The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-12-09
DIRECTORS OF The
G. & A. RAILROAD
Spent Yesterday in the City Looking OTor
the District.
MOST OF DAY AT GATE CITY
President Williams Is Very Much In
pressed With BirminSham'S Prospects.
awe WON'T BUILD OUR ROAD HERE
Some of the Directors Formerly Inter-
ested in Industries at Gate City
They are Not Prosperous as
They Might Be.

The president and several of the directors
of the Georgia and Alabama railroad ar
rived in the city yesterday morning and
spent the day in looking over the Birming-
ham district The members of the party
were President John Shelton Williams, of
Richmond, Va; VIM. F. Cochrane, Of
Yonkers, N. Y; c. Sidney Shepherd, oil New
Haven, Conn.,, and j. w. Middendorf, of
Baltimore The party arrived in special
car yesterday morning from Montgomery.
In the afternoon these gentlemen began
their sightseeing, devoting most of their
time to Gate City and the country sur
rounding that place. The trip was made
in hacks, and after their return the party
took long drive around Birmingham.
Speculation had it yesterday afternoon
that these gentlemen were among those in
terested in the artesian wells on which the
boring is about to commence at Gate City,
and also in me big blast iron furnaces
which, it is said may be built out there.
1t is understood that parties from Rich
mond and Baltimore are interested in this
scheme, and the visit of the Georgia and
Alabama directors seemed TO fill the bill
very nicely
President Williams Talks
But President Williams account of him.
self and his associates did not tally exact
ly with the foregoing speculation.
mo, we are not going to build our road
into birmingham said he while chatting
pleasantly in his car last night. 1--WE al
ready have very pleasant connections with
the railroads running into Birmingham
and are getting about much OF the Bir-
mingham business as we can handle.
Yesterday we held our annual meeting
in Savannah, and this morning after taking
a trip over our road, we found ourselves
only comparatively short distance from
Birmingham, so we decided to visit this
big iron city about which have been
hearing such favorable accounts of late.
One of directors, Mr.. Cochrane, has
never been here before, and others of the
party have not been here for eight or ten
years.
I'VE went to Gate City. because some of
US were once very much interested in Gate
City. l remember when l was last here,
about 1898, | was very much struck with
that part of the district, and l am now
sorry to see that the limestone quarres,
the glass works and other industries out
there, besides the rolling MILL are no long
er in operation. l understand, however,
that there are some parties who have
again taken an interest in the Gate City
district and who are beginning their opera
tons by boring for water.
I'VE climbed all over the mountain
around there, and had a splendid view of
the great mineral wealth of the surround
ing land, as well as an excellent view of
the great Jones valley, which stretched out
before us. Birmingham is a great city, and
I am glad to hear such good reports of it.
This district is certainly being talked of
great deal in the east, and the impression
is that Birmingham is now on sound,
progressive footing, with none of her old
boom qualities as handicap
The party seemed to take great interest
in the local affairs of Birmingham, asking
a number of questions about the rolling
mill, the new steel works at Ensley, the
prospects of certain railroads entering the
district and other similar questions.
The party left last night on the north
bound Louisville and Nashville