Birmingham age-herald., 1895-05-15
THE SOUTHERN RAILWAY.


 Touching the reported failure of the management of the Southern Railway to give prompt reply to the numerous appli- cations received by it for cooperation in the matter of the State exhibits for the Atlanta Exposition, VicePresident Bald win, who spent yesterday in Birmingham, satisfactorily explained to the Age-Her- ald why it was necessary for such mat ters to be duly, formally and systemat- ically referred to MT. Stahlman of the Southern Railway and Steamship Asso- ciation
 The Southern Railway Company is just now more deeply interested in the growth and development of the South than any other corporation. Its immense investments of money and its connections gain of additional Southern connections depend for success upon the prosperity of this particular section, hence the South ern is proving itself a staunch friend to the Atlanta Exposition Its manage ments indorsement of the exposition and earnest desire for the success of the en- terprise could not be more forcbly illus trated than by a statement of the fact that this great railroad system has ap- propriated about $l00,000 of it's own funds to the Exposition; first by it's subscrip>
 
 building of railroad tracks through the grounds by the prospective construction of four miles of track from the city to the grounds and by the erection of a ten thousand ($10,00O dollar building of it's own, in which it is proposed to exhibit the resources of the great country traversed by it's own system. In addition to these expenditures it is asserted upon author ity that the Southern has furnished 90 per cent of transportation afforded the management of the Exposition for use preparatory to collecting the general eX- hibit
 The Southern Railway is no doubt un- der strong, broad, liberal and progress sive management, and is going to bring about rich results for this favored sec tion. Backed by almost unlimited cap ital, and being entirely out of the hands of spectators the Southern Railway is a living investment. The whistles and the lights of it's locomotives mean devel- opment, and every city, every mile of ter ritory traversed by it's lines, is going to feel the revivifying touch of it's power for good. It's purchases and consultations, its reduction of capital stock, its close ownership and control have squeezed the last drop of water from it's capital stock; it has buried the past out of sight and looks only to the present and the future If the Southern States grow in wealth. population and development the Southern Railway will share with the people of the section the benefit to be derived. If, un- der the pressure of monopoly or any oth- CT evil cause. the South should lag, wither or decay the great railway corporations must suffer with her. The experience of the past fifty years in American railway management has opened the eyes of op- orators to this truth and they are act ing in accordance herewith.
 The object of a railway corporation like the Southern is not to stoop to small matters not to bubble over local compe- tition, but to reach higher and prove its ability to bring in closer proximity the markets of the world. Birmingham be- ing a producing point the Southern must seek to place her products in the greater markets in competition with points in closer proximity to these markets In doing this Birmingham is enriched and the Southern is thereby benefited. Other great railroads have a like opportunity, and thus they build for themselves and for the enrichment of those sections touched by their lines
 The Southern has a great work before at. and it brings us strong hopes for rapid progress and general prosperity of the South, and especially this immediate sec tion, which needs only the encourage ment that such potent agencies can give.