The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-23
PLANT SYSTEM OFFICIALS.
TO BEGIN THEIR ANNUAL INsPEC-
TIoN TOUR OF THE PROPERTY.

TIoN TOUR OF THE PROPERTY.
The Two Meetings TO BE Held Here
To-day and TO-mOrrOw-A Talk
with Mr.. ID. f. Jack on the Results
of the Last Year-The Systems
Gross Earnings About the Same as
For the Year Before, But Heavy
Expenses Cut Down the Net-Mr.
II. VI. FIagIer Expected to Join the
Party Here.
The officials of the Plant system Will to-
morrow begin their annual tour over the
lines of the system, for the purpose of
making an inspection of the property and
holding the annual meetings of the differ
ent lines which compose it.
AS some of them are also interested in
the Southern Express Company, especial
ly President H. D. Plant, who is also pres
ident Of that company, they Will remain
here to-day for the purpose of holding its
annual meeting, and the annual meeting
of the Savannah, Florida and Western
Railway Company will be held tomorrow
at the general offices on Liberty street.
The officials of the Southern Express
Company, who are either here or will be
here are President H. B. Plant, Vice Pres
ident and General Manager NJ. J. O'Brien,
Assistant General Manager T. w. Leary
of Chattanooga, Assistant Superintendent
NJ. J. O'Brien, Jr., of Chattanooga, Super
intendent W. ]. Croswell of the eastern
division, located at Wilmington, N. c.,
Traffic Manager C. L. Loupe and Superin-
tendent H. Dempsey of Augusta.
The meeting of the express company will
be held this morning at the offices on
Bull street. Reports of all the officers
will be made. and it is probable that all
of the old officers of the company will be
reelected.
The officials of the Savannah, Florida
and Western Railway Company who win
be here are President Plant, Assistant to
the President D. F. Jack. Secretary r. B.
Smith, Vice President NJ. F. Plant, and
Mr.. H. NJ Flagler, one of the company's
directors. Several of the directors living
in or near Savannah are also expected to
be present. Mr.. Frank @. Brown, presi-
dent of the Florida Southern railroad, will
also join the party here and make the trip
over the system.
The meeting of the Savannah, Florida
and Western company will be held to-
morrow morning, and as soon as 1t is over
the party will take a special train to go
to Brunswick, where, on Wednesday, the
annual meeting of the Brunswick and
Western Railroad Company will be held.
The annual meetings and the tour of in
spection will keep the party out on the
road until some time in December, prob
ably the middle of the month
Mr. D. f. Jack. assistant to the presi-
dent, who is now in the city, was asked
as to the business of the system, and the
results during the last year. He said the
gross earnings are about the same as
they were the year before, though the net
has been somewhat reduced on account of
heavy expenses in several places. The
expenditures on equipment this year, he
said, have been something like $40, 600 more
than they were the year before. Then,
too. the system has been put to a large
expense in putting down heavier rail on
about 100 miles of track in Florida. The
track and equipment, however, are in as
good shape as those of any road in the
SOUTH if not the entire country, he said.
Mr.. Jack intimated that some changes
might be made in the status of the sys-
tenn, with regard to its handling business,
but he said Savannah would not be left
in any of the deals. He spoke of the
large amount of phosphate that had been
brought through this port during the last
year, and said he thought this feature
and trend of the phosphate business would
be kept up right along. The system he
said, could not expect to do the big bust
ness It has done in some years with the
reduction in the orange traffic.
The Plant lines used to haul as many as
100000 boxes of oranges in a season;
last year ii was not over 5000, and the
coming year not over 1250O0 boxes are
looked for.
Mr.. Jack was asked what would be done
with regard to depot. He said the COM
pany would, for the present put up pas
senger shed, about the same as 1t had be-
fore, until the property made a showing
which would Justify the building of first
class depot
Mr.. Jack said he did not know what had
become of the plan to construct turpen-
tine tanks on the wharves of the Savan-
nah, Florida and Western railway. The
company, he said, entered into a contract
with the naval stores people here by which
they agreed to lease them the ground at
nominal sum, but since that time he has
never heard anything of the matter
charter was applied for and a company
formed here, the capital of which was to
be $4,000. 1t was the intention of those of
the naval stores people here interested in
the matter to put up two large tanks for
the storage of spirits. This was done
about year ago, but since that time moth
ing has been heard of the matter.
President Plant and Vice President M.
F. Plant will arrive from the north this
morning. Mr.. Flagler is expected to-mor-
row morning, when he will join the party
and go TO Florida with them.