Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-09-09
THE TRUNK LINE
RauIs Hts Freight and Runs Hts
Railroad Branches into Every Sec
tIOn-The Central Railroad and
Banking Company of Georgia.
augusta Chronicle and Constitutiondlist' s
Trade Issue


augusta Chronicle and Constitutionalist's
Trade Issue,
When we last wrote of the Central Rail-
road and Banking Company of Georgia we
sketched strong corporation operating in
Middle and Southwestern Georgia 9S2 miles
of railway anC running a superb feet Of
American merchantmen coastwise between
Savannah and New York. Since that time
the entire railway map of Georgia has
changed. The first decisive step in this
movement was the perfection by Mr.. VIM. NJ.
Wadley, in April last, of the lease of the
Georgia Railroad, running from Augusta
and Atlanta, and its branches This gave
the Central entire control Of South bound
freight from the West, as 1t commanded the
feeder from Atlanta of every seaport on the
Atlantic coast south of Wilmington, North
Carolina. By this purchase, too, the Atlanta
and West Point Road fell into the hands of
the Central, and this acquisition was soon
followed by the lease of the Augusta and
Port Royal, the sole remaining line which
could have acted as a competitor to the Cen
tral for Southern export trade. BY these
mastery moves Mr.. Wadley, with the Lou
isville and Nashville system in the West,
became dictator and manager Of the great
railway system In Georgia, and from the
Central Railroad as the trunk line drew
bushes from every quarter and COM
manded every route. Nor have any OF the
cities involved in the new system had aught
to complain of the combination; the inter
est of each is rigldly regarded, while the
business Of the whole has been handsomely
held In hand. AS at present conducted,
the Central Railroad system is re-
garded as one of the most compact in
the country. Each one of the leased lines
preserves its organization intact, yet all are
worked by a comr1on direction and for a
common end. The roads are admirably
kept up, and the best cOmmendation of the
strength of the combination is in the well
maintained prices Of the stocks, which have
risen 25 per cent. since the combination was
perfected. Let us see what road has fur
nished vertebT3 to such a system and what
strength lies behind the lines Of lease The
report of the Central Railroad for 1881 we
have not now before us, but for the year
ending September, 1880, we have earnings
of SO, IA, 102 rs, an increase of 1852, AS Al
over the previous year. This comprised the
Savannah division, between Macon and Sa-
vannah; the Atlanta division, between At
lanta and Macon; the Southwestern Rail-
road, and the Upson County Railroad For
the years 1879-'80 the Central Railroad car
ried into Savannah sos, ,227 bales Of cotton,
against $50, ,794 the preceding year.
In connection with their railroad busi
ness, the Ocean Steamship Company's
splendid merchant feet is operated between
savannah ana 1nllauelpnIa anu OaVaunaD
and New York. This line, recently strength
ened by the addition of the "Dessoug," a
strong freight ship; the building of the
'fCity of Augusts," with cargo room for
the storage OF six thousand bales OF cotton,
and palatial passenger apartments, begins
the year with ample room and power to
move the cotton freigbts, and to supply
Georgia and Alabama with Northern and
Eastern goods. The net earnings of the
ships last year were $17S COS rs, an amount
showing an increase of $32, ,5S5 SO over the
previous year.
The Augusta branch of the Central Rail-
road, between Augusta and Millen, dis
tance of about fifty miles, is operated by
| Mr.. W. W. Starr, agent at Augusta, who
| has given entire satisfaction to the company
and its patrons during the year of his con-
troll. We doubt If any interest could have
more faithful and efficient representative
| than Mr.. Starr. He is deservedly popular
In the company. Mr.. Joseph B. Preston,
formerly local agent at Augusta, is now
| Freight and Passenger Agent at this point,
and is a gentleman who has has been long
and honorably connected with this great
corporation.
| Mr.. &. A. Whitehead, at present General
Railroad, is an Augusta man of fine busi-
ness qualities and excellent executive ca
pacitY. Quiet, energetic and capable, he
has done much in this section to popularize
the road and to lengthen the freight and
passenger lists over this route from Au-
gusta.