The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-11

These arrangements have about been COM
pleted, and, as will be seen from what Mr..
Duval says, the Central railroad will prob
ably furnish the terminal facilities for the
new line. President Duval was seen yester-
day by representative of the MORNING
News.
How is the road progressing" Mr.. Du-
val was asked.
las well as We could expect or desire.
Half Of the entire line is graded and ready
for rails, and work on the remainder is
we'll under Roadway aud nearing compile
ton. Cargoes Of rails are now at Fernan-
dina and South Brunswick, and another
cargo has been ordered and is expected to
arrive 10 Savannah within a week or
ten days. The work OF lay
ing rails will be begun Just
as soon as the Lshigh Valley steel
bridges ran be received and put up over
the st. Msry's and SAtilla rivers, and rails
will probably DO begun to be laid here be-
fore tbs work is started at any of the other
points, which will be within two or three
weeks at farthest Maj. Green, the chief
engineer, informs me that II he meets with
no setback from rains or other sources the
road will undoubtedly be completed By
Sept. l. We would have been able to have
pushed the work much more rapidly had IL
not been for the trouble we had in getting
our right of way, aud especially in the
vicinity Of Savannah"
TO USE THE CENTRAL's TERMINUS.
Have you made arrangements as yet for
terminal facilities heres'
Nv lille no definite agreement or contract
has been made 1t has been almost practically
settled that the Central railroad will do our
terminal business here. both with regard TO
depot facilities and water front. That is
the arran cement that is contemplated at
present, and see no reason why an agree
ment to that effect cannot or will not be
consummated. The Central is in no wise q
competitor of our lines. but on the ether
hand the relations between the two roads
are extremely friendly, and az they have all
the facilities necessary for handling our
business in addition to their own it will be
of great advantage to them, as 1t will be
large increase in their revenue.
This arrangement / am confident will be
made. unless Mr., Plants interests, to which,
OF course, ours are antagonistic, are 80 allied
with those or the Central that he eau pre-
vent such an agreement. or course, IL be
could do it, he would naturally prevent our
gaming any advantage which would oper-
ate to the disadvantage of the Plant system.
Bat so far as l can see that difficulty will
not enter, and the arrangement with the
Central will. l think. be made.
I'VE have plenty Of money to employ the
Central TO do our business, and at the same
time it will be money in the pocket of that
road, We have capital enough, too, TO
build our own depot, which could be done
on the large tract OF land owned by the
South Bound railroad, just about 400 yards
west of the CentraPs depot, which would
afford us ample facilities aud we eau also,
if necessary. purchase whatever water front
may be needed for the transaction OF our
business. But this we do not desire to do
for many reasons, and would far prefer that
the Central handle our business for which
IL has ample facilities, according to the ar
rangement now Contemplated. We are
friendly to the Central and are making no
efforts whatever to compete with that
road"
A DEAL POSSIBLE BUT NOT ON.
THAT being the case, is ii possible that
the Florida Central and Peninsular will not
compete with Mr.. Plants linesi"
"Ot course there are inducements under
which any road would sell out, and l am
free to say that were we offered fair price
for our road by Mr.. Plant or anybody else,
he or they could get the property. But the
propositions so far made by Mr.. Plant have
not been such as to satisfy what we
would expect and demand for the property
aud every proposition made so for has been
declined. If Mr.. Plant or any body else wants
tha road the propositions so far made will
have to be improved considerably or the
road will not be sold. All propositions look
ing to such a sale have been declined and ab
present there is no proposition that we arc
considering. However, all railroads are
merchandisable property, and we or Mr..
offer was made which would be considered
fair profit on the investment. so far
nothing has been done in this direction.
What may be done cannot tell"
RUMoRs UNFoUNDED.
what about the rumors that the Coast
Line would ally its Interests with yours and
drop the Plant systemp
THAT, OF course, ls only a rumor, and
there is absolutely no truth 10 it. The
Coast Liue will build to Denmark, as I'M
derstand it, aud do business with US by the
South Bound the same as 1t does with the
Savannah, Florida and Western at this
point, and they will continue to 90 business
with the Savannah, Florida and Western.
However our road is O small one and it
is no more than reasonable to expect that
it will be under the control of some larger
system in the course of time. This is to be
expected. You see ID is in the nature OF
things shat large system OF roads should
swallow up smaller systems or separate
roads. This lie according to every sstab-
lished precedent, and is in most instances
inevitable in the course of time. The prob
ability is therefore, that In the course of
few years the Florida Central aud Pentu-
sular VIII be operated by one OF the large
systems of this section. 1t may be the Rioh-
mond Terminal, which is being reorganized
and put on such a basis as 1t has never
known before it NAV be the Central, the
Louisville and Nashville. or 1t may be the
Plant system. which one nobody con say
now, but such "a course would only be
natural and similar TO what has happened
to similar roads under like circumstances"
THE QUESTION OF COMPETITION.
"The people of Savannah would like to
know that the Florida Central and PENN
sular will a competitive line to Florida, +"
was suggeJted.
Prem all the circumstances am inclined
to differ with you little on that point.
The people here have not welcomed US as
heartily as they might have done bad that
been the case. On the other hand they have,
in many instances, been rather unfriendly,
and we have had far more trouble than was
ever anticipated in getting from them the
right of way we needed. However. / think
everything has been settled now. and see
no further difficulties in the way OF our
progress"
THE ROAD WELL EQUIPPED.
In speaking OF the equipments OK the road
President Duval stated that they would be
frst-class in every particular, and the best
that could be bought.
THE rails will all be 70-pound steel, he
said, (which is the heaviest, or as heavy,
as any found on any road In this country.
Our bridges are of the Lehigh Valley steel,
which Is not excelled RnVWhers in kha