The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-04
AN ATLANTA VIEW.
As to Why the Central bought the
Middle Georgia and Atlantic.

Middle Georgia and Atlantic.
Ihere is said to be a story behind the
/ purchase of the little Middle Georgia, and
Atlantic railroad by the Central on Christ
mas day. 1t is not the first time that the
same thing has been done, but it points
moral, which is that a little road may
show pluck in fighting g big one, but pluck
is not always discretion.
For months and months the Middle
Georgia has been fighting the Central un-
relentingly, says the Atlanta Constitution.
Mr.. Joseph Preston. the general manager
of the smaller road, hit the Central at
every turn. What his grievance was is
lmmaterial. But he evidently had one.
He never gave pound of business to the
Central that he could help. Mr.. Preston
had traffic agreement with the Geor-
gia. road which was broad in some re-
spects. He could say to- the Georgia,
Haul this" and the Georgia hauled it.
1t is said that if the Middle Georgia called
for traffic routed from the north for Ma
con by way of the Seaboard Air Line the
Georgia had to take it to Atlanta, carry
1T to Covington, deliver it to the Middle
Georgia, which would haul 1t to Miiledge-
Vile and there turn it over to the Geor-
gia again. In this way the little line got
many carload of freight from the north
and west which otherwise it could never
have hoped to touch
Mr. Conner grew weary of this and he
set about to break it up. His office as
president of the Central railroad is in the
middle of block on Bay street. Down
at the corner of the same block is the Of
flee of Mr.. Joseph d. Weed, president of
the Middle Georgia. They have long been
neighbors, their homes being almost within
stones throw of each other and both on
the same street. Mr.. Weed is a banker
and a hardware merchant. He is not in
the railroad business exc ept as a side is
sue. So when Mr.. Conner began to feel
him on the subject of buying the Middle
Georgia and Atlantic it was simply a mat
ter of dollars and cents with him. Mr..
Weed is a close trader, and so is Mr.. Co
mer. How long they figured on the price
to be paid would be interesting. They
have not told the price but it is safe TO
say that they split the fraction of cent
on the bonds. The little road runs
through a fine section or the state, cross
ing Newton, touching Jasper, striking
right across the heart of rich old Putnam
and thence on down to Baldwin. There
are no better counties in the state or in
any other state. The only trouble is that
the road is still young, and it has net
had time to attract strong string OF in
dustries along its right of way.
when the road was projected it was
to run from Atlanta to Savannah. The
versatile Col Edward Machen was its
godfather He had begun with a brass
band and a rod and chain and built the
Macon and Covington, which did not go
anywhere near Covington, by the way,
and was afterward rechristened the Ma
con and Northern. Col. Machen was de-
termined to build a road from Covington
to somewhere and he took up with the
scheme to build an air line from Atlanta
to Savannah. lie went to Savannah, talk
ed to the city council and got concessions
more valuable than those granted by the
federal government to the Northern Pa
cific He got his line under way and then
for some reason probably a financial one.
dropped out. He had enlisted Savannah
money and these capitalists took up the
enterprise and under the leadership of Mr..
j. P. Williams, the road was completed
from Covngton to Milledgeville. Mr..
Preston, Who had been In the passen-
ger department of the Central and
in the lumber business was
soon placed in charge, sue
ceeding Mr.. w. G. Thomas, who had SUI
perintended the construction and the ear
ly operation Of the property. Mr.. Preston
handled the road with great economy and
it made it's operating expenses and fixed
charges. AS a feeder of the Georgia it
played an important part. 1t was by To-
cation a natural ally of the Central at
Milledgeville, but Mr.. Preston would not
exchange with the big company anything
that he could avoid.
FINALLY the situation settled down to
where the Central either had to buy it's
little antagonist or take the blows which
it was inflicting.
so Mr.. Conner figured with Mr.. Weed
and the outcome of 1t was that the Cen
trail made an offer for the road and Mr..
Weed and his associates accepted.
"And it will not be long before the Mid
die Georgia and Atlantic will be simply
one of the Centrals branch lines