Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-04-13

has been there for some years.
To return to the Erlanger projects.
The third line extends west from Sell
ma to Meridian, where it intersects
the Cincinnati & New Orleans line.
and thence due west to the Missis-
sippi river at Vicksburg. This road
until recently was probably the worst
in the world. The road bed is being
ballasted into tolerAble shape, and new
rails have been laid. The road cross
ing the Mississippi at Vicksburg. ex-
tends to Marshall, Texas, where it
joins the Texas Pacific, with whose
interests it has some peculiar associa-
tions There remains a stretch Of
road. in Louisiana to be built to COM
plete this line from Selma, Ala to
Marshall, but it will soon be done
say within few months. The Gulf
Of California branch is in course Of
construction. Practically this en-
braces the railroad projects of the Err
LANCER syndicate.
The Cole Syndicate is the next of
the consultations to attract attention.
1t is embraced under the title of the
Virginia, Tennessee & Georgia road.
Its eastern line is the old Atlantic,
Ohio * Mississippi road, reaching
from Norfolk through the southern
tier of Virginia counties, 408 miles, to
Bristol. Its next link is the road
whose present name lives in the con-
solidation. 1t reaches out over the
mountains to the upper waters of the
Tennessee river, whose tortuous
course it follows to Knoxville and
Chattanooga. Its next capture was
the Memphis & Charleston road, 80
miles from the former place to Chatta-
nooga. A branch from Cleveland,
Tenn. extended to Dalton, Ga. This
was blended with the Selma, Rome &
Dalton road, and thus the interior Of
Alabama was reached and the way
opened to the Gulf. More recently,
the syndicate acquired the Macon &
Brunswick road that cuts across
Southern Georgia from Macon to the
sea, 1856 miles long, and now it is
building from Rome scutherly, to
Macon, distance of $50 miles or more
to bring the new acquisition in con.
nectiol with the main body. This
new line will pass to the west of At
lanta, and when, next winter, it is
completed, will give this system,
whose length, including branches, is
1850 miles. two seaboard termini and
one on the Mississippi, while, if the |
plan to build to New Orleans is car
ried out, fourth will be added that
will belong at once to the Mississippi |
and Gulf.
The cancellations in the State of
Georgia have brought under one man
sgement every road entirely in the
State. To attempt to explain them
would be to confuse the reader beyond
the chance Of recovery. IT, however, |
he will look at map Of the State and
exclude the line known as the State
Road from Atlanta to Chattanooga,
the Macon 4 Brunswick just named,
and the Gulf Line from Jacksonville
to Savanna and westward to Balm
bridge, be will then have in the rest
the Central of Georgia consolidation.
1t embraces two lines from Macon to
Savannah, two from Savannah to At
lanta, TO Port Royal, Montgomery,
Euiaula, Columbus-in fact, a net
work whose crossings aud iudivdu.
slities it would be hard to divine, and
whose identities it must be difficult for
their owners to remember The mile
age Of the railroads Of this consolida.
ton approximates 1900. Freight is
shipped from New York To the upper
Missouri and Northwest by way Of
Savannah, Atlanta, Chattanooga, st.
Louis, and by different routes to all
the country Of which the latter city is
the distributing point. A great deal
Of Tennessee and Kentucky product
bound to the east finds its way over the
same line.
The condition Of the Georgia system
OF roads is not what it might be il the
several lines were self supporting. It
would seem at first blush that, the fact
existing that the railroads have only
cotton TO take from the State, they
must have return freights Of provis.
ions and fabrics to bring back. Such
is indeed the case, but the poverty Of
the country is so absolute that there
is not enough Of export or import to
properly sustain the movement were it
twice as much both ways. Let
no one be deceived as 10 the pros
perity OF the South. In every
cotton growing State 6ve-eishths
OF rext years crop is already pawned
or pledged for this winters provisions,
and the advances obtained by the
planters have been nearly spent al
ready. The staple articles of food
pork and cOrn-sre no longer grown
to any extent, and the most common
forms Of the reals-hominy and
meal--are brought from Indiana and
Baltimore. While the cotton brokers
advance money to the planters they
sacrifice their credit with the North
ern merchants with whom they deal.
and ! make the statement on the au
thority Of the freight agent Of large
Georgia road that out of forty-nine
cars Of meat brought into the State
from Cincinnati. there was only one
on credit. The other forty eight came
into the State simultaneously with
the draft for the amounts averaging
$500 each car, and 10 The draft was
attached the bill of lading. The con-
signee got his bill Of lading when he
paid the draft, and only then.
Of course there is some lumber in
terest, some mineral. and a small pro-
duction of naval stores. Tho ouan.