The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-26
TO GO RIGHT TO WORK.
THE FLORIDA MIDLAND AND GEOR-
GIA RAILROAD.

The Georgia Directors Elected Last
Night-A Construction Company to
be Organized at Once, and the Grad.
ing OF the Road to BeRin-The Route
OF the Proposed Road-History of
the Enterprise.
The Florida Midland and Georgia railroad
will be built beyond adoubt. The directors
have been elected and the line of the road
has been decided upon. The Florida
directors we're elected Tuesday at Madison.
and the Georgia directors were elected last
night at special meeting for that purpose
at the Screven house.
TIE Florida directors are William Rogers.
]. R. Young, NJ. Y. Mcintyre. J. NJ. VIII
kinson, T. G. Crawford, W. s. West, W. s.
Jordon, N. A. Williams, and ]. t. Roberts.
The Georgia directors are William
Rogers, j. B. Withers, J. NJ. Wilkinson, A.
B. Hull, and C. R. Pendleton.
The directors will meet at Valdosta Feb.
and elect officers. At that meeting the
Georgia and Florida Construction Company.
company to'be organized for the purpose
of building the road, will meet and arrange
its work. A charter has been applied for
and work is expected to begin as soon as the
construction company is organized.
SAVANNAH CAPITAL IN IT.
The stockholders of the road are largely
Savannah, Valdosta, and Madison, Fla.
business men. Among the Savannah stock
holders are Capt. John J.. Hammond, Capt.
]. B. Withers, William Rogers, A. B. Hull
j. r. Young, NJ. Y. Mcintyre and, P. d.
Daffin.
The road is to be built from Valdosta via
Madison, Fla, to Dead Mans bay, on the Gulf
coast, distance of about 100 miles, The
route is one Of the best obtainable. The
road will go through the best farming coun-
try in Georgia or Florida, and the timber
cannot be surpassed, and is hardly equaled
by any In the world. Cedar abounds in
great quantities along the Stene-
hatchee river, which forms Dead
Mans bay, and the gulf terminus
of the road is one of the largest cedar
shipping ports on the coast. The section of
country to be traversed by the road fur
nishes one-seventh of the long staple cotton
of the world. At Valdosta the Savannah.
Florida and Western railway aid the Geor-
gia Southern and Florida railroad give
northern and eastern outlet, and in Florida
the new line will have an outlet by the
Florida Central and Peninsular railroad.
Eighteen miles of the road are already
graded and long trestle over the Withla-
coochee river is built. This is about the
only trestling of any consequence that will
have to be done.
WILL INCREASE SAvANNAH'S TRADE.
The road, the projectors claim, will mate
rally increase the trade of Savannah, Val
dosta and Madison. The coast facilities at
Dead Mans Bay, it is claimed, are supe-
rior to any on the Gulf coast, and it is
considered the safest port on the coast. 1t
has twenty-six feet of water in a very large
bay.
The history of the proposed road dates
back seven years or more and Mr.. Clark of
Clerk'sO. n I. thread went to Florida
in his yacht, and, stopping at Dead Mans
bay, be spent some time there fishing and
hunting. The port then, as now, abounded
with fish and the surrounding country is
full of game. Mr.. Clark was attracted by
the immense amount of cedar which was
RATED down the Stenehatchee river, and he
explored the country as far as Madison
and later be went up to ValaoSta.
He made several trips from Valdosta to the
Gulf, and finally conceived the idea of
building a railroad. After several months
he began to purchase land, and finally
secured right of way, and afterward OBJ
tanned charter for road from Valdosta
to Dead Mans Bay. He began work on the
road, and the progress was rapid. After
expanding over 100000 on eighteen miles
of grading and the Withlacoochee bridge,
he gave up the enterprise and returned
north, not to return to Georgia. His inter
est in the road died out, and the excitement
of the railroad gave place to that of other
lines which have since been built, and the
Clark line was forgotten.
AN OLD ENTERPRISE REVIVED
Not many months ago shrewd Georgia
railroad man who gave good deal of at
tention to the schemes of the Clark people,
went to Florida, and after surveying the
field he found that people had settled along
the line surveyed, and at Dead Mans bay
a town had been established and business
was being carried on. Negotiations be-
tween Mr.. Clark and the Georgia party
began, and after a time resulted in the
purchase by the Georgia party of
Mr.. Clark's rights, and thus the
Florida Midland and Georgia railroad
was revived. The necessities of the
road are now much more apparent than
they were when Mr.. Clark inaugurated the
enterprise, and the success of the line seems
to be assured.
Savannah capitalists have taken hold of
the matter with the greatest enthusiasm,
and, being men Of means, the road is bound
to be built. AS fast as the track is laid and
the line is finished trains will be put on.
Valdosta and Madison are abreast of the
movement, and the business men of these
places who have taken hold of the enter
prise are among the most influential men of
the two states.