The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-30

Thunderbolt. The original projectors OF
the road were the late DR.. ]. J. Waring
Mr.. Max DesVergers, Capt. John Dillon
and other prominent citizens. Mr.. Par
sons secured a controlling interest in the
stock Of the road about 1880.
The next road built was the Barnard
and Anderson street railroad. This road
originally extended through Barnard, Lib
erty, Tattnall, Berren and West Broad
streets to the Ogeechee road. II was
completed in 1878 and was built by Col. j.
II. Estill Capt. D. G. Purse afterward
purchased an interest in it, This road
was consolidated with the Old Savannah,
Skidaway and Seaboard Railroad Com
pany in 1882. Previous to the cOnsOllda-
ton it built what is known as the Liberty
street line, from the Central depot 10
the Savannah, Florida and Western depot.
After its amalgation in the City and Su-
burban railway its lines were changed,
as at present.
The street railway systems were vlrtu>
ally consolidated when the Savannah In
vestment Company, a well-known real es.
tate syndicate in 1887, built the Savannah
Street and Rural Resort railroad, better
known as the big Belt" This road is be-
tween six and seven miles in length, and
opened up the suburbs of the city to set
tlement It was the first road to use
electricity.
ly followed by The Electric railway COM
monty known as the price Street Line. 3"
The Savannah Investment Company havs
ing accomplished the purpose it had in
view the development of its real estate
holdings in the southern part of the CITY,
sold the Belt line TO a Nashville syndi-
cate which built the line on Barnard
and Anderson streets and equipped 1t with
electricity. After operating it for a cou
pie Of years, the new owners united with
the Electric Railway Company, under the
name of the Savannah Railway Company.
which corporation went into bankruptcy
last year, and was bought by the bond
holders at United States marshaFs sale.
The Electric railway was an OffshOot of
the Savannah Real Estate, Loan and
building Company. It's line extended on
st. Julian, Price. Gwinnett, Duffy and
some other streets. 1t was a Well-cOn-
ceived system Of street railways. and adj
ded considerably to the development of the
southeastern section of the city. The
moving spirits in this enterprise were
Messrs. J. S. Collins, Hugh Logan, r. M.
Hicks and others. The negotiations,
which have apparently come to close,
places all the property, representing over
a million and half dollars in hard cash,
in the hands of Mr.. George Parsons and
his associates, and unites all the street
railways Of Savannah under the manage
mtHL OF capt ). II, johnston the veteran
street railroad manager.
There is however, an unbuilt street rail
road the franchise Of which is held by the
Savannah and Isle of Hope railway which
has track, not now operated, from Low
ers' Lane through Waters road to Thun-
derbolt. This railroad is not included in
the late deal.
To recapitulate, the Parsons consolida-
ton represents the following railroads:
The original Savannah, Skidaway and
Seaboard Railroad Company, Savannah
and Thunderbolt Railroad Company, City
and Suburban, the Coast Line railroad.
the Savannah Street and Rural Resort
railroad (big belO, Electric Railway. or
Peoples Line price street line) later
known as the Savannah Traction Com
pany; Thunderbolt and Isle of Hope rail-
way Ohe Coast Lines connections be-
tween Thunderbolt and Sandhy Station)
Mr.. Parsons has been president and
owner of the Coast Line railroad
for the last eighteen years, and Capt. ].
H. Johnston, now general manager, has
been president of the City and Suburban
for fifteen years. There is no reason. if
the lines are SO arranged as to give the
public rapid transit to any mart
of the city, why it cannot be claimed that
Savannah has the most complete system
of street railways Of any city of its size
in the country.