The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-23

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The Richmond and West Point Terminal
has obtained control of the Central Railroad
! Company, which. of course, clrries with 1t
the control OF the Ocean Steamship Com
pany. As is well known, the Georgia COM
pany owned the controlling Interest of the
Central Railroad Company, and the
purchase of a controlling interest of the
Georgia company by the Terminal
was made yesterday. The Terminal
had an option on the Georgia company's
stock, and at the meeting of the Terminals
board of directors yesterday it was decided
to accept that company's proposition.
The question in which the people of this
city and state are interested is this: What
effect win this sale have upon the interests
of Savannah and Georgia. Gen. Alexander,
in an interview which appears in the local
columns of this issue. says that he Is conf
dent that the consolidation of the three
great systems which are now controlled by
by the Terminal viz, the Richmond and
Danville, the East Tennessee, Virginia and
Georgia, and the Central, will he largely to
the advantage of Savannah and Georgia.
He points out that the consolidated systems
will be managed more economically
than they were when managed separ-
ately, and that, therefore, there will be
greater margin for Offering advantages
to shippers. He says also that the volume
of afiic through this port will be greatly
increased, because freights can be handled
with more profit to the Terminal by utiliz-
ing the steamers of the Ocean Steamship
Company, which it now controls, than by
carrying them elsewhere aud dividing
profits with other transportation lines.
There are good reasons for thinking that
Gen. Alexander's views are correct. Indeed,
there are others who speak much more en-
Enthusiastically than Gen. Alexander respect
ing the benefits which Savannah will de-
rive from the deal. They predict
that the consolidation will vastly
increase the volume of Savannah's
business, and will give her such a boom
that she will have a population of over
100000 in less than five years. Ire feet of
the Ocean Steamship Company will have to
be greatly increased in order to meet the
increased demand upon it. In fact, Gen.
Alexander says that he has no doubt the Ter
minal will at once order the two new steam
ers which he has been planning, and that it
will construct without unnecessary delay the
projected branch from Eden to Americas
The consolidated system will contain
about 1900 miles of road. If Savannah is
made the seaboard outlet of this great sys-
tenn, and there is very good reasons for
thinking she win be, because the system has
far greater interests here than anywhere
else, her prospects for the future
will be far brighter than they have
at any previous period of her his
tory. One of those interested in the new
system telegraphed to a friend here yester-
day as follows: This is great day for Sa-
vannah. That city will reap great advan-
tages. The men at the helm propose to
build up Georgia and the SOUTH"
Among those at the helm are John II.
Iuman and Judge Chisholm-the former
Georgian and the latter both a Georgian
and Savannahiau, and Gen. Alexander,
Mr.. Alfred L. Hartridge and Mr.. Pat Cal
houn still retain their interests. These
gentlemen will take pride, doubtless,
in promoting the development of Savannah
and Georgia. Savannah, however, on &C
count of the closeness of her connection
with the new system, can hardly fail to be
greatly benefited by yesterdays deal. She
is now the seaport and great commercial
city of the greatest railroad system in the
south, and one of the greatest of the
country.