The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-11-29

the Chattahoochee river, in the county OF
Russell, to Montgomery, which charter
having been applied for was granted by
the legislature of Alabama 10 February,
1859.
A FEW FACTS ABOUT FINANCIAL MATTERS.
Who has been the controlling power in
shaping and carrying to frultlon these grand
results? Our whole people with one voice
would answer: S. HI. Hawkins. His mas
terful financial genius has led our people
from the Egypt of commercial bondage to
their present independent position in the
financial world. To detail fully and by
what means he accomplished these grand
results would be too tedious to publish. But
a few facts will serve to prove the truth OF
the assertion.
When the little narrow gauge road had
been built from Americas to Preston en-
tirely by local money, and graded to Lump
kin, an effort was made to sell some bonds
to obtain funds TO complete the road.
Northern capitalists who had been applied
to wrote to certain financial friends in
Americas to know something of the basis
of securing for the bonds offered The
answer was returned: at is a little road
that begins nowhere and ends nowhere"
This, o. course, defeated the sale OF the
Be ds. Something must be done TO obtain
MONEY or material to continue the WORK. or
the important enterprise would prove
failure.
EtCoI. Hawkins WAS president of the COM
pany. He called meeting of the directors.
Several propositions to raise the necessary
funds were discussed and abandoned. The
board adjourned disheertened. Col. Haw-
kins did not know the word fail in the
vocabulary of his youth, which fate mad
preserved for successful manhood. Ihere
was no such word as fail As president OF
the Bank of Americas he had personal
credit in the commercial world. This he
used. All alone he continued the work,
pushed forward the enterprise until he was
enable to engage the attention OF capitalists
anG effect the sale of his bonds.
The final grand result we record, the COM
pletioa Of the Sam road to Montgomery, 80
named by common consent in noble reoog-
milton of Sam Hawkins services to his city
and his section.
FINAL result" for we feel safe In asserting,
though not authorized to do SO, that the
work will speedily be pushed forward from
| Lyons to Savannah, a gap or only Sixty
miles. Surely no road in the south can
show such grand results entirely from local
support. .,.
and successfully managed by home people
| and home capital. Not a dollar OF stock
was snbscribed away from the roads line OF
progress. Not a share OF stock Is owned
! outside Of the state OF Georgia, ana the
original stock of the company Is worth par.
AN EXCELLENT SHOWING.
Surely no other railroad in the south.
nrobabiy no other railroad in the United
State. can make such showing. The av'
eraoe capitalized account Of dividend pay
| ing roads in Georgia ranges from S@ooOO to
| $50 600 per mile, while that OF the oaVah-
nah Americas and Montgomery railway
does not exceed 1900 per mile. Ihese re-
sults are directly due to the superior moan
cial ability and able management OF .. H.
He has had able assistants in Col: ID. U
RaeIey. P. C. Clegg, J. W. Sheffield, his son
W r. Hawkins, aud others; but each ano
all recognize and place implicit trustin tnt
unerring financial Judgment OF Col. HAWK
ins. -, .Ao,,, +ho+ tbe
Sam road is built on the 32d parallel laCl-
tude. where Hon. A. II. stephens many
Years ago predicted would be bulit grea'
Through line east and west across the Atheri
The public would probably like to know
something of the history OF toe man W" M
has accomplished these wonderful hnaiiSi"
results from such small beginnings
Who is 'Sam" Hawkinsi we VIII VI
70 answer. He is S. years OLD, was oot I... -
Tones county. His father, Ezekiel ha"h ~,
moved to this country aud setEieo near 'N'