The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-25
FOR THE PORT ROYAL ROAD.
More Than One Party Seems to Be
Interested in the Situation.

The Fight Over the Property and the
differences That Are Being Drawn
from the Situation-Ar. Plant is th q
Latest Factor-Mr. Calhoun's Move
ments, Too, Are Watched-It Should
Not Be Overlooked That the Central
Will Make a Stubborn Fight-Mr
Conner has Denied That the Cen
trail Intended to Part With It's
Interest in the Georgia Road Lease.
The railroad situation, especially so far
as the Port Royal and Augusta road is
concerned, seems TO be getting peculiarly
complicated.
According TO some Of the newspapers
which are trying TO keep up with the
case, there are half a dozen or more people
or corporations after the property, and
those VINO are endeavoring to throw some
light on the situation are proceeding, it
seems, on the blind ass sumption that the
Central is going to Keep hands OF and let
the sharks fight it out.
The very latest in this liue in that Mr..
Plant wants the road. He was in Au-
gusta on his way south a day or Two ago.
and that was taken as an indication that
he was looking into the Port Royal and
Augusta roads property and the port to
which it leads, with a view of closing
some kind Of deal and uniting 1t with
his system leading south and into Florida.
The statement OF the case is that Mr.
Plant wants to get into Port Royal and
Augusta too, and that he will probabl do
this by making connections with the road
at the junction OF the Charleston and
Savannah at Yemassee-if he gets IT,.
Mr.. CALHOUN N IT.
Another idea is that the Louisville and
Nashville wants the property, and Mr.. Pat
Calhoun, formerly well known in Central
affairs, is back OF 1t. His name has also
been prominently connected with the eff
fort on the part OF the attorney general Of
South Carolina to get the road into poll
tics and wrench il from the control of
the Central through the state legislature.
This has given rise to the idea that the
Louisville and Nashville will have an OPP
portunity to get the property and enter
Port Royal, q south Atlantic port, and a
thing which they have not, in
OF the attorney general in the legislature
succeeds. The discussion on this line
has taken a prominent turn, from the
fact that a statement has been going the
rounds Of the Associated Press to the eff
feet that Mr.. Calhoun was chaperouing a
party Of directors TO Port Royal TO view
the surroundings and property there, of
large amount. II is said that there are,
in truth, only two Louisville and Nash
vile directors in the entire party.
FOR TIE COURTS TO SAY.
In the meantime, the road is in the
hands of the courts, and the Central is 60
ing 70 keep it there until it has been de-
cided, if necessary, by the highest court
in the land, whether IL has the right to
vote its ma GRITTY stock and bonds in the
meetings of the company. Justice Jack
son has rendered a decision in the Cen
trial railroad proceedings to the effect that
the Central has that right
The question Is now pending in two
courts in South Carolina, the state court.
of which Receiver Averill is the officer
and the United States court, in which
Judge Simonton has decided that he and
his court has jurisdiction. He has also
recognized the receiver of the state court
but that does not alter the case as TO his
having decided that the United States
court has proper Jurisdiction in the mat
ter.
TO 60 TO THE LAST RESORT.
The question will go, on theone hand, to
the state supreme court and on the other
TO the court of appeals. IT, in both these
instances, these courts decide that their
respective lower courts have proper
jurisdiction there will be but one tribunal
lett 10 which 20 appeal, and that is the
supreme court of the United States. AS
the matter now stands, IL seems that
several parties are playing on the railroad
checkerboard, but the Central is carry
ing on its fight, as it properly should, in
the courts which have taken charge of
the property, and they will endeavor to
avoid its being carried into politics, at
least until after the courts have decided
the matter finally, when it is thought
there Will be no attempt to take this
step.
There is another popular fallacy which
seems 70 be going the rounds. Where the
idea came from that the Louisville and
Nashville had obtained entire control of
the Georgia railroad lease is hard to tell
Receiver Conner denied that statement
only few days ago, which was made on
rumor TO that effect. The Central has
large interests to protect there as well as
elsewhere, and the fact that T. II. Scott
Louisville and Nashville man, has been
put IN the position Of general manager
can hardly be taken as significant.
ONLY MATTER OF RuMoR.
Neither can the proposed changes in the
management of the Western Railway of
Alabama and the Atlanta and West Point
be taken to mean any more than has al
ready been stated on good authority, and
that IS, that they have been rather slack
IN their services TO the Central during the
past year, and the Central being in prac-
tical control Of the management, through
its voting power change is desired on
that account 1t is said that these roads
have brought large quantities OF cotton
and other freight into Atlanta, and that
the East Tennessee, a competing corpora
ton, received from them the majority of
II for shipment to territory that was COW
cred by the Central railroad
The supposition is that when the
changes in the Western of Alabama are
made Maj. w. +. Shellman, the present
traffic manager of the Central. will be
made president and general manager of
that road. The meeting having these
matters in view will probably be held
sometime next week
TWO STEAMERS CoLLIDE