Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-11
Savannah VS.. Norfolk.

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haps the following extract from the
financial and stock article of the Boston
Daily Advertiser which reached this city
yesterday, may throw some light on this
interesting but rather tantalizing SUBJ
ject:
The rise of Norfolk and Western pre-
ferred to 575s in New York, closing at
66H is OF some interest to Boston in
vestors, as we'll as spectators. The East
Tennessee, by its traffic alliance with the
Norfolk and Western, makes Norfolk its
port of delivery. The lease of the Mem
phis and Charleston gives it the carriage
of the Western grain and Mississippi val
ley cotton product. In fact, this is the
main source of support for the East Ten
nessee. The directory is now building
road at cost of $500, 900, from Stevenson
to Chattanooga. A line has also been
surveyed to still further extend the sys-
tenn from Memphis to the West. 1t just
here that the Georgia Central railroad,
under the management OF President
Raoul, is said to be knitting the East
Tennessee. He has ordered the extension
of the Goodwater branch to Birmingham,
where it will join hands with the Kansas
City, Fort Scott and Gulf road. A look
at the map will show that this will be
almost a straight line from Kansas City
to Savannah. 1t will be about 800 miles
shorter than the route over the Memphis
and Charleston to Norfolk. 1t will thus
be seen that Raoul's Idea is to direct the
grain trade of the West and the cotton
trade of the Mississippi Valley from its
present Norfolk destination to Savannah.
The 300 extra miles of rail on the East
Tennessee would be Offset on the Central
route by water rates. The completion of
this scheme is claimed to mean absolute
death TO the East Tennessee, and its off,
GERS are fully aware OF that fact. A Geor-
gia letter asserts that if Gen. Alexander
should secure the Presidency OF the Cen
trail he would not subject himself to the
East Tennessee, but would form friend
ly traffic alliance and would simply drop
the Goodwater extension, and in that one
act would more than repay the East Ten
nessee people for their trouble. 1t must
be recollected that the East Tennessee, at
it's last annual meeting, set aside 81 ,S00,-
600 to be used for advancing the interests
of the road. Possibly that money is be-
ing expended in buying Georgia Central
stock.
May 1t not be that the $1,SO0,000 above
referred to is being used to assist in pur-
chasing controlling interest in CentraPs
stock. When it is understood how i'm
portaut it is to the East Tennessee,
Virginia and Georgia system that the
Central shall not build to Birmingham,
and thus secure an almost air line con-
nection with Kansas City and the West,
it will not appear strange that 1t should
attempt to get control of the Central. AS
the writer of the article in the Boston
Advertiser shows, the extension Of the
Central to Birmingham means disaster to
the East Tennessee. There is no way
il that extension is built, that
disaster can be avoided. True, the
East Tennessee has a connection with
Kansas City and the West. but it is a
roundabout one, and will not enable it to
compete successfully with the Central.
1t seems that East Tennessee has I'M
der consideration project to parallel
the Kansas City, Fort Scott and Gulf
road, with which the Central will con-
meet, at Birmingham, but that will be
rather costly, and will not accomplish
the desired object. The only way, ap-
parently, which the East Tennessee can
save itself from the danger with which 1t
is threatened is to prevent the Central
from building to Birmingham, and that
can be done only by getting control Of the
Central.
Can it be possible that Gen. Alexander,
as suggested by the writer Of the Boston
article, is in accord with the East Tennes-
see, and that the management Of which he
will be the chief, if the present movement
to get control of the Central is successful,
will stop the building of the Birmingham
extension? This is matter of vast i'm
portance to Savannah. II it be true that
there is scheme on foot to abandon the
Birmingham extension the present con-
test for the control Of the Central may be
a turning point in Savannah's history.
Savannah has been looking forward to
this direct connection with the iron and
coal fields of Alabama and the grain fields
OF the great West with lively anticipations
of increased prosperity. Ii these antici.
pations are not realized the effect will be
disheartening. Confidence in the city's fu.
ture will be weakened.
1t is a well known fact that the Rich
mond and West Point Terminal system
controls the Richmond and Danville sys-
tenn, and that the East Tennessee has
formed an alliance with the latter system
These great railroad systems have com.
bined, it seems, to control the business OF
an immense territory OF Southern and
Western country and pass it over their
lines to the seaboard at Norfolk. The
only obstacle in their way is the Central
which at present is master OF the situa.
ton, and will remain so if it does moi
pass into the hands Of the friends OF the
East Tennessee and Its allies.
May it not be that the Richmond and
West Point Terminal, in view OF the vast
interests it has at stake, is furnishing
some of the money to secure control Of
the Centralf Its stock was largely In
hated lately, and the purpose of the in.
flation may have been to secure the means
to purchase Central stock.
SaVannah's interest In this matter il
this: II the extension to Birmingham is
built she will be the seaport OF an i'm.
mense and growing section of country, a
section that in a few years will supply
the iron, coal and breadStuffs for a very
considerable part OF the world, and hei
prosperity will be more marked than ever
before. II the Birmingham branch is moi
built Norfolk will, IN all probability, be-
come the port OF the section of country
/ rafarrad 10 and will emmy the nroanprity