The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-05-01
OBTAINS CONTROL
OF SEAB0ARp
SHIPPING
CHARLES w. MORSE SOON TO
GOVERN COAST TRADE OF
TWO CONTINENTS.
MILLIONS BEHIND HIM
Holdings Now in Possession of the
Ice King Entities Him to Rank
With Morgan and Rookie
feller.

New York, April 20.-Charles w,
man Morse, capitalist and one tim
ice king has practically secured
monopolistic control of the Atlanti
Coast s. eamship trade, freight an
passenger, of North and South Amer
lea.
Mr.. More already has bought tn
controlling interest in eleven Goa te
lines which he has consolidated inc
four main systems. He is now nego
tiating for several other Ines. includ
ing the Panama Railroad steamship
line. His actual purchases Of steam
ship companies to date represent il
stock and bond issuea $4,000 900
He has behind him over $320.000,0 ,00C
of capital to asst him in ga ming cor
troll of the other lines for which he l.
negotiating.
In the inner circles of Wall street ii
Is regarded as certain that Mr. Mors
within very short time will be the
absolute dictator of all sea transporta
ton between the ports of North and
South America on the Atlantic coast,
ana that he will then realize his ambi-
ton TO consolidate all the Atlantic
coast lines into one great shipping
monopoly
fhe companies, which Mr.. Morse al
ready controls. through his recent ne.
gotiations, are the Clyde Steamship
Company, the Metropolitan Steamship
Company and the Eastern Steamship
Company.
In the Eastern Steamship Company
Mr. Morse has consolidated the Port |
land Steamship Company. the Boston |
& Bangor Steamship Company. tn,
Kennebec Steamship Company and the
international Steamship Company.
System Reaches Far.
Beginning at New York and oper
atlng along the whole Atlantic coast
between Boston and Wilmington, N |
c., Norfolk. Va, George town, N. C..
Charleston, S. c., Brunswick, Ga.
Jacksonville, Fla. and Santo Domingo |
the Clyde line continues business witt |
twenty-five vessels valued at $500 |
600. This line in 1905 earned 81 22S,-
5G8.
Mr.. Morse ig understood in Wall |
street TO be negotiating for the pur.
chase of control of these companies:
The United Fruit Company, the New
York and Cuba Steamship Mail Com
pany, the Old Dominion and the Porte |
Rico Navigation Company. Indeed |
there is authority for the statement
that Mr. Morse is already financially
interested in all four of these con
Germs.
II is whispered in financial circles
that through the good offices of Mr.
Root and of William Nelson Crom.
we'll who transacts a great deal OF
Mr.. Morse's business for him. Mr..
Morse expects TO become the purchaser
of the Panama Steamship Company
which Is now controlled by he United
States Government
The Panama Steamship and Railway
Company was acquitted as one of the
assets of the Panama concession.
bought of the French company for
$I0.0O0O00. Although the steam hip
and railway outfit cost Sl5.000,000 "a
build il was scheduled 10 the goveren
ment at $7000.O0O. The argument
which is being used by those repre-
senting Mr.. Morse in his negotiations
Is that. If the ice king buys the line.
It's efficiency would be increased by
reason of the greater facilities for
shipment which he controls.
Banks With Money Kings.
When Mr.. Morse was asked concern.
ng the report that he had an option
ipo7 the Panama line ne refuEed 10 1,
ldmit. deny or say anything whatever
ipon the subject !.
II Is revealed that Mr. Morse's hold
ngs entitled him to rank with John
J. Rockefeller and J. PierpOnt Nor .
IAN as king Of finance. The capitaliza- !
ion Ct the companies in which he is n
he controlling factor is S320.7S2113 q
md he 10 financially interested N
1Ony companies with which his name a
+ not Identified. Those in a position a.
D know the full extent Of his financial r.
over claim that he is in a position n
D swing half a billion dollars.