Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1906-11-10
FINANCIER PLANS TO SURROUND
THE GOULD LINEs-TALK
THAT HE MAY ALSO GET
THE sEABOARD AIR
LINE.


story of the probable movements OF
r. II. Hartman to acquire the Nor
folk and Western railroad and prob
ably the Seaboard Air Line:
Gould one but look into the mind
OF that king OF finance. Mr.. Il. II.
Hartman. he might behold there one
OF the most stupendous schemes for
railroad domination ever attempted.
IL Is no difncult task-on paper-to
figure out combinations whereb,t
every State In that vast productive
belt constituting he lower portion of
the United States is to be made to
pour Its vast crops into the freight
cars OF Hartman, IL they go north.
south. east or west. and events might
warrant the belief that such Is Har-
riman's intention.
Railroad and financial circles have
mad no doubt since the Official con-
hrmation a month or more ago that
hartman was I'm position to domi-
nate the Baltimore and Ohio that
twas his intention to anticipate his
rival. George Gould. in spanning the
continent. and that the Baltimore
and Ohio was intended to form the
connection with the East. In the
West Hartman Is I'm control OF sew
eral important systems-the Union
Pacific, the Southern Pacific and n
small. but important. line, the Oregon
IN, no
lines find terminals at threeimportant
points-Portland. San Francisco and
Los Angeles. In the South the
southern Pacific reaches an extreme
busy port In New Orleans.
What has Hartman in the East?
There are four important seaboard
ports which IL Is desirable for every
railroad OF Importance to have con-
nection with. First of all is New
York. the mecca of every railroad
Next comes Philadelphia. then Bal.
timore. then Norfolk, the latter des-
tined to be one of the most important
ports or the Atlantic seaboard. When
Hartman secured control of the Bal
into Baltimore and Philadelphia. Two
important points were gained. As
for New York, the Baltimore and
Ohio, by traffic arrangement, makes
use Of the tracks of the Reading for
entrance there. But I'm securing the
Baltimore and Ohio Hartman gain
ed no small interest I'm the Reading
for theBaltimore and Ohio owns $3O,-
322.500 OF the Reading Company's
total capital OF $14O,O0O,OOO.
For sometime recently the buy
ing I'm Reading has been heavy. and
just how much OF the Reading stock
Hartman and his associates have ac-
qufred Is matter OF conjecture.
hand 1t will not be surprising IL the
problem of entrance into New York
Will resolve itself into simple mat
ter. AS for Norfolk, that, too, is
partially conqured, for Hartman, at
the time he purchased 100000 shares
OF Baltimore and Ohio. bought about
100000 chares OF Norfolk and wes-
tern. which will give him a power
full voice in its councils.
Thus Hartman has practically
gained entrance into the most i'm
portant ports OF the Atlantic and
Pacific seaboards. To connect the
East with the West is the problem
which is now engaging his attention
Int n.
and the Baltimore and Ohio to Chica-
go. leaving a gap between those cities.
Likewise. the Union Pacific, In anoth-
er branch, extends to Kansas City
and the Baltimore and Ohio to st.
Louis. Thus two distinct ways of
completing connections present them
selves.
with the Illinois Central under
the control OF Hartman. connection
is established between the East and
West. However, what is TO hinder
Hartman from connecting st. Louis
and Kansas City as well, when a way
presents itself so easily7 The Chicago
and Alton is a short, direct line be-
tween St Louis and Kansas City. II
is controlled Jointly by the Union
Pacific and the Rock Island. II
would not be difficult task for Har-
riman to arrange for taking over the
Chicago and Alton by making the
Rock Island satisfactory inducements
Thus ne would have system be-
tween the Atlantic and the Pacific
seaboards.
Reference has been made to the
fact that the Southern Pacific reaches
NV Orleans on the South. The Illi-
nois Central. when II leaves Chicago.
shoots directly sonth. to New Or
leans, so that union between the
Hartman lines is perfected. a great
square would thus be enclosed, the
products OF which would TO a large