National Republican., 1883-06-28
BIG MEN OF THE SOUTH.
The Railway Managers Who Rebuilt and
Extended the Ruined Roads.
What Their Work Has Done 20 Develop
and Improve the Country.

The south has developed few men since
the war who, having kept out of Wall street
and reckless stock speculations have main
tanned and won high positions as railway
managers. They are not spectators or rail-
way wreckers, like some othors of the present
time. They have impoverished none that
they might be aggrandized. No broad do
mains of country were transferred to them at
the cost of homes for the homeless. They
began their career by rebuilding railways
that were destroyed by the misfortunes Of
civil war and perfeoting unfinished systems,
giving them the unity essential to make thom
profitable TO the owners and convenience to
the people. These managers are representa-
tive men of the sections in which they live
Gen. William Malone, Gen. w. G. Wick
ham, Hon. John S. Barbour, and A. s..
Buford led the way in the Old Dominion
in rebuilding and reorganizing southern
railways while Col. Sam Tate, of Tennessee,
resumed charge of the Memphis and Charles
ton road as its president and business man
ager, aud commenced to repair and rebuild
that line to Chattanooga, uniting with the
East Tennessee and Georgia system to Bris-
| tol, where he was met by the Virginia system
under Malone. The Fink brothers were
also busy pushing the Louisville and Nash
y
| Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi, and
other southern points, and to-day they have
q perfect system of first class roads, running
south from the Ohio to the Gulf of Mexico.
| Gen. Malone consolidated and thoroughly
rebuilt tho line from Norfolk to Bristol,
Tenn, there uniting with the East Tonnes-
see and Georgia system, linking the seaport
Of Norfolk direct with tho Mississippi river
at st. Louis aud Memphis. This road was
operated under its new charter as the At
lantic, Mississippi and Ohia. Recently it has
changed hands, and is to-day known as the
Norfolk and Western.
Meanwhile Hon. John S. Barbour, of Virginia,
| who from years of abundant and successful
experience had mastered the art Of railway
management on the Orange and Alexandria
road, commenced to rebuild and equip that
road, with its several branches, and build new
connections south. IL was reorganized undor
a new charter, and is now known as the Vir-
ginia Midland, forming the main trunk line
south from Washington of the Richmond and
Danville system Of roads through Virginia,
the Carolinas and Georgia. Mr.. Barbour has
been the president and general financial man.
ager of this important line of road for more
than quarter of a century. A. s. Buford, Q
lawyer by profession, was elected the first
president of the Richmond and Danville
road proper, 40 miles in length, in 1865
After the road was turned over to its stock.
holders by the United States government
he commenced tho work of rebuilding
and restocking the whole line will
new rolling stock and u thorough equip
ment, SO far as the means and credit of thu
company would admit. llo also discovered
the Importance of an outlet from Richmond
south for his road via n shorter line to tn,
Atlantic coast. With able associates he sue
ceeded in getting charter through th
North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgi:
/. ani clnfu tN 40 4
lanta Air line, 260 miles in length. With thi
franchise aud lease on tho North Carolini
road he had tho shortest route from Rich
mond and Baltimore to Atlanta and the gul
ports, Mobile and Now Orleans. Ho has con
tnued the work of building, buying, and
leasing roads until the Richmond and Dan
vile system owns, controls, and operates owe
1000 miles of rail aud steamboat lines. Thi
system starts ut Washington and runs TO tn
principal southern cities, making connection
at New Orleans with the Southern Pacif
for Texas, Mexico and Lower California
The next of the Virginia roads TO be notice'
is the Virginia Central, which extended iron
Richmond westward to Staunton, its terminus
Gen. VIM. c. Wickham became its president
and fostered the scheme of extending it ives
to the Ohio river and Mississippi valley, hi
plans being so thoroughly practical that Mr.
q. Il. huntington came to his assistance, fur
nished the money, and built this line through
to the Ohio river and recently he has ex
tended his connections to Memphis, Tenn, oil
the Mississippi river. Under the new charte
it is called the Chesapeake and Ohio railway
connecting by rail the Ohio river with tn
Chesapeake bay at Newport News, its eastern
and tidewater terminus. This is one of tn
, most important roads in the south, from il
western connections with the great an,
thriving cities of the west and its coal field
in West Virginia and the grainarios of tn
fertile west.
The most prosperous of southern railway
are those under the management of the gen
tleman designated. Recently the genera
ticket agent of the Richmond and Danvill
system said that the true Southern Pacifl
route from Washington to California woul
DO thrown open to travel very soon, with on
one change Of cars to San Francisco from thi
place, which will be the longest sleeping Gu
run in the world, via the Virginia Alidlan
and Richmond and Danvillesystem to Atlant
and New Orleans, and there by the Souther
Pacific to Texas, Mexico, and California
Through connections will be taken up froI
here with New York trains on the Pennsy
vania road for all points south on the tru
Southern Pacific, connecting with Mexica
systems at Lorcdo and El Passo for Mexica
points, and at Benson with Sonora system fc
} Guyamas ON the Gulf of California
/, The system of roads begging in Virginia 500
1 will have u second route from Texas TO tl
Pacific, from Austin and Galveston to Topolt
vampo, at the mouth of the Gulf of California
P; This line forms an important connection fC
the Atlantic seaports from the Pacific an
Gulf of California, and is being rapidly pushe
forward TO completion with view of its in
! portant eastern connection to compete for I'll
oriental trade.