▁line ▁could ▁be ▁taken ▁from ▁him . ▁He ▁sold ▁about ▁$ 5 . 5 ▁million ▁($ ▁in ▁ ▁dollars ) ▁in ▁b onds ▁to ▁purchase ▁the ▁two ▁roads , ▁and ▁then ▁created ▁a ▁s inking ▁fund ▁for ▁their ▁reven ues ▁to ▁rep ay ▁the ▁deb t . ▁On ▁July ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 8 7 2 , ▁the ▁Cleveland ▁& ▁Mah oning , ▁N iles ▁& ▁New ▁Lis bon , ▁and ▁Vienna ▁& ▁Liber ty ▁were ▁merged ▁under ▁the ▁laws ▁of ▁Ohio ▁into ▁a ▁new ▁company , ▁the ▁Cleveland ▁and ▁Mah oning ▁Valley ▁Rail road ▁( C & M V ). ▁Over ▁the ▁next ▁several ▁dec ades , ▁the ▁C & M V ▁made ▁money ▁but ▁the ▁two ▁short lines ▁did ▁not . ▁The ▁C & M V ▁now ▁began ▁being ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁Mah oning ▁Division ▁of ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁& ▁Great ▁Western ▁Rail road . ▁ ▁Second ▁A & G W ▁bank rupt cy ▁G ould ▁lost ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Er ie ▁Railway ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 8 7 2 , ▁but ▁the ▁rail road ' s ▁new ▁man agers ▁retained ▁G ould ' s ▁strategy ▁of ▁trying ▁to ▁reach ▁Chicago . ▁In ▁a ▁le ase ▁dated ▁May ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 8 7 2 , ▁but ▁not ▁rat ified ▁by ▁stock hold ers ▁until ▁June ▁ 2 5 , ▁the ▁Er ie ▁Railway ▁agreed ▁to ▁le ase ▁the ▁A & G W ▁for ▁ 9 9 ▁years ▁for ▁an ▁annual ▁rent ▁of ▁$ 8 0 0 ,