The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-11
SAVANNAHSLKESOFST STEEL
The Great Systems Which Contrib
ute to the City'S Prosperity.

ANY NiSut ~ 1bNliAo UAiAh NUulllU-
ute to the City'S Prosperity.
What They Have Done and What
They Are Doing for savannah-New
Roads in Construction and New
Connections Which Bring Bust
ness Here-The Outlook for the
Coming Year Full of Prosperity.
The coming year is a brighter one for
the railroads. Last year was a hard one
on the railroads as well as every line of
business. Shipments of every kind were
less, except cotton. Consumers bought
less Secause they had less to buy with,
and merchants for the same reason car
ried less stocks The railroads are nat
ural indicators of the business prosper
ity of the country. When business is
good they are the first to feel the in
crease. and when times are hard they are
the first to feel the decrease in business.
A prosperous railroad usually means
prosperous business all along its line
Savannah's railroads have stood the
hard times as well as any anywhere in
the country, and great deal better than
a majority of the roads throughout the
country. While gross earnings We're less
the conditions were met by reduced ex-
penses, and as result the net earnings
show little, if any, decrease from the pre-
vious year. The reports of Receiver
Conner of the Central railroad show that
the finances Of that road have been re
markably well managed in every depart
ment.
The reorgaui zation Of the Central rail
road is now one of the most important
questions affecting Sayannahs interests.
The result of the great rehabilitation of
the old Richmond Terminal properties
under the name of the Southern Railway
Company is being watched with interest
from every quarter, and the question
which every one in this section would
like to have answered is whether the
Central road will become a part of this
great company and if so what the effect
will be upon Savannah's interests. The
coming year bids fair to see the complete
REORGANIZATION of the Centrars property
with the certain result Of giving il
greater strength in the financial and rail
road world.
sANANNAH's NEW ROADS
The railroad event of the year was the
advent of the Florida Central and PENN
sular railroad TO Savannah The benefits
of this acquisition are being more peTcep-
tibly felt every day. The Florida Cen
trial and Peniusular railroad is well known
as one of the strongest railway systems
IN the south, having nearly 1000 miles of
rail and covering among the finest
territory in Florida 1t acquired the
South Bound railroad from Savannah to
Columbia last October, and Immediately |
built connection from Jacksonville TO
Savannah, which connection was com
peted in December the first train enter
ing Savannah on Christmas day. Besides |
the great facilities thus offered to Savan-
nahs merchants of reaching new terri |
tory in Florida, the Florida Central and |
Peninsuar operates a tirst-class through |
passenger service through Savannah, be- |
tween Florida and New York, thus Civ |
ing SaVannahians the benefit of very |
convenient route to all northern points. |
Savaunahians would find it very incon- |
venient if they should be deprived of this |
route now
THE COAST LINES NEW CONNECTION.
Another prospective benefit from the |
Florida Central and Peninsular's entry to |
Savannah is the connection with the At |
lantic Coast Line railroad, which has Just |
been completed from Manchester to Den |
mark. This connection appears to have |
been made more for the purpose of ena-
bling the Atlantic Coast Line TO reach |
western territory than for the purpose of |
securing additional connections south |
ward, and the people of Middle Georgia |
appear likely to reap more benefits from |
the connection than those of South Geor-
gia The connection to Denmark, how
ever, opens up some very valuable South |
Carolina territory to Savannah's mer-
chants.
Savannah has the flattering prospect of |
still another line in the near future A |
corps of engineers is now in the field sur |
veying the route from Savannah to Dub |
lin for the Macon, Dublin and Savannah |
railroad. This road is already completed !
from Macon to Dublin, and has been in |
opera tion for more than a year 1t is |
being constructed by western capitalists |
who are amply able TO carry through |
whatever they undertake.
WOULD HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE NOW. |
The road would have doubtless been |
completed to Savannah before now, but |
for the fact that it was expected that |
some deal would be made with the own |
ers of the Atlantic Short Line for the |
right of way owned by that line, which |
would have greatly facilitated the work |
and prevented the possibility of a rival |
line in the same territory. II is believed !
that negotiations are still in progress but |
with what probability of success is not |
known. Anyway, President Wright of |
the Macon, Dublin and Savannah has eX- |
pressed his intention of bringing his line |
into Savannah Oy next spring, and he evil |
IDENTIFY means what he says.
Some very valuable concessions made by |
the city to the Macon, Dublin and Savan- |
nah will expire by that time, and this at |
fords very considerable incentive to the |
early completion of the road The terri |
tory through which the line is projected
is as fine as any in the state, and the COM
pletion of the road will aid greatly in it's
development, while it will at the same
time place it right at the doors of Savan-
nah. The year which does not mark the
entry of a new railroad to Savannah is
rather unusual.
THE PLANT CONSOLIDATION.
Another railroad event Of the year was
the completion of the consolidation OF the
Plant lines into the Plant system with
general offices at savannah. The audit
ing Offices of the whole system were only
recently consolidated at Savannah. The
Plant system has been by no means idle
during the year. Additional railroad