Evening star., 1909-06-17
NEW LINE TO CHICAGO
Effect of Building Link From
Franklin to CIearfieId, Pa.
CUTTING DOWN DISTANCE
Shortens Mileage to New York Near
ly 100 Miles.
GRADES WILL BE MODERATE
Track Already Constructed to
Brookville-Forty Miles Re-
main to Be Built.
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS
Special Correspondence of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.

Chicago ecord-Herald.
| NEW YORK. June IA. 1909
For two years a connecting link, 1O5
miles long, between the Lake Shore and
the Reading systems Of railway has been
under construction for the purpose of
creating new trunk line between Chi
cago and Philadelphia and New York
which is claimed to be shorter than any
that exists 1t Is promised to be fin
ished for freight traffic this summer, and
for passenger trains next fall
| Ihis new route will be along the Lake
Shore to Ashtabula. from there to Frank
lin. in the Oil regions Of Pennsylvania,
over branch of the Lake Shore system
which has been in operation for many
years. From Franklin a new line of
| double track is being constructed via
Clarion. Brookville, Dubois and Curwens-
vile to Clearfield. where it connects with
| what is known as the Beech Creek rail-
road, feeder Of the New York Central
railroad system. Following that line to
Wlll1amsport. via Heating and Lock
| Haven, 1t connects with the Reading rail-
| road. and by that line the trains will
| reach New York via Mauch Chunk
Easton and Phillipsburg
| The line to Philadelphia branches off
| at Mahanoy Junction and runs through
Reading.
| 1t is contended that this route is shorter
than any other now existing between Chi
| cagO and tidewater. and that the maxi
mum grade will be only thirty-seven feet
| to the mile, while the Pennsylvania trains
| In several instances are compelled to
overcome fifty-six feet in a mile. Gen.
| Charles Miller of Franklin. Pa, the ''un-
known millionaire of whom 1 wrote you
| yesterday, is building the connecting link
| from his home in Franklin to the Beech
| Creek connection in Clearfield. He has
| a1voa lx-0 I4I
and 1t will cost at least six millions more
1 to complete the work. The track from
Franklin to Brookville, which is already
completed. is sixty-five miles; the track
| from Brookvile to Clearfield. which is
now under construction. will be forty
miles. When this link is completed the
mileage between New York and Chicago
will be shortened nearly one hundred
miles, and between Chicago and Phladel-
phia 1t will be shortened four miles. in
| addition to reducing the grade.
The distance from Chicago to New York
by way of the Michigan Central, Canada
Southern and New York Central is 926
| miles.
The distance from Chicago to New York
via the Lake Shore and New York Cen
| trail is 97S miles.
The distance from Chicago to New York
| by way of the Pennsylvania is 9O7 miles
The distance from New York to Chicago
| by the new route is 500 miles.
The distance from Chicago to Philadel
phia by way Of the Pennsylvania lines is
816 miles. The distance from Chicago to
Philadelphia by the proposed route is Sl2
miles.
| The vice president and general mana ger
| OF construction Is ]. A. Megreath of
Franklin. Pa. son-in-law Of Gen. Mil
| Ter, who is president of the company.
Chief Object of New Line.
The chief object of the new line is to
obtain an entrance into the city of Phil
adelphia for the Lake Shore and the New
! York Central railway. which have been
working for many years to get into that
market. but have been prohibited from
doing so by rival interests. 1t is. a ques-
ton whether the Pennsylvania Company
will permit Gen. Miller to carry out this
scheme. He has not been interfered with
thus far, and he tells me that there is
an amicable understanding between the
rival companies. but the Pennsylvania
railroad is exceedingly jealous Of its ter
ritory, and the policy of that company
will have to be radically changed before
it consents to share the enormous traffic
between Philadelphia and the west with
the New York Central Company.
Gen. Miller is confident that there will
be no interference with his plans. and
predicts with enthusiastic confidence
that limited express trains will be run
ming through Franklin and Clearfield be-
tween New York and Chicago before Jan
uary 1. next Other people who know of
his scheme expect that battle of the
giants will be provoked before 1t is car
ried into effect. Thus far the work of
construction has been carried on very
quietly. There has been nothing in the
papers and Gen. Miller tells me that am
making the first announcement of his
plans. but the Pennsylvania company
must certainly know what has been go
ing on and the fact that Gen. Miller is
receiving not only the moral but also
the financial support of the New York
Central group of financiers. which in
cludes Mr. Hartman. Mr.. Morgan and
the Standard Oil people, could not have
been concealed from the knowledge of
the Pennsylvania officials.
The entire railway system in America
Is controlled by a few men. as we all
agreement" relating to the division Of
traffic and territory. The Pennsylvania
Is undoubtedly the most powerful rail-
way corporation in the country and ever
since the late Alexander ]. Cassatt made
his famous agreement with w. K. Van
derbilt. the two companies have worked
in harmony and have controlled the han
ding of every pound of freight that pass
es between theMississippi and the sea-
board. Each railway has been allotted its
sphere Of influence" and has been allow
ed to enjoy the traffic within given limits
without interference from its rivals. This
"gentlemen's agreement" was the result
Of a decision of the United States Su-
preme Court against the legality of pool
| ing arrangement, and although there has
never been a scrap of writing on the sub
ject. the force Of the arrangement has
been equivalent to that of a contract
signed and sealed.
| l have not been able to ascertain what
| bearing the gentlemen's agreement"
will have upon Cen Miler's
scheme, but he Is going ahead with the
| financial assistance of the New York
Central Company, which means Mr.. Nor
| gan, Mr.. Hartman, as well as the Van
derbilts, and its success depends entire
| ly upon a traffic arrangement between
Reading Company. which. like the New
| York Central and Lake Shore system, is
controlled by Mr.. Morgan.
History of the Undertaking.
| Mr.. H. H. Smith. who has been ia
miliar with the enterprise from the start
| and who is very close to Gen. Miller
gives me the following history of the
| scheme.
I'm the year 1890. while Gen. Charles
Miller in camp with his brigade of the
National Guard of Pennsylvania at
Mount Gretna, was studying the mill
tary map of that state, he discovered
that q line of railway could be built so as
to bring eastern and northwestern Penn
sylvania into closer relationship than any
Of the lines existing. He therefore en-
pIoyed Capt. George c. Hamilton, a civil
engineer, assisted by Mr.. Emery c.. Reed,
to make a preliminary survey from
Franklin. the terminus of the Lake Shore
system to Clearfield on the Reading
practicability and economy of such a
routa Thereunon Cen Miller organized