The morning news., 1897-01-01
cENTRAL'S NEW PURCHASE.
HAS BOUGHT THE MIDDLE GEORGIA
AND ATLANTIC.

Assumed Control of the New Line at
II o'clock Last Night-It Extends
From MiiIedgeVille TO COvington,
a Distance of 81 MiIes-IncIudes
the Old Eatonton Branch Formerly
Leased by the Central, which WAS
bought by the VI. &. and A.-Pre-
sumption That the Central -
Looking After Its Interest in the
Georgia Railroad Lease.
The Middle Georgia and Atlantic rail-
road, extending from AIilledgeville to Cow
ington, a distance Of sixty-fve miles, Is
the property of the Central Of Georgia
Railway Company.
The purchase was made Christmas day
the trade being made between President
II. NJ Conner of the Central and President
J. D. Weed OF the Middle Georgia and At
lantic, representing the owners Of that
property.
The Central assumed charge of its new
purchase at midnight last night taking
it in hand promptly at the beginning Of
the new year, and this IS the first inti-
nation that has been given the public
that there was any deal on foot between
the two companies. The officers of the
Middle Georgia and Atlantic, General
Manager J. W. Preston, Auditor R. W
Hunt and General Passenger Agent NJ. r.
Hudson have been in the city for the
last week fixing up the accounts Of their
line and making preparations to turn it
over to the Central at the time stated.
The Middle Georgia and Atlantic was
originally projected from Covington or
some point beyond to Savannah, ii being
built by the Seaboard Company, composed
principally of Savannah capitalists The
only portion of the road, however, that
was built by this company was between
Ealonton and Coyington. 1t afterwards
leased the Eatonton Branch railroad is it
was known. running from Milledgeville to
Eatonton, which was formerly leased by
the Central but which withdrew from its
contract under the order passed by JUS
tice Jackson in 1898. giving it the right
to elect whether it would remain with the
Central and receive rental up to the
amount of its earning capacity, or with
draw. 1t decided to withdraw, and the
company leased it's line to the Middle
Georgia and Atlantic, giving that COM
pany a line sixty-five miles in length be-
tween Milledgeville and Covington, where
It connects with the Georgia railroad.
About a year ago the owners of the Sc
curities of the Middle Georgia and Attain
tic. and the owners of the railroad prac-
tically went TO work and bought up all
the stock of the Eatonton Branch rail
road, so that they became the owners Of
the entire line between Milledgeville and
CoVington.
This is the property that the Central
railroad has purchased. In speaking of
the matter President Conner of the Cen
tral refused to say what the purchase
price was. The property was bought at
private sale and that is a matter that is
entirely the business of the purchaser un-
til it leaks out through some other chan
nels.
1t is not known why the Central made
the purchase, but il is generally believ I'd
it had something to do with the protec-
ton of the CentraPs interest in the lease
of the Georgia railroad all of which is
now claimed by the Louisville and Nash
Vile, whereas the Central formerly had a
half-interest in il. 1t is well-known that
the Middle Georgia and Atlantic, with the
Georgia railroad, formed the shortest
route from Atlanta and points beyond to
points upon its own route and the big
gest part of the business has been car
ried that way. AS it owns the Middle
Georgia and Atlantic now, the Central will
undoubtedly be able to bring the traffic
for points on the new line around by Ma
con. and over the Macon and Northern,
which is a part of that system. It may
be that there is something more than this
in the purchase, which will be developed
in the future.
In the meantime, it Is reasonable TO
suppose under the circumstances that the
Central is looking to the matter of the
protection of its interest in the Georgia
railroad lease, as President Conner said
some time ago that the Central would
leave no stone unturned to see that his
| interest was protected.