Leased to the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St Louis Company, November 1869.
Mr. H. J. Jewett, president of the Little Miami Railroad, spoke as follows in the Annual Report of the Little Miami Railroad for the year ended November 30, 1869:
“The consolidation of the lines of road between Buffalo and Chicago became the subject matter of serious consideration. So long as the companies owning the roads between Cleveland and Buffalo had no interests west of Cleveland, this Company had no reason to doubt that by continuing the policy which it had always pursued towards these companies in connection with the Cleveland and Columbus Company, the relations heretofore existing would continue, and our road would continue to be used by them as their line to Cincinnati, the South and Southwest, but when their interests became identified with the roads west of Cleveland, it was not difficult to foresee that a state of things might arise in which their interests might be adverse to those of this company, and in which this company, without a large expenditure of money, would be powerless for its own protection. Shortly after this consolidation, and before the combined companies had given any evidence of what might be expected in the future, the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Company, the immediate ally and representative of the Pennsylvania Company, became the owner by purchase of the Cincinnati and Zanesville road, with arrangements already made for the extension of the latter road from Zanesville to Dresden (Trinway), there connecting with its own line of road, thus bringing the road of that Company within thirty six miles of the City of Cincinnati. To wait for the completion of that road between Zanesville and Dresden, was, in the opinion of your Board of Directors, but to wait until the alternative was presented of giving to the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Company an unrestricted right to use your road between Morrow and Cincinnati, or the building of an independent road between Morrow and Cincinnati.
“The Baltimore and Ohio Company had already obtained the control of the Cincinnati and Marietta road, and adopted that as their Cincinnati connection. The Erie Company had, in like manner, such control as it desired over the Hamilton and Dayton road, and had its independent Cincinnati connection.
“Under these circumstances it became a serious question for those in charge of your property and interests to determine what was proper, best and wise for them to do, and giving to the subject that consideration its importance demanded, they could not doubt that their true line of duty led to an alliance of some kind with the Pennsylvania interests, and thus impressed, interviews and negotiations followed, which have resulted in a lease of your road to the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Company, which lease we now submit to you for your approval.”
Pennsylvania RR - Centennial pg 210-11