The age-herald., 1897-08-06
\ PROSPECTIVE RATE WAR
The Central and Southern Fight
 ing For Eastern Travel.
CENTRAL YET THE LOWEST
Washington Artillery Will Pass Through Bir. mingham Monday-The Southerns
 Barge Line on the Mississippi.

There is lively fight at hand between the Central of Georgia, the Southern, for the travel to Washington, Philadelphia. Baltimore, New York and other points in the east. Each road has announced it's rate and the war is on in earnest.
 The Central of Georgia gives a rate to New York of $2975 over the Csntral. via Savannah, and the Ocean Steamship com- pany, while the Censral's tickets will be sold at this rate on August g. 10, 12, and 1S, and will be good for return in twsnty days. The Southern on August F. B and IA will sell round trip tickets to Washington, Norfolk ard Richmond at one fare for the round trip.
 So far the raj of the Central is the lowest. The Southern goes no further than Washington, and the Pennsyivania road from there on to New York will not accept the cut. There are so many rates that should onle break. hot fight would be precipitated The Southerns rate to Washington is $21.1 10 which, with the fare to New York and return aggregates $31.10, or $1.35 more than the Central's rate.
 An effort is to be made to get the Southern to come to the Centrars figures, and in this event the scrimmage may bs extremely lively.
 For year past, at certain intervals, rumor has been started to the effect that a dissolution was contemplated between the Southern and the Alabama Great Southern. l This rumor has generally ina ted in ChattapooUa TraoIa tip,a the rumor has been proven a canard. only to be dress+d up and brought out again by some enterprising reporter.
 The last time the rumor was rehashed was by the Chattanooga Times. which predicted that there was something surely in 1t this time.
 Investigation fails to reveal and facts to sustain the rumor and it is being classed just as its predecessors. The representatives of the two lines in this city exnress the belief that it is just the old canard in new habiliments and they put no credence in 1t.
 The Louisville and Nashville officials of this city have received notification that that famous military organization, the Washington Artillery, of New Or leans, will pass through here Wednes- hdy lilOlIlHS eH TOule to NdS1NlblP 10 attend the Centennial. The special train of eight coaches will leave New Orleans Sunday evening and stop in Birmingham for breakfast Monday morning
 The Age-Herald was the first paper of this section to prinu ths news of the in- temdon of lbe Southern railway to estab- lish aline of barges from Greenville, Miss, ito New Orleans. The enterprise has been ,J basis, md will prove a boon to New Or lears ard the population of the Missis- slppi valley. It is estimated by the New Orleans Picayune that the price of coal will be lowered from 20 10 25 per cans from the price now in vogue.
 The coal will be taken from the mines of Alabama to Greenville, Miss, and floated to New Orleans on bargs. The people of the river country have been almost solely at the mercy of the Pitts burg coal peopls, and this new enterprise will free them from their grasp, besides Furnishing new outlet for Ala abama coal mines. The Pldtsburg people have been able to ship them coal on bargs at much less cost than Alabama coal could be gotten by rail, hence the product of rdhis region has failed to get a firm hold i'm many pans of the south.
 The Southern made an effort to launch this enterprise two years ago, but the equipment was inferior, the other nail- roads cut info the Southern's rates until the business was very unea iisfactory and the matter was dropped Now, however, largs floating dock, pump boat, steam boat and fleet of bargels and everything necessary to carry on the tlafiic has been purchased.