The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-01-29
SEABOARD AIR LINE.
Change In the Management-Mr. E. st.
John in Undfsputed COntroi-Mr.
John III. Winder Is no Longer
With the Road.

AAs
With the Road.
Atlanta Journal.
A telegram received from Baltimore
Yesterday afternoon announced that at
q directors meeting of the Seaboard Air
Line in that city, the board has order
ed President Hoffman to issue circul-
ar appointing E ST.. John manager, in
addition to vice president, giving that
gentleman the entire direction of the
operation of the Seaboard.
At the same time it was said that the
appointment carried with 1T the retire
ment of Mr.. John H. Winder from the
general managership and that this
office would in future be. abolished as
separate institution. The directors
created the office of general
superintendent, which will shortly
be filled.
There is, of course, no doubt about
the truth of the change, but there is no
representative in Atlanta authorized
or willing to talk over the situation.
Mr.. Bunch McBee,, the general agent
of the Seaboard in Atlanta, is in
Washington, and the employees of
the road who are here are silent as
oysters.
be given the office of general
superintendent, although it is impossi-
BILE now to confirm this report.
There seems little doubt that the re-
moval of Mr.. Winder is the consumma-
ton of predetermined plan to oust
from official position all the Winder
interests in the Seaboard..
Mr.. st. John, as the instrument OF
those who had this determination in
hand, seems to have gone rapidly
forward since he was brought to the
Seaboard from the Chicago, Rock
Island and Pacific, with the execution
of the wishes of those who have been
in the majority on the board of direc-
tors of the Seaboard, and the Seaboard,
as now constituted is throughout
and thoroughly a Hoffman-St. John
system.
That there has been a clearly drawn
opposition of interests in the Seaboard
hardly admits of doubt, as the history
of the Seaboard in late years will show.
Since the roads in North Carolina,
South Carolina and Georgia were
completed into one system, with one
terminus in Atlanta and the other In
Portsmouth, there has been gradual
predomination of the interest represen-
ted by President Hoffman and his
associate capitalists, chiefly of Balti-
more. But after the death of President
Robinson, Mr.. Hoffman, at that time
vice-president, became president, and
Mr.. John C. Winder became vice
president !; his son, Mr., John H.
Wlnder being promoted from division
superintendency to the general
managership. Such was the status of
the management until it was decided
by the Hoffman element, which SEEM
ed to be predominant. to take control.
The first step in this line was the
selection of Mr.. E ST.. John, who was
an officer in the Chicago, Rock Island
and Pacific, and as chairman of the
committee of railroads in the celebrated
Chicago strike, had attracted attention
to himself throughout the railroad
world. 49,. .
The information then shortly after
wards came that Mr.. E. st. John w, s
vice-president of the Seaboard Air
Line.
From that time until this, Mr.. st.
John has been in almost complete
power and change after change has
taken place in the citizenship.
One of the first acts of Mr.. st. John
was the removal of the offices of the
general manager from, Atlanta to
Portsmouth, taking many clerks to
Virginia, who were established under
the same roof at Portsmouth with the
vice-president. There have been
many removals since-most Of which
were not from town to town, but from
job to joblessness.
Mr.. st. John has substituted in many
cases men who had been with him on
the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific.
He removed Mr.. James Maglenn,
who had been with the Seaboard for
thirty-five years, as superintendent
of motive power, and substituted Mr..
w. T. Reed, of the Chicago Island
and Pacific.
He removed Car Accountant w. P.
Gehee and substituted Mr.. Johnson,
of the Chicago, Rock Island and
Pacific.
he removed w. J. Edwards, gener-
al storekeeper, and substituted q man
from the Chicago, Rock Island and
Pacific.
And it may be mentioned that most
of these removals were soltherners,
who had grown up along the track
of the Seaboard. The North Carolina
papers roasted Mr.. st. John with gloves
off; but Mr.. st. John went right
ahead, dropping in a Rock Island and
Pacific man wherever there seemed a
suitable vacancy.
Among the others of those who lost
their heads under the rule of MIR. ST.
John was Mr.. Roger Elliott, chief
clerk to General Manager Winder.
Mr.. st. John also gave Freight
Agent O'Dwyer, whose headquarters
were in Atlanta, his release, and there
are other cases where men, said to
have a leaning toward the Winder
element, have suddenly found
themselves without positions.
Mr.. st. John, having cleared the
field pretty we'll of men favoring the
Winder element, has had his own
powers enlarged, being OIL yesterday
chosen general manager.
Mr.. st. John now is as absolute
dictator in the affairs and policy of the
Seaboard as the sultan is in his own
dominions.
These are those who criticize Mr..
st. John and charge that all his
actions have been Injurious to the
prosperity of Atlanta but however
that may be, there is little doubt left
that he is in the saddle and that the
Hoffman faction of the owners has
completely triumphed. ,