Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-22

Lit VAIN trunk.
Thirty years ago project was set on
foot to construct railroad from Savannah
TO Albany, with the idea of ultimate ex-
tension via Pollard to Mobile, Ala, and
thus connect the Gulf and Atlantic ports
by railroad skirting the region of cOun-
try lying Immediately north of the penin-
sula Of Florida. This idea took shape in
the organization of the Savannah, Albany
and Gulf Railroad Company, with the
late Captain James p. Screven as
President, who, with indomitable
energy, pushed forward the work
against great obstacles until the road
arrived at a point seventy miles west of
Savannah (Screven station, when it was
found that it could proceed no further
without infringing upon the rights char
tered to the Brunswick and. ThOmasville
Railroad, PROJECT also on foot at that
time, and which claimed the exclusive
right to the territory. A warm
controversy ensued, but an accOmmoda-
ton was brought about through State
aid on the part of Georgia, providing for
a 'Main Trunk Line" from point inter-
sected by the counties Of Wayne, Ware
and Pierce, westward to Townsville, to
which point the road was promptly con-
structed, and subsequently extended to
cambridge.
The main Trunk'' was, as its name in
dictated, 10 form the base of all the other
mOOted projects for roads through the
then almost terra incOgRita of Southwest
ern Georgia, to carry out the grand
idea of connecting the Gulf with the
Atlantic ports, and by developing
civizatiOn and wealth in a vast region
Of the State Of Georgia to build up her en-
terprising and rapidly growing seaport of
Savannah. The union of the Main Trunk
and the Savannah, Albany and Gulf Road,
formed the better known Atlantic and
Gulf Railroad, which in turn became,
under reorganization, the Savannah,
Florida and Western Railway, which, we
are glad to see, is heartily and ener-
gatically carrying out the original
design of the Legislature in granting
State aid to the '.Main Trunk Line.' I'm
der the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad Com
panv. the main line was extended
forty miles from ThOmasville to Balm
bridge: a branch constructed sixty miles
/ from Thomasyille to Albany, connecting
with the Central and Southwestern
| system, and branch Of sixty
miles from DUPONT to Live Oak,
connecting with the Florida system.
| Under the new company, the Savannah,
/ Florida and Western, the work OfeXtensiOn
/ and development goes bravely on. Another
/ branch Of seventy-five miles was con-
| structed with extraordinary dispatch from
! WaycrOss TO Jacksonville, connecting the
| system with the st. Johns and its great
winter resort of South Florida, while the
/ company is at this time rapidly extending
the main line eighteen miles from Balm
/ bridge TO ChattahOOchee, forming a third
/ connection with the Florida system and
completing through line from Savannah
to New Orleans. To this may be added an
\ extension of the Live Oak branch twenty
nine miles southwark to the Suwannee
river; the survey Of a route from Quit
man, Ga. twenty miles to Monticello,
/ Fla. another from Jacksonville along the
! coast to st. Augustine, and third from
| ChattahOOchee to Carabelle.
! If to these numerous feeders Ofthe main
/ trunk we add the Macon and Brunswick
I Road now part of the great Cincinnati
| Southern, and the Brunswick and Albany
\ NOW Brunswick and Western }, which has
so recently changed hands, and is now to
/ be carried westward from Albany to Kan
sas City, crossing and connecting with
many other great lines, it will
/ be seen that we have
/ here an extreme Southern system Ofrail-
roads, with the ports of Savannah and
! Brunswick as its Atlantic termini, rival
\ ing in magnitude and Importance the
great systems of the North and West,
l which have coined so many millions for
/ their owners. The countries penetrated
/ 10y the branches of the system, and, in
/ deed, the great section crossed by the
main line, are comparatively new;
/ Astounding in forests of fine timber, rich
agricultural districts, millions of acres
I of vacant cheap lands open to immigra-
1 on, but dotted all over with young towns
and villages rising into Importance under
the impulse impaired by the railroad
I facilities, and entering fairly upon that
I development which, in its full vigOr, will
/ pour into the seaport of Savannah an
increase of her already great South
western trade that her present long lines
Of warehouses will not be able to contain.