The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-29
CASSATT LINE
 IN THE SOUTH Pennsylvania to Acquire
 the L. & N. STOCK IS CHANGING HANDS
STOCK IS CHANGING HANDS
Move to Checkmate the Grea
 Systems Competitors.
Failure to Get Control of the Illi- nois Central Causes Executives to Determine to Gain Possess
 sion of l.. and N.

Pittsburg, Pa. March 2s.-(Special) From official sources 1t was learned here today that the Pennsylvania Rail- road Is about to execute, If 1t has not already under way, the greatest coup in the history of the road. namely, the obtaining of entrance to the South and an outlet to the Gulf for the system which already operates or dominates the operation of over 10000 miles of the most important railroads east of Chicago.
 Expectation of participating largely in the traffic which is expected to flow into the Gulf ports when the Panama Canal is completed, desire to become factor in the expanding business of the South, and, equally potent as an influencing cause, the determination to checkmate moves in a southerly direc- ton that have already been made by It's great rivals, the Vanderbilts and the Wabash interests. are the great mo- tives which have led the Pennsylvania to determine on it's coup.
 The means by which this gigantic plan is to be carried out is the acquir- ing of a controlling interest in the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, of such nature as that by which the Penn sylvania now dominates the Baltimore and Ohio, the Chesapeake and Ohio,
 
 roads. In this way, the Pennsylvania will be the first of the Eastern trunk lines to get it's own or controlled line l to the Gulf ports.
 The operations of the Vanderbilts in the same direction. it Is admitted, | was what first excited the suspicious of the Pennsylvania's executives and finally led them to determine on checkmating plan. The project Is of | momentous interest to Pittsburg. for, | in the event of It's consummation. route over practically one system of | railroads will be afforded from this city to New Orleans, and the exports of Pittsburgs iron and steel manufacto- l ries to the Occident, with the comple- tion of the Panama Canal, will make such route of vital importance and value.
 The first report that the Pennsylva- nia was purchasing a controlling in- terest in the Louisville and Nashville. Railroad, reached Pittsburg several weeks ago, but It's full significance was not then realized It was admitted by a Pennsylvania official today, however, that the great activity in Louisville and Nashville stock and the evidence | that 1t Is changing hands in laEge blocks is strongly confrmative of the report that the Pennsylvania Is ac- Quiring It's control. The Pennsylvania Southern expan- sion plan as mapped out provides that in addition to being one of the two strongest trunk lines between Chicago and New York 1t must also become one of the leading factors in the Gulf trade to and from the Great Lakes and the Central States touching New York, Buffalo, Pittsburg. Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Louisville and New Or leans.
 With an outlet running south from Cincinnati and Louisville. 1t Is pointed out the South could easily be reached by the Pennsylvania System from all the important ports on the Great Lakes from the Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia bituminous coal terri tory, and from the manufacturing cen ters of which Pittsburg Is the fore most.
 New Road of seabOard.
 The Seaboard Air Line Is building a new thirty mile road which, by con- nection with the Chesapeake and Ohio, will give 1t a connection from Cincin- natl to a point on the main line of the Seaboard North of Atlanta The Penn sylvania has influenced thls. Several smaller railroad projects in Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Louisiana, it is significant, have also taken on new life recently with the assurance that increased trafic to the Gulf ports will put a premium on railroad terminals and docks along the Gulf.
 The rivalry of the Gulf and Atlantic seaboard lines has been increasing in the past few years, but the Pennsyl- vania management feels that with the vast increase in volume of traffic which Is soon to be divided between these rival lines. both can be kept busy and each will need the help of such a sys- tenn as the Pennsylvania proposes to es- tablish in the South, to help them han dle traffic.
 In it's efforts to get control of Southern road the Pennsylvania first turned towards the Illinois Central which. with It's 300 mile line from Chi- cago to New Orleans, seemed to offer then, however. that the Cassatt sys- tenn experienced. something of a shock and had its eyes opened to what was going on in the Southern field when 1t learned that It's competitors were also seeking to buy stock of the desired line. Its suspicious that it was not the first Eastern system to be planning a raid into the South were confirmed when the Illinois Central, which 1t was reported was about to pass Into Van derbilt control. began expending mil ,lions for terminals and docks in and about New Orleans and elsewhere.
 combination of smaller roads. which might also reach the Gulf. was feared. A suspicious eye was even cast on the Gulf and Lake Terminals Of which the Goodyear syndicate has 'been gradually obtaining control for that group of capitalists, which will complete a line into Buffalo, with val uable docks and terminals about July 1, also owns the. New Orleans Great Northern 200 mile line running North from the Crescent city.
 Even as 1t Is. this combination will form a formidable possible rival to the Pennsylvana's new project. but it is felt by the management that if control Of the Louisville and Nashville is ob- rained. this possible opposition will be more than offset by the first and pro- ,bably the only system to own Ines running both east and south from the | central States
 -