The Big Sandy news., 1911-11-03
HOW IT HAPPENED
Story Of Railroad Race to the
Big Sandy Fields.
Further Information as TO the Manner
in Which the Deals Were
Brought About.

There is no subject of more in
terest Just now TO Eastern Kentucky
than that OF railroads. The fol-
lowing from the Cincinnati Enquir-
er contains some interesting infor-
nation:
The Inside story of the fight
now being waged by the Chesapeake
and Ohio, the Louisville and Nash
Iville and the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroads for the coal traffic from
the mines in Eastern Kentucky was
revealed 10 Cincinnati railroad men
yesterday incidentally it shows
thai national bank of this city
played a prominent part in the deal
by which the Chesapeake and Ohio
spent sS.5OO.O0O in "bottling up"
the coal traffic Louisville bank
ers were first sounded on their
views OF the situation, but profess
ed to know little or nothing about
the possibilities Of the virgin coal
fields in the eastern part OF the
state. One of the officers of the
Cincinnati bank was thoroughly IA
miliar with the new coal field and
It's possibilities, and the Chesapeake
and Ohio found the bank officials
willing TO lend an ear to their
pleadings. This was the main re9-
son why the chesapeake and Ohio
has made Cincinnati Instead Of
Louisville the principal gateway. in
connection with the Cincinnati, Han
Hton and Dayton. for its coal traf-
fic destined for the great lakes and
points in the Northwest
just when the Chesapeake and
Ohio ielt secure regarding the coal
traffic, President II. NJ. smNH,or the
Louisville and Nashville, beg& to
take notice Of the Kentucky Nal
fields. He went to the operators
and on their promise that the Lou
lsville and Nashville would secure
annual shipments OF at least 1,o0O,-
600 tons OF coal, he swung the deal
that brought the Lexington & East
ern under l.. and N. control, and
started worA Ae extension OF
the l.. and 7 N Jackson, Breath
lit county ne coal fields. When
the exten is completed the Lou
isyille 6..l Nashville viii haul this
coal to Louisville, from Which point
it will be distributed,
Last fall President Stevens OF
the Chesapeake and Ohio, took VIII
lam cotter, then President of the
G.. II. and d., and President Dan
lei Willard. of the Baltimore and
Ohio systsem, to the Kentucky coal
fields. 1t was given out at the
time that they wanted to look at
the scenery but on the trip
President willard was impressed
with the possibility Of the new field.
The result was that the II, and O..
threatened to parallel the c. and
o. into the coal fields un-
less the c. and o, give
it trackage rights on equal terms,
thus making three carriers that
are seeking to get the majority of
the coal traffic. The B. and 0. is
building road from Shelby, KY, to
the Ohio river, where it will have
direct connections with its own
tracks.
The C. and O.protested to the coal
operators when they promised traf-
fic to the other roads, but found
that 1t was useless to try and stop
the deals that had been made. The
Louisville and Nashville will spend
about sS,5Oo.000 to get into the
,ield. 1t is a strange happening
tlat three roads building from three
different points OF the compass will
end their extensions within rad
ius of about 10 miles.
The Carolina ,Clinchfield and Ohio
is also in the same field, but sep
arated from the other roads by a
range of mountains, through which
1t will penetrate about 40 miles to
reach the G. and o. 1t now looks
like the proposed deal between the
"ClihchfIeld Route" and the c. and
o. and seaboard Air Line. which IS
at present high ~9ir, win be
swung within { %p
CiDcinnati Enqnirer.