sold, President
Zimmerman quoted saying: No. the Gin
cnnat:. Hamilton and Dayton has not heen sold.
We are buying railroads, not selling then.' The
purchases recently made indicate that Mr.. Zinl-
Ilnerman's statement was Of more significance than
Impressed people the time,
II. D. HoIlins was recently IN the South and II is
announced good authority that his mission was
to inquire into Louisville and Nashville Railway
affairs.
This Great Central system is being built up by the
purchase and merger Of old independent lines and
by lease Of the same
When the general scheme IS worked out the
Great Central system Will extend from Lake su-
perioT 10 the Gulf Of Mexico and from ST Louis
n the Atlantic seaboard
The first step scheduled after the Ann Arbor-De-
1rot Southern merger is completed will be the clos
ing Of the Erie Railway deal The Louisville ana
Nashville negotiations wiz then be closed, and the
new community Of interests viii have established
itself Just how the railways i'm the new group
" III be operated IS unknown. It is said the Louis
Vile and Nashville viii be operated separately. just
the Missouri Pacific and the Wabash, both Gould
roads. operated. The Erie Railway is also 20
be operated separately. is the Ann ArbOr-De-
troit Southern combination.