The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-15
THE NEW LINE TO COLUMBUS.
THAT CITY BROUGHT THIRTY
MILES NEARER SAVANNAH.

The Columbus Southern to BE
Merged Into the Georgia and Ala
bamn Before Jan. 1-DOuble Daily
Passenger Service, With Night
SIeepers Between Savannah and
COIumbus-StOcl1hOId of the g..
and A. to Meet in Americas To-
mOrrow-The Atlantic Short Line
to BE Sold Thursday-It Is Likely
There VIII BE Several Bidders.
The Columbus Southern railroad will be
merged into the Georgia and Alabama,
and will form a part of that system by
the first of the year.
Mr.. w. w. Mackall secretary Of the
Georgia and Alabama railroad, said yes
terday that his road had contemplated
taking in the Columbus Southern, and
that is what its recent purchase means.
| President John Shelton Williams and the
majority of the northern directors of the
company will probably be here to-day, as
| they are to be in Americas tomorrow
to attend the annual meeting of the stock
holders of the Georgia and Alabama. 1t
Is not known whether anything will be
done at this meeting with regard to merg-
ing the Columbus Southern into the Geor-
ga and Alabama, but it is more than like
ly that the question will come up.
The board of directors of the Columbus
and Southern railroad which was elected
in Columbus Saturday, with MIR. e. r.
Williams of Richmond as president, is
only temporary, and Secretary Mackall
states that the union of the two roads
into one system will not come later than
the first of the year. AS has been stated
in the Morning News, the columbus
Southern was purchased for the Georgia
and Alabama one day last week by Mr.
j. Randolph Anderson, on a bid of %5O,OOO
This means a great deal for Columbus,
and it means a great deal for Savannah.
There will be a double daily connection
in the passenger service between Savan-
nah and Columbus, and the night train
on the Georgia and Alabama railroad will
carry a through sleeper between these
two cities. This gives a night and day
passenger service direct between Savan-
nah and Columbus by line that is more
than thirty miles shorter than any other
between the two points. Passengers leav-
ing Columbus at 10 o'clock at night will
arrive in Savannah on the Georgia and
Alabama train at S:45 o'clock the next
morning, and those leaving Savannah at
Z O'Clock in the evening will arrive in Co.
lumbus at O'Clock the next morning.
Heretofore there has been no connec-
ton at all between the Georgia and Ala
bama and Columbus Southern, and 1t
looked at one time as if the Southern
railway was going to get the Columbus
Southern, as it was working in that direc-
ton, but now the Georgia and Alabama
has it, and it will be used necessarily in
the interest of Savannah, because Savan-
nah is the objective point of the Georgia
raj fg Ixy1 hui,
traffic to Savannah that the Georgia and
Alabama gets its long haul, and as it is
to the interest of the road to work towards
Savannah and bring it's traffic here, this
Will undoubtedly be done as far as it is
possible to do so
The Georgia and Alabama crosses the
Columbus Southern at Richland, and the
portion of the road between Richland and
Albany Will be used as a branch line on
which trains to and from Albany will make
connections with the through trains be-
tween Montgomery and Savannah
The people of Columbus are delighted. IL
Is said. with the purchase of this road
by the Georgia and Alabama, as it gives
them practically an entirely Independent
line. and in this respect Columbus has
heretofore had considerable trouble with
the railroads.
The sale of the Atlantic Short Line rail-
road under an order from the United States
court, takes place Thursday Dec. II, at
Swainsboro, in Emanuel county. The sale
will be conducted by Receiver John r.
Young, and will take place before the court
house there about soon.
1t is said there will probably be two or
three bidders on the property. Certain
parties have been heard from, who for
one reason or another desire to purchase
it, but they have been very quiet as to their
reasons for wanting the property There
has been no upset price fixed by the court
but the bidder who expects to have his bid
considered at all must deposit with the
receiver, at the time his bid is made, a
certified check for $4,000, as an earnest of
good faith.
Some one has suggested that parties in
terested in the Macon and Dublin might
buy this property and join in with the
Cuyler and Woodburn railroad people.
who are now contemplating building a
railroad between Savannah and States
boro. At least, they have applied for
charter, which announces that intent
Such combination would create an en-
tirely new and Independent line between.
Macon and Savannah, even though the
new line ran only from Macon to Cuyler
to connect with the Georgia and Alabama,
for it could, no doubt, reach Savannah by
some traffic arrangement.
1t has been suggested that Savannah
people ought to buy the Atlantic Short
Line for the protection of their own in
that the Southern Railway Company or
any other railroad combination might at
tempt to make on Savannah's territory.
GONE WITH HIS TAILOR SHOP.