The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-24
TO MERGE RAILROADS
SYNDICATE's GIGANTIC SCHEME
 FOR CONSOLIDATION.
The H0llis=ZimmermRn Combine Is Reaching Out After All Systems Possible, Including the
 IL. and M.

Toledo. O.. April 2s.--The Times
 says:
 | The Hollis-Zlmmerman Syndicate, in | control of the Grand Central Lines, is | gradually acquiring, by purchase or | lease, new lines Of railway and when their gigantic scheme of mergers Is | completed they will dominate a, system | which will be one of the most import ant in the world.
 It is possible that some of the deals for purchase now under negotiation 1 will fail, notably that of the Louisville and Nashville Railway, but if the deal for outright purchases fails, a traffic deal providing for through freight and passenger trains between important cities will be concluded.
 Thus the great central people will build up a community of interests sys- tenn which will take rank with the Hartman, the Vanderbilt communities as one of the chief factors in transpor- tation. It will be a most active com petitor of the Vanderbilt system-more so than that of any other system.
 The Great Central lines now spread out over Ohio. Indiana and Michigan. The Erie Railway deal, long rumored and often 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 Railway deal takes the Great Central from the Great Lakes to the Gulf adding Ken lucky, Tennessee, 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 and the merger of these two properties has been related. One of the members of the Hollis-Zimmerman Syndicate re- gently informed a Pere Marquette man that The Erie Railroad will eventual ly be taken over, as MT. Morgan de- sires 1t. We are now figuring on buy ing the Louisville and Nashville Rail- way and if we do not buy 1t outright, 1t will become a member of the group by strong traffic deals."
 Some time ago when the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railway was ru- mored sold President Zimmerman was quoted as saying
 NO, the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton has not been sold We are buying railroads, not selling them"
 The purchases recently made indi- cate that MT. Zimmerman's statement was of more significance than im- pressed people at the time.
 Banker Rollins was recently in the South and it is announced on good au. thority that his mission was to in- quire Into Louisville and Nashville Railway matters. MT. Rollins, is quoted as saying that if the Louisville and Nashville purchase was not con cIuded traffic deals and through train arrangements would in effect make a part of the great Central system.
 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 ex- tend from Lake Superior to the Gulf of Mexico 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 clos ing of the Erie Railway deal
 The Louisville and Nashville nego- tiations will then be closed and She new community of interests will have established itself, Just how the rail ways in the new group will be oper- ated Is unknown. It Is said the Lou isville and Nashville will be operated