78 HISTORY OF THE GRANGE MOVEMENT; OR, 



public an opportunity to pay a fair price for transpor- 

 tation. 



This was not as the corporations wished. Their 

 risk was increased by it and their dividends dimin- 

 ished. They began to cast about for. ways and means 

 of putting an end to this state of affairs, and at length 

 hit upon an expedient which has well nigh realized 

 their wildest dreams of power and wealth. They 

 inaugurated a policy of consolidation of roads. The 

 great corporations of the East set to work to lease or 

 buy up the lines connecting with them, by which they 

 must reach the Western States, or which acted as 

 feeders to their routes. They succeeded in their 

 object, and soon the railroad system of the country was 

 narrowed down to a few great lines, the minor enter- 

 prises disappearing as independent roads and forming 

 parts of the great consolidated companies. 



The principal railroad enterprises of the United 

 States were undertaken with one common object to 

 bring the produce of the West to the Atlantic markets, 

 and to provide the Western States with the manufac- 

 tures and wares of the Eastern States. This was the 

 grand prize for which so many plans were laid, and so 

 much skilful work performed. 



By the process of consolidation, the communication 

 between the seaboard and the West has been limited to 

 four great lines the New York Central, the Erie, the 

 Pennsylvania, and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroads. 

 At the first glance it would seem that these four lines 

 are sufficient to furnish all the competition necessary to 

 secure fair rates in the matter of transportation. But 

 such is not the case. These four consolidated companies 

 were formed for the express purpose of destroying com- 



