Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-09-19
ALTON FOR hartman
Would Make Of 1t a Link
For a Trans-Continental
System
70 BE SETTLED NEXT MONTH
Maanate Once Had the Big North and
South Line, But Rival Interests Sc
cured Control Two Years Aeo-What
Hartman Now Controls, and Effect
Of New York Lines.

Chicago. Sept. 19.--Whether or not
e. H. Hartman will establish the tlrs'
true transcontinental railway system
in the United States may be deterih-
ined within the next few weeks. AS
s,lning the report that Mr.. Hartman
has acquired control of the Baltimore ~
Ohio. the Chesapeake and ONO
and the Norfolk & Western rail-
roads to be true, all he needs 10 give
him an unbroken transcontinental sys-
TEN is a line running from Chicago or
81. Louis to Kansas City or Omaha' 'he
latter two cities being the points OIL
origin of Mr.. Harriman's Union Pacif-
ic. The Chicago & Alton, running from
both Chicago and st. Louis to Kansas
City, is such line.
Whether Mr.. Hartman will become
dominant in the Alton is expected 10
be settled at the annual meeting OF that
line on October 2. He once was prac-
tlcally In control OF the Alton. About
two years ago, however he stepped in
and got the Houston g. Texas Central,
q line which the Moores, who control
the Rock Island, wanted.
Anxious to Regain the Axiom.
The Moores retaliated by securing,
after a bitter fight, enough Alton stock
10 threaten Mr.. Harrimans supremacy
IL the Alton. A truce was then patched
up, according to the terms OF which the
rival interests were to have an equal
voice In the roads affairs for two years
which will expire with the approach-
ing annual meeting.
Mr.. Hartman Is endeavoring to get
back sole control of the Alton. 1t Is
said he Is even willing to surrender the
Houston &. Texas Central to the Rock
Island in return for concessions regard
ing the Alton. OF the four directors
who retire this year, President S. M.
FELTON, and John j. Mitchell are Harri-
man men, and w. H. Moore and D. G..
Reid are Rock Island men. The retire
ment Of one Rock Island director would
be enough TO give Mr.. Hartman cons
troll. Local officials Of all the lines
concerned agree that there seems
strong probability of the Alton becom-
ing distinctly Hartman line.
Would Make Immense System.
Assuming the report that Mr. Harri-
man has the Baltimore and Ohio and
other eastern lines which the Pennsyl-
vania recently disposed of is true, the
complete control of the Alton would
make him beyond question the mos
potent factor in the railway business
in the United States or the world
There is already one real American
transcontinental line-the Canadian
Pacific-but it would be pygmy COM
pared with the system Mr.. Hartman
would control.
He has now the Union Pacific. 1856
miles in length; the Southern Pacific,
S.O13 miles; the Houston and Texas
Central, $50 miles; the Oregon Rail
road and Navigation Company, 1,144
miles; the Oregon Short Line, 1876
miles. The Baltimore and Ohio is A.
4s1 miles in length; the Chesapeake
and Ohio, 1,70S miles; and the Norfolk
and Western, 1884 miles. This gives
his present lines an aggregate length
Of 22,2O1 miles, not counting the I'LL
nois Central, in which he is a large
stockholder. The addition OF the Al
ton, with $50 miles, would make an az
gregate of 23,157 miles or railroads
which he would control and operate.
Tariffs to Be. Cancelled.
Following a ruling Of the interstate
commerce commission that the absorp-
ton of marine insurance on lake ana
rail business by the western railways
is illegal, the Chicago. Milwaukee ana
st. Paul, the Chicago and Alton, ana
the Chicago Great Western have given
notice of the cancellation on OCTOBER
16lof the tariffs in which they quotea
rates based on this practice. Chicago
shippers welcome the change, for, as
1.-The insurance was absorbed on snip
Nments passing thru this city, but not on
shipments to it, the practice gave the
citys western commercial competitors
what was deemed an unfair advantage.