The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-03-29
TO BE PUT IN WRITING.
COL HAWKINS PROPOSITIONS
FOR THE MRAE EXTENSION.

| Committee With the President ofthe
Savannah, Americas and Montgom-
cry Not Encouraging for the Exten-
sion of the Road to Savannah-The
Movement to Organize a Construc-
ton Company and to Build an indie
pendent Line Taking Shape Col.
Hawkins Talks.
Col. S. H. Hawkins, president of the
Savannah, Americas and Montgomery
railroad, and of the Americas Investment
! Company, which built and controls the
| Americas, Preston and Lumpkin narrow
gauge read, running from Louvale, In
Stewart county. to Abbeville, in Wilcox
county, was in the city yesterday and had
a conference with the business mems com
mittee, appointed at a recent meeting at
the board Of trade rooms, looking to an ex-
tension of the Americas. Preston and
Lumpkin road to this city from its present
eastern terminus via McRae.
The meeting, which convened at o'clock
yesterday afternoon in the directors rooms
of the Savannah Bank end Trust Com
pany, was attended by the full committee,
consisting of Messrs. J. D. Weed. who pre-
| u. l.
| Col. J. II. Estill
Col. Hawkins addressed the meeting at
some length, but the tenor of his PROPOSE
| tons were not such as t. fayorably impress
| the committee. Before the meeting adj
! journed the committee gave Col. Ha wilkins
| 20 understand that if he would put what
| ever defEite propositions he had to
make in writing they would lie submitted
| to a meeting of those interested in extend
| ing road westward from Savannah, and
| Col. Hawkins said that on his return to
| Americas he would submit the matter to
| his company, and would probably MAKE a
written proposition as suggested by the
| committee.
COL. HAWKINS TALKS.
Col. Hawkins was seen by MORNING
| NEWS reporter after the meeting adjourned,
and was evidently disappointed that his
visit had not proved as encouraging as he
! had wished. He was not inclined to discuss
| the matter for publication, but when pressed
! for an answer as to what ne wanted Savan-
nan to do he said that If it would take $780,
900 STOCK in the construction company, to
| insure terminal facil ties in Savannah, the
road could be extended to Savannah This
| proposition, he said, did not meet with
much encouragement from the committee.
Col. Hawkins aft cted to be somewhat in
| different as to whether his road mes t.
illdtl U! uOL, 1iPl Guhb IL WAS
mistaken impression that he had sought
| for a conference with a view to present @
| proposition to the business men and citi-
zels. Gentlemen interested in increasing
the railroad facilities If Savannah say, on
| the contrary, that it was upon Col. Haw
kins' motion that the citizens meeting was
called which appointed the committee to
| confer with him.
To Judge from the character Of the ex-
pressions of the speakers at Wednesdays
meeting, there was no ex Jectation that a
| satisfactory arrangement could be effected
! between the Savannah mere ANTS and bust
ness men and Col. Hawkins, and the result
! of yes erday's conference seems to strength
en- their opinion.
TO BUILD A ROAD OF THEIR OWN.
! At the meeting Wednesday the sugges-
ton see ned to be received with favor that
| the projectors II a western road from Sa-
vannah should 60 to work and secure their
own charter Incorporating a construction
/ company Of their own. and that it would
| then not be difficult to bond the road and
| build it to whatever point they desired,
owning it and controlling it themselves.
1t was thought best, however, to give Col.
! Hawkins chance to be heard and if his
! proposition, if he had any to make, was a
fair and bustness-like one, the necessity for
such action won d be obviatsd. 1t was
| only with view to hear from Col. Haw-
kins that something tangible was not de-
| termined upon at the meeting of Wednes-
day.
1t is not to be understood that there is
any lack of interest in a western road. by
reason of the fact that the conference
was satisfactory neither to the committee
| nor Col. Hawkins. AS matter of fact a
| deep interest is manifested in the building
OF a road westward which will open new
terrific Y to Savannah, but when it is con-
structed the business men of Savannah want
to know that it will be o Grated in the in
terest OF this city, and to insure this the
| disposition is shown to build it the .uselves.
There appears to be some doubt here that
| the Savannah, Americas and Montgomery
Railroad Company has succeeded in OBJ
tanning control of the Atlanta and Florida
road, which is projected from Atlanta tc
| Townsville, and which has been built as
far south as Fort Valley. On the contrary
Col Hawkins says that the control of the
Atlanta and Florida road has been pur
chased by the Savannah, Americas and
Montgomery road
THE FORT VALLEY ROUTE.
In an interview published in the Macon
Telegraph yesterday, Col Hawkins stated
that the former road will be completed al
once from Fort Valley to Ccrdele, thus
making a direct connection between At
lanta and Americas. The inc to be bull
IL loIby ullles III 10 gun w uen luis Is uOue
and the Savannah, Americus and Mont
gomery railroad extended to McRae, on
the East Tennessee, vi ginia and Georges
railroad and to Montgomery, Ala.
which will be before the year is out, the
people of Georgia will have another route
10 and from the west via Montgomery, t.
say nothing Of prospective connections at
Atlanta. Col. Hawkins was not sure that
his line would be extended to Savannah
That, he said, depended very muc GA what
that city did in the matter Of building the
road from McRas eastward. 1t was much
cheaper to build TO Brunswick, aud il hi.
COMPANY had to stand the expens. it might
be best to g there in tead of to Sava \.
nah Col. Hawkins was very much pleased
wit the result OF his negotiations in At
lanta. It was advantageous to his com
pany and also to the stockholders of tnt
Atlanta and Florida who have invested
their money in railroad building. The
completion Of that road to Cordele will bt
the elimination Of their original plan Of
giving Atlanta an independent hne t.
Southwest Georgia