The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-11-27

n INDIVIDUAL COIL ARS 10 RAILWAYS
all Operators On
Equal Footing

nHeEtUESE y tne consolidation. Fair
mont and Somerset Coal Companies
held special meetings Monday, al
the conclusion OF which It was an,
%nounce'l that the Fa!rmont has sold
2.223 o! It's Individual cars and the
Somerset 1000 of It's cars. The Balti.
more and Ohio railroad is the purchas.
err OF 100 Of the cars sold by the
Fa'rmont Coal Company, while the
Cumberland and Pennsylvania railroad
takes the baalnce Of. the cars sold by
the Fairmont and all OF those dispos.
ed Of by the Somerset Company. 1t
Is roughly estimated that something
like 100000 is involved in the
transaction.
The announcement Of the sale was
made by Mr.. Clarence w. Watson,
president Of the Consolidation and its
controlled companies, and was as
follows:
THE directors Of the Consolidation
Coal Company and It's allied compa.
Mes, after consideration OF the present
needs OF the coal business, have made
the following disposition Of certain
Of the individual cars now controlled
by the coal companies.
80. .F#.. Hr|.E. .....|H FL. aH. ~ .-.H |
Fairmont Coal Company has sold to
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com.
pany 100, of its individual cars.
Fairmont Coal Company has sold
500 other individual cars to the Cum.
b%erland and Pennsylvania Railroad
Company.
Somerset Coal Company has sold
900 cars to the Cumberland and
Pennsylvania Railroad Company.
The Officials Of tho coal companies
have given careful consideration OF
existing conditions and concluded that
the action Just taken Is for the best
interest Of their companies.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company, as part Of the contract Of
sale, was also released from all con.
tracts heretofore made with the Fair.
mont Coal Company and its prede.
cessors IN title as to the exclusive use
Of IndiyiiunJ rnre u..r}.
The sale Of the Somerset Company
includes all Of the individual cars
owned BY that company, while it is
understood that the Fairmont still re.
tains some few to be used for special
purposes and not in connection with
Its general business. Last year the
Somerset built the 1000 cars which it
sold. and the Fairmont 1000 cars, the
work being done at the plant OF the
South aBltimore Steel Car and Foun.
dry Company at Curtis Bay. Both
the Fairmont and Somerset companies
ISSUED chr trust bonds to cover a part
of the cost of the cars purchased
from the South Baltimore company.
the car trusts authorized by the Som.
erset company amounting to about
$4,000 while those authorized by the
Fairmont company's stockholders to-.
tailed about $1,000. 900.
Tho Cumberland and Pennsylvania
railroad, which purchases 59S cars,
from the Fairmont company and 1000
cars from the Somerset company, is,
controlled by the Consolidation Conl,
Company. The road is IS miles in
length, and runs through the heart
OF the Georges Creek region, furnish.
Ing the connecting link between the
mines OF that section and the various
railroads in the western part of the
State.
The sale OF the cars owned by the
Falrmont and Somerset companies
places, these corporations now on the
same footing rs other operators in the
Fairmont and Somerset regions. In
the past some complaint has been
made by Independent operators, more
with reference to the Fairmont than
to the Somerset that It received more
cars at Its mines than It was enti.
tied to-. figuring that the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad, which owns the
lines running to its mines, in allotting
cars should also include the private
ears as part OF the allotment. This
was II of the points brought IN dur
Ing the trial of the Pitcairn coal suit
before Judge Morris In the United
States Circuit Court, and which is to
come M in the United States Court Of
appeals ut Richmond, Va.
The Baltimore and Ohio during the
trial Of the Pitcairn case showed
that It's allotment of cars to the ya.
rlous mines was based on the daily
output of each mine, and at the time
1t was stated the private cars were
not included in making up the allot.
ments. Another feature of the case
Is that the Baltimore and Ohio. which