Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 April 1900 — POWERFUL COAL TRUST. [ARTICLE]

POWERFUL COAL TRUST.

Three Men Now Control the Entire Trade of the United States. A trust was formed by the recent alliance of the Vanderbilt-Morgan-Cassatt railroads, and henceforth the absolute control of the American coal trade, both anthracite and bituminous, will rest in the hands of this powerful combine. While the coal trust has practically existed for two years and more, it has never had control of the bituminous situation, although J. Pierpont Morgan, its ruling spirit, has been an important factor in soft coal affairs. But now by the alliance betweeu the railroad interests of W. K. Vanderbilt, J. P. Morgan and A. J. Cassatt the entire coal situation is so bottled up that it can be controlled by the three men named, aud the final settlement of details is now being made, Mr. Morgan having gone to London to see Mr. Vanderbilt for that purpose. In the hands of the Vanderbilt-Cas-satt interests is lodged practical control of the New York Central, Delaware and Hudson, Pennsylvania. Norfolk and Western. Baltimore and Ohio, -Chesapeake aud Ohio and Rig Four. Mr. Morgan has the Reading, Lehigh Valley. Erie, Ontario and Western and enough of an interest in the small soft coal roads to make competition practically impossible, i