Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-08-20

IL. Hartman is the road projected by Jo-
seph Ramsey. which will cut los miles Of
the distance between Chicago and New
York. 1t Is to be a truly-for-sure air line
between these centers Of population and
wealth, and will, to quote the advance no.
tice, throw its dust on the headlights Of
rival lines" The plans Of the road on
paper call for an expenditure OF $50 900
for construction and right-of-way and three
years time to do the Job II may be az
sumed from these estimates that Mr.. Ram
sey will be busy man for several days
to come.
The new Keystone Air lane. as the new
Ramsey road will be known, will traverse
the important bituminous coal fields OF
central Pennsylvania, now controlled by
the Pennsylvania railroad. and will also
pierce the anthracite region throughout It's
length. 1t will not only be the shortest
line through Pennsylvania, but Il will cross
the summit of the Allegheny mountains 100
feet lower than the Pennsylvania, and will
have very easy curves and remarkably low
grades for a mountain line. 1t is declared
that II will be low-grade line. at no place
having fall of more than 20 feet to the
mile. Complete surveys have already been
made, and It is expected that work prelin-
mary to actual grading and construction
next spring will begin this fail.
At present there is more soft coal being
mined than the Pennsylvania and New
York Central or Vanderbilt lines can carry
TO tidewater from the Pennsylvania fields
The suits in the courts of the Keystone
state tell of great coal companies being
Disseminated against by the Pennsylvania
and not being able to get their product
to market. This applies to mines in In
diana, Clearfield and Centre counties. II
is to this section OF the state that Ram
sey's road would give relief. 1t is hardly
expected that he would get much. IL any.
hard coal, as the mines are all controlled
by the Temple Iron company and the other
corporations OF the great American trust
Some weeks ago Ramsey made a deal
for an entrance of one of the western
Pennsylvania roads so that It could get
into Pittsburg. He has had his eye on
the trade OF that city for years, and It was
he who induced George Gould to take his
Wabash into that city. As the fight was
a long and bitter one. Gould became dis
heartened after spending so 100000, and he
and Ramsey fell out. Surveyors have
been busy in and around Wiliiamsport.
Pottsvile, Allentown and other places In
Pennsylvania for some months. 1t is now
believed they were prospecting in the in
terest Of Ramsey's proposed road.
There Is q suspicion that away back of
this scheme are Vanderbilt interests. The
Vanderbilts and Cassatt have long been
on most friendly terms, but at the same
time the New York Central, through the
Beech Creek and other lines, has been
reaching deep into the virgin coal fields of
Clearfield, Centre. Indiana and westmore-
land counties, Pennsylvania. The Wander
bits have gone as far as they dared with
out mourning break in their relations
with Cassatt In order to cover up their
tracks and not appear as trying to steal
away the trade of their friendly rival, It
is believed in certain quarters that the
Vanderbits have backed Ramsey, or,
rather, have seen that he got the neces-
sary capital to make new road. They
can thus covertly get the trade from the
Pennsylvania and yet appear to be friendly
to Cassatt 1t is noted that as soon as
Ramsey left Gould he became very init
mate with the vanderbilts and received
aid from them In a railroad enterprise in
which he was engaged.
Joseph Ramsey's first work in railroad
ing was as a member of an engineering
corps on the Pittsburg, Cincinnati &
St. Louis railroad. There he had an OPP
portunity to show the stun OF which he
was made He did his work SO we'll that
in four months he was advanced. He
then became assistant engineer of the
Cincinnati & Muskegon Valley rail-
road, which position he acceptably filled.
Mr.. Ramsey progressed right along in
various positions. In 1879 he was made
chief engineer and superintendent OF the
Pittsburg & Southern. From there he
was transferred to the Pittsburg, Char
tiers & Youghiogheny road as chief en-
gineer and general manager, where he
remained until August, 1888 During that
time he also filled the position of general
manager and chief engineer of two other
roads. having charge OF three lines OF
railway,
The next change that Mr.. Ramsey made |
was in August. 1888, when he went to
Ohio as chief engineer of the Cincinnati, |
Hamilton & Dayton road. which posi- |
ton he held for four years. In 1890 he |
became assistant to the president Of the !
Cincinnati, Cleveland. Chicago & ST. |
Louis road, and in March of the same |
year was made president OF the Pekin |
Union railroad. The following year he
was elected vice president OF the Cincin-
natl, Wabash & Michigan, and In 1893 |
was made general manager OF the Gin |
cinnati, Cleveland, Chicago G. st. Louis |
railroad and vice president and general |
manager of the Dayton & Union road. |
From April 1893. to December, 1895 Mr.. |
Ramsey was general manager OF the Ter
minal railroad association OF st. Louis. |
In December, 1895, he became vice presi-
dent and general manager OF the Wabash |
system and several subsidiary companies. |
In July, 1901, he was made president OF |
the Wabash system. with headquarters |
in St. Louis. Last year. after a vigorous |
contest between Mr.. Gould and himself |
for control of the Wabash, he was forced |
out.
Getting the wabash into Pittsburg was
one of Ramsey's hardest fights. The
work is said 10 have cost $20,000,000. Ram
sey was right in II from start TO finish.
and knew all the details. The best
answer to the criticisms directed against
him Is that he made contracts with the
great steel plants insuring tonnage suf-
hcient for the Wabash to repair the ex-
penditure in a remarkably short time.
The Pennsylvania railroad had its