The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-11


the Chattanooga, Rome and Columbus had
attempted to unload on the Central. and
had made overtures TO that end. That this
had not succeeded was due to his efforts
lCalhouu'sl aud his opposition t) it had de-
layed his being general counsel of the Cen
tral two years. Further, William w H.
hanson had at that time offered him fat
tering inducements t. be general counsel Of
the Chattanooga, Rome and Columbus
company.
To this Mr.. Williamson replied that Mr..
CalAouu's statement was al absolute false
hood that be had had no conversation with
Mr.. Calhoun at the time specified, but It oc-
CURED earlier when his road was merely a
narrow gauge.
GEN. ALEXANDERs STATEMENT.
Gen. Il. t. Alexander, president of the
Central railroad. reached Atlanta at 5
o'clock Friday evening. Concerning the
statements Of Mr.. Calhoun aud Mr'WiI-
hanson, Gen. Alexander sent TO the Con-
Stl.uttoH the following statement:
have seen the statements ia the papers.
My recollection of the matter is as follows:
Mr. Williamson came from Atlanta to
savannah a short while after the election
IN January, 1887, which placed me at the
head OF the Central road and Mr.. Calhoun
and his brother on the board of directors
He came with plan tu build a road from
! narrow gauge road from Rome to Cedar
town, and to sell the same to the Central,
the road to be built upon bonds which
the Central should indorse and receive
Tor the Endorsement a majority
of tho stock of that road. |
! discussed the matter with him quite at
length, aud understood from him that he
lad discus ed il with others Of our directors
| listened to all he had to say and referred
him to Mr.. Holiins, who was at that time
our vice president and financial agent in
New York. | would have been willing for
the Central TO have taken an interest in the
| road upon fair terms. Mr.. Williamson
went to New York, and short while
| atterward | met him there and
found that he and Mr.. Hollins had
agreed together upon plan by which Mr.
Williamson was to build the road on bonds
indorsed by the Central TO lease it t. the
Central and 10 give the Genital majority
of its stock My recollection is that the
Central was tO ind rise SlS,O01 per mile Of
first mortgage bonds and Mr.. Wiliamson's
road was to issue in addition $4,000 per
mile Of income bonds to a construction
company and about the same amount
of stock The Central road was to
receive only 81 per cent of
the stock, none of the bonds either income
or first mortgage, for the Endorsement. 1t
was TO lease the road, paying TO Mr. Will
| lamson's road 40 per cent. of ITS gross
earnings for the whole term of the lease. A
| preliminary agreement TO about this effect
had been signed by Mr.. williamson and
Mr.. Hallins, subject TO my ratification, but
| declined t. ratify II, bee iuse | considered
| these terms too onerous for the Central. The
matter was fully discussed by the members
of our board in New York aud others inter
ested IN the Central property Mr.. John
| Calhoun aud Mr. Pat Calhoun botu earn
| estly ana actively opposed adY contract at
| all with Mr.. williamson and urged instead
| that the Central should extend the Savan-
nah, Grittiu and North Alabama railroad
| to Decatur, Ala. Their position was that
| the Central should not build at all from
| Carrollton to Chattanooga, but should
wait until the existing lease of the West
ern and Atlantic railroad expired, and TO
| eudeavOr first to secure a Chattanooga
connection by a lease of that road. They
said that if they were overruled by this
| project to build from CarroltOn to Chatta-
n1oga, ey would insist absolutely upon
the extension being built for and by the
Central road, and that they could not
| permit ths Central property TO be loaded
down by the trade proposed. The position
of the Calhouns resulted in defeating
Williamson's proposed trade with
the Central railroad. Aud 1t made,
think, some feeling toward Mr..
Calhoun on the part Of the gentlemen iu-
terested with Mr.. Williamson. So impor-
tant did | deem this matter that | put my
views III writing against the employment Of
construction companies to build the extern
sions for the Central system. Since the
Chattanooga, Rome and CarrOIlton road has
been completed, | have frequently under
stood from our friends in Now York Cuat
the parties there who own it were dssrous
Of selling 1t TO Us, and were making over
lures to that effect, and such an overture
was made b mo in person by one of the
leading gentlemen connected with it within
the past four months.
Mr Williamson also made the PROPOSE
ton to lease the Savannah, Griffin and
North Alabama railroad, but it involved
the Ceutra's surreudering or losing some
$4,000 OF $500 900 of interest," and 1t was
declIlel, as We are not iii the business of
leasing roads 20 other people, but of running
them ourselves His TO ,d has the same
facilities for doing all the business it can
command over the Centrai that the Air
Line, the Western If Alabama, the Atlanta
and w st Point or any other Of our connec-
tions have.
MR. WILLIAMSON SEEN.
Al late hour last night Col. Williamson
was seen at the Kimbal When told of
Gen. Alexander statement, he said:
"FOr certain reasons, personal to myself
that cannot discuss wit you, | don't care
tonight TO make any reply to Gen
Alex4nder's interview. But in due time |
will answer fully. Meanwhile your readers
must not infer that | admit the correctness
of anything that Gen. Alexander has stated
on tre subject, So far a5 the ame applies to
me or my action in the matter"