Birmingham state herald., 1897-04-06
CONTRACTORS IN THE CITY Seeking Slices of the Two New
 Roads
  TO BE BUILT IN THE STATE The Mobile and Ohio Extension and Montgom- cry Hayneville and Camden Roads To
 Be Pushed To Completion.
TO BE BUILT IN THE STATE

The city nas been filling up with con tractors for the past few days, who came here to bid on the construction of the Mobile and Ohio extension from Colum- bus, Miss, to Montgomery, Ala, dis tance of 210 miles, and two branches from Tuscaloosa to Blocton and into the War rior eeal fields.
 Work on the Mississippi division, which is only nine miles in length, has been in progress for nearly week and will be pushed to completion.
 The original contract for the work Is held by the Hanover Construction com pany, of New York. MT J. ". Wcolfolk. president of the company; Chief Engineer Farrow and pr. W. r. Wright. represent atives Of the company, are in the city at- tending to the receiving and opening or the bids. The Hanover company has a paid up capital stock, and IS authorized to increase it to $300,000 whenever they may so desire it. President Woolfolk is sub-letting ths contract in divisions of not more than twenty miles, as the grading of the eni.ire line must be completed Tn five months, and the line itself in twelve months.
 The line will start at Columbus. Miss. and run directly to Tuscaloosa, from which point 1t will extend in a south easterly direction to Montgomery. The branches will be fifteen miles and twelve miles in length, the entire line being 2l0 miles.
 Among the contractors in the city are representatives from S.. Lcuis, Pittsburg, Kansas City, Richmond, Chattanooga. New York City and other foreign places. No one contractor will be given the con- tract for more than twenty miles of the line, as the work must be pushed.
 Nearly POO contractors, representing immense wealth, are here, and have been asked to bid on every feature of the work except the iron bridging and their foun- dations. Nearly ten miles of trestling will have to be built, and grea'- bridge across the river at Tuscaloosa.
 In converse ton with a prominent rail- road contractor yesterday, it was stated that the people do nof realize the vast importance of the new road nor the great good it will do for western Alabam ma. When it is completed it will make the Mobile and Ohio a competitor with :he Louisville and Nashville railroad, and also the Southern system. The output of the Warrior and Blocton coal fields will have new and greater outlet. The farmer. too, will be vastly bene- fted, and western Alabama will witness the greatest peaceful revolutionizing ever known. As matter of fact, the population will increase and cities will spring up where now only villages are to be seen.
 The gentleman, though foreign con- tractor, was very enthusiastic over the outlook, and spoke in flattering terms of the great future in store for this section. The contracts were to have been award ed yesterday bu. 1t was delayed on &C., count of ha ving some necessary blanks printed, which were not completed until o'clock yesterday afternoon, and also on account of the non-arrival of the needed profiles.
 All of the bids are to be sealed and delivered by o'clock ti1s morning, and the contracts will be awared as soon as they can be opened and tabulated, pos sibly this afternoon