Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-08
Goorcin,s Rnilwnr Needs.


Reference was made a few days ago by
the MORNING News to several rail-
ways. now being built. which will secure
to Savannah additional territory for her
mercantile operations. 1t Is evident to
the most indifferent observer that railroad
enterprises have ceased almost wholly TO
be local in character. They are lAt con-
fined within the borders of the state in
which they have their headquarters. The
day is NOT distant when the railroads
within the United States will be consoli.
dated under comparatively few MANAGE
ments, which will contend with ali the
power of combined capital for the control
of the traffic within their respective ter
ritories. There are already a score OF
such arrangements, against which lesser
corporations are almost powerless. The
effect of the railway monopolies with
their thousands of miles Of road upon the
prosperity of cities is fully understood.
Business has been diverted from its legiti-
mate channels to feed these great corpo-
rations.
Savannah has been very fortunate in
the fights which have been made for
freigbtS for the reason that she has had
two well equipped and well managed
railroads that have made her their OBJ
jective point and headquarters. The
Central Railroad and its numberless feed
ers, extending throughout Georgia, and
stretching far into Alabama and South
Carolina, and the Savannah Florida and
Western Railway trayersing the eastern
and southern part Of this State, and
extending to the extreme point ofrailroad
development in Florida, have not only
saved Savannah from loss of trade, which
has been the fate Of other cities, but
have placed her in the front rank
Of the progressive cities Of the South. 1t
is necessary, however, in order to
counterfeit the continued efforts of the
long lines Of railways extending from the
Gulf to the North Atlantic cities to
monopolize the carrying business, that
Georgia railroads should have their own
lines to the far West. Such a competing
line could be builtat comparatively small
cost. Prominent railroad men have given
the subject their attention, and it can
only be a question of a year or two, if
that long, before the necessary lines to
complete the system will be built. The
starting point of this rev route 10 the
Northwest is Goodwater, Ala, the pres
ent terminus ofthe Columbus and Western
Railway { a part of the Central Railroads
system). Sixty miles Of track would con-
meet Goodwater with Birmingham. From
Birmingham to Memphis, Tenn, the dis
lance is 200 miles. An airline railroad
would not only pass through the rich iron
mines and coal fields of Alabama, bat
would traverse the richest agricultural
portions of the States of Alabama and
Mississippi. At Memphis this system
would connect with the Kansas City,
Springfield and Memphis Railroad. a new
railroad recently completed, and give a
short line to the granaries of the West.
Freights, it is stated, could be carried
over this route to and from New York,
via Savannah, at less rates than by the
existing lines through the Northern
States, the distance, making the usual
allowance for water transportation be-
tween Savannah and New York, being
less than by other routes.
The proposed line between Birmingham
and Memphis would intersect the Illinois
Central and the Mobile and Ohio systems,
and afford three more routes to New Or
leans and the Southwest.
A glance at a railroad map will con-
vince any one of the advantages to be de-
rived from the construction of these 260
miles of railways by which the gap
between the Georgia railroads and the
West would be closed, and direct connec-
tion with the West, independent of the
several mammoth corporations that
now control the traffic, be secured.
The necessity for this connection
being admitted by railroad people,
the sooner the line is built the better. 1t
would result doubtless in benefit to the
railroads of the Southeast, as well as to
the welfare of the cities Of the South At
lantic coast.