Erie in Wisconsin Road?

Newman Erb's election interpreted at Milwaukee-Duluth to coast plan.

Milwaukee, Oct. 10 - "New and strong interests have come into the Wisconsin Central property" says an official statement issued after the annual meeting today.  "No change is intended in the plans or policies of the company; on the contrary, it will be enabled to push its plans more vigorously."

"Two changes have been made in the Board of Directors to give these new interests representation.  Newman Erb of New York and G.M. Cumming, president of the United States Mortgage and Trust Company, New York are the new members of the Board of Directors".

Newman Erb succeeds John Crosby Brown of New York and Mr. Cumming was elected to the place held by Joseph S. Dale of New York.  THe directors will elect the officers in New York next month.  The gross earnings for the year ended on June 30, 1905, were $6,650,883 against $6,466,176 for the previous year.  The net earnings were $2,276,547 against $2,123,737 for the year ended on June 30, 1904.

The journal says:
"As sized up by MIlwaukee financial interestes and railroad men, the changes indicate a desire on the part of the Erie Railroad to get control of the Wisconsin Central in order to get a short route by car ferry to Manitowoc for a connection with the Great Northern Railroad at Minneapolis and Ashland. <note, the Northern Pacific reached Ashland, not the Great Northern or perhaps they meant Duluth>.  Former officers of the Pere Marquette Railroad have obtained interests in the line.  The Pere Marquette was recently absorbed by the Erie system.

The evening Wisconsin says the new interests in the WIsconsin Central present quite clearly the probablity of a big combination of traffic interests which will eventually form a strong, direct route through route from Duluth /Minneapolis to the seaboard.

NY Times Oct 11, 1905