Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-23
GE0RGIA'S BACKBONE.
THE CENTRAL RAILROAD SINCE
THE WAR.

WadIey's Admirable ManapemaDt
Through Perils. to Triumphs-Im-
pOrtance of the Coming Election for
President and Directors.
1t is not the purpose of this article to
review the entire past history of the Cen
trail Railroad, but to take it up as it was
at the close of the war, when. after Sher
mans ''march to the sea- it was left with
scarcely a crosstie between Savannah and
GriswOldville, and the rails, heated by
the fires of the wooden superstructure.
were twisted and wrapped around forest
trees, rendering them worthless until they
could be rerOlled. 1t is from this period.
when Colonel VIM. NJ. Wadlev was call
ed to take charge of and rebuild the road.
that it is proposed to review the past. We
all remember the then condition of the
country, especially that portion through
which the road passes. Sherman had not
only destroyed the railroad. but had de-
yastated farms, burning residences. Gin
houses and barns, and either killing or
driving off the. live stock, covered bV a
belt of forty to fifty miles wide. the entire
length of the road. 1t was at this time.
when labor was entirely disOrganized and
all materials necessary for the work
were at eXtravagantly high prices, that
W
building the road. He took hold oft with
his accustomed energy, and, when the
difficulties are considered with which he
had to contend, accomplished the work in
an almost incredibly short time.
1t was not the expectation at that time
that the Central would ever extend beyond
Macon, but the building of the Macon and
Brunswick Road having been accom-
pliShed it was discovered that its owners
were buying up the stock of the Macon
and Western the railroad running from
Macon to Atlanta) and intended to
operate it in connection with the
Macon and Brunswick thereby de-
priving the Central of the business
over that line. To defeat this and secure
the prize, the Macon and Western was
consolidated with the Central, and the
Central thus became extended from Ma
con to Atlanta, carrying with it the Sa-
vannah, Griffin and North Alabama Rail-
| road, running from Griffin to CarrolltOn.
the threatened extension of which to a
connection with roads leading to the West
and Northwest enabled the Central to
make such terms with other roads with
which it connected as ObViated the neces-
purchase, in connection with the Georgia
Railroad, of the Western Railroad of
Alabama, which gave us direct cOmmuni-
cation with Montgomery and Selma, and
the coal and iron mines of Alabama
Next came the lease of the Southwestern
Railroad, made necessary by the building
of the Macon and Augusta Railroad. with
the benefits of which all are fully ac-
quainted. 1t was soon seen that with the
sharp competition going on between rival
roads and the arbitrary rates demanded
on all through business bv the lines of
steamers running between Savannah and
Northern ports, that to compete
successfully it was necessary to
own ships, hence it was that the Ocean
Steamship Company was organized. with
the history of which, beginning with a
few old steamers that would hardly now
rate as third-class, and coming down to
the present magnificent fleet, of which we
are so justly proud, all are familiar. The
next competition of consequence (I pass
over the competition for theChattahOOchee
river business, which necessitated the
building and running of steamboats,,
and which, after considerable spar
ring and the loss of some money
by both parties, was adjusted), was
the building of the Montgomery and Eu-
faula Railroad, running from Eufaula to
Montgomery, in Alabama. This COMPETE
ton was for several years sharp and dam
aging, but finally ended, after the road had
gone into the hands of a receiver. bv its
being purchased by Colonel Wadlev, thus
giving the Central direct and continuous
line of its own to Montgomery. We pass
over the acquisition Of the Mobile and
Girard Railroad, running from Co
lumbus, Georgia, to Troy, Alabama,
which adds largely to our business.
1t must be remembered that the ac0ui-
sition of all this property, nO20 admitted as
absolutely necessary, was done at time
when the country was much less prosper
Gus than now, and owing to the rundown
condition of the roads after the war a
great deal of money was necessary to
equip and fit them for even the small
business that was offered. Indeed, it was
at the time on the part of the
Central night for existence, for
it is a well known fact that some of it's
best friends-men who were well posted
in its affairS-very much feared bank
ruptcy. One Of them, in speaking of it at
the time, is reported to have said that
''the stock lcdS either leOrtb par or
nOthjRg'-meaning if the competition
which had to be dealt with ON all sides
could be successfully resisted until the
country could SO far recuperate as to
afford sufficient business the management
would be success; if not, it would
be failure and the road go into bank
ruptcy. Is it surprising, then, that during
these times that dividends had to be fore
gone? Was it not rather a question of
saving the stock and the property? We
cuperative power of the country and the
system of pooling freights, thereby
making better rates, that it would have
been well to issue to the stockholders some
evidence of debt which would have ena-
bled them to live and retain confidence in
the stock, but it would indeed have
been an imprudent measure to adopt
then under the circumstances which then
preUdiled, any measure which would have
added feather to the load which the Cen.
tral was carrying, Re il remembered
at that time the per cent Joint
mortgage bonds were with great difficulty
sold at eighty cents on the dollar, and /
dare say more than one empioye of the
company remembers when, as a last re-
sort, to further reduce the expenses, Colo
mel Wadley, beginning with his own
salary, reduced the pay of every employe
of the company. This measure, thouDh
hard, was cheerfUlly WELDED! "a 20 as one abso-
luteiy necessary. Contrary, however. to
the forebOdings of crOakers, and there
were many i'll those days, the country
prospered, Savannah prospered, and the
company prospered, and Colonel WadIey
lived to see the accomplishment of the
grandest results ever attained by anv rail
road man in the South. He did it ali amid
temptations to enrich himself and friends
and died poor man, with not a whisper
against his honest name.
His last achievement had for a long time
been favorite idea with him-the union
OF the Central and the Georgia under one
general management, working in har-
mony for the best good of all sections, as
well as the stockholders of both roads,
This was accomplished under MANY diff
ticulties and considerable opposition, but
even now the wisdom OF the policy
is felt and acknowledged on every
hand. Having done and accom-
,plished SO much; having
succeeded in making the Central the first
railroad in the South, and bringing almost
the entire railroad system of Georgia to
converge at Savannah, making ii the sec
Ond cotton port in the United States, and.
seeing it's merchants and business grow
ing and prOspering, with a brighter future
still open to them, with a fleet of steam
ships of which even Philadelphia. New |
York and Boston are Justly proud, he did |
hope to live to see and have his stOckhOld- |
ers, whose confidence in him had
never faltered, enjoy the rich har-
vest he had with so much toll
prepared for them in the way OF steady
values and regular dividends. His motto !
was, in unity there is not only strength.
but economy, and his policy was to hold |
all the property firmly together as q bun
die OF sticks, each adding strength TO the |
other, each working for the other, and the |
whole for the good of the proper owners !
of the railroad and the country tributary
to it.
1t is easy enough now to look back and |
see how, in this or that little thing, some |
thing might have been saved, but the |
proper and fair way to judge is to look at |
the whole and view the results.
iYafa ia fr~ae ftah h hSe-f,,,.