The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-24
RAILROAD
SYSTEM PLANNED
Steps Taken 10 Merge the Big
Central Lines
THE l. & N IS INCLUDED
Hollins-Zimmerman Syndicate Con-
templates System Reaching From
Lake Superior to Gulf and From
st. Louis to Seaboard.

Toledo, O., April 23.-The Times says:
The Zimmerman syndicate, in
control of the great central lines, is grad
ually acquiring by purchase or lease. new
lines of railroad, and when their gigan-
tic scheme of mergers is completed they
will dominate a system which will be one
of the most important in the world. 1t
is possible that some of the deals for
purchase now under negotiations will
fail, notably that Of the Louisville and
Nashville railroad, but il the deal for
outright purchases fails, a traffic deal
providing for through freight and pas
senger trains between important cities
will be concluded.
Thus the great central people will build
up a community of interests system which
will take rank with the Hartman, the
Hill, and the Vanderbilt communities as
one of the chief factors in transportation.
1t will be most active competitor of the
Vanderbilt system-more so than that Of
any other system.
Cover Immense Territory.
The great central lines now spread out
over Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. The
Erie railroad deal, long rumored and Of
ten denied, is to be concluded and the
Erie will become a member of the new
group of trunk lines The Erie adds
Pennsylvania and New York to states
tapped by the system and the Louisville
and Nashville railroad deal takes the
great central from the great lakes to the
gulf, adding Kentucky, Tennessee Geor-
gia, Alabama. Florida and Louisiana to
the territory covered
The purchase of the Ann Arbor and De-
troit Southern by interests closely allied
to the Great Central and the merger of
these two properties has been related
One of the members of the Holins- -Zim-
norman syndicate recently informed a
Pere Marquette man that ''the Erie rail-
road will eventually be taken over as
Mr.. Morgan desires 1t. We are now fig
uring on buying the louisville and Nash
Vile railroad. and II we do not buy It
outright. 1t will become . member OF
the group by strone traff deals"
Sonle tine ago. when the Cincinnati,
Hamilton and DAYTON railway was ru-
mored sold. President Zimmerman was
quoted as saying
mo, the Cincinnati Hamilton and Day.
ton has not been sold We are buying
railroads. not selling them
The purchases recently made Indicate
that Mr.. Zimmerman's statement was OF
more Significance than impressed people
at the time
Investigate the L. G. NJ.
Banker Hollins was recently in the
south, and 1t Is announced on good au-
thority that his mission was to inquire
into Louisville and Nashville railroad
matters. Mr.. Hollins is quoted as say
ing that If the Louisville and Nashville
purchase was not concluded traffic deals
and through train arrangements would
In effect make 1t a part of the great CEN
trail system.
This great central system is being built
up by the purchase and merger of old in
dependent lines. and by lease of the same.
When the general scheme is worked
out the great central system will extend
from Lake Superior to the Gulf of Mex
leo and from st. Louis to the Atlantic
seaboard
The first step scheduled after the Ann
Arbor and Detroit Southern merger Is
completed will be the closing of the Erie
railway deal. The Louisville and Nash
vile negotiations will then be closed and
the new community of interests will have
established itself. Just how the railways
in the new group will be operated 1t Is
unknown 1t is said the Louisville and
Nashville will be operated separately
Just as the Missouri Pacific and the Wa
! bash, both Gould roads, are operated
The Erie railroad Is also to be operated
separately, as is the Ann Arbor and De-
troit Southern combination.