The age-herald., 1898-03-11
BIG OFFICIALS WERE HERE And the Public Is Speculating on
 Their Purpose. COMING IN OF 1. c. OVER K. c Discussed in Connection With Gathering of the Railroad Men-The Commissioners
 Complete Inspection of the
 Southern.
IN OF 1. c. OVER K. c

Railroad circles were all agog yester- day over the presence of so many high official in the city.
 Only two roads seemed to be represent ed, the Louisville and Nashville and the Southern. The following were among those present. Milton H. Smith, of Louisville, president of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad company; F. c. Shepherd, of Montgomery, general freight agent of the Louisville and Nashville; MT. Helm, of Louisville, a stockhoder in the Louisville and Nashville; w. A. Turk. of Washing ton, general passenger agent of the South ern Railway and Alabama Great South ern railroad; c. A Benscoter, assistant general passenger agent of the Southern railway and Alabama Great Southern rail- road; A. Gordon Jones and J. S. B. Thomp- son. division superintendents of the South ern; W. H. Green, of Washington, assist ant general manager of the Southern rail- way; c. H. Hudson, of Washington, chief engineer, Southern railway; w. H. Pecde of Washington, general superintendent of maintenance, Southern railway; D. w. Lum, of Atlanta, superintendent track bridges and buildings, Southern railway; w. H. Thomas, of Washington, superin- tendent motive power, Southern railway.
 Both parties gave 1t out that they were simply a periodical tour of inspection over their roads, so the public has noth- ing to do but believe it. Some sa that the coincidence is a little strange that such very high officials of these two roads should happen in Birmingham on the very day that J. T. Harrihan, the general manager of the Illinois Central was ex- pected to arrive in Birmingham. But the muchly heralded MT Harrihan failed to come, so that if the Southern and the Louisville and Nashville people came to see him their visit was fruitless.
 Any number of other theories were ad- vanced as to the cause of the gathering, though all of them were the purest guess work. If there was any meeting or the officials at all, it must have been some thing in connection with freight rates. Others declared that the meeting had something to do with the purchase of the Kansas City, Memphis and Birmingham road by the Illinois Central, but as neither of these roads had representatives here, this seems improbable
 The Railroad Commission
 The railroad commissioners of this state returned last night from their tour over the Southern railroad. The trip was made in the special oars of Superdntendents J. S. B. Thompson and A. J. Frazer All three members of the commission were present.
 They were accompanied on their trip by Assistant General Superintendent Thompson and District Superdntendenfs A. l. Frazer and J. Gordon Jones who have charge of the road in Alabama
 Trolley to Powderly
 Work was begun yesterday on the ex- tension of the West End or Elyton street car line to Powderly. This will be done by equipping the two miles of the Powderly dummy track betty the terminus Of the street car line at Elyton and Powderly, with electricity. This will give Powherly quicker and much more convenient trans portation into Birmingham
 The work of putting up the trolley wires will not interfere with the dummy trains which will continue running between this city and Bessemer via Powderly. It is said, however that the street car line will event. ually be extended all tine way to Besse- mer.