The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-10
GREAT SOUTHERN
RAIL WAY SYSTEM
Its New North and South Line
Opened UP.
TRAINS START TONlGHl
CELEBRATION OF THE EVENT AT
SAVANNAH.
SOME THINGS 1T MEANS TO THE SOUTH
fgain the South is Regainrg its Industrial and
Commercial Supremacy, and Capitalists
Are Finding it Out and Investing
in Southern Railroads.

IN OutfieTn naiif0a0Ss
That was an important event which
the Southern Railway celebrated at Sa.
yannah Friday afternoon-the opening
of its new through North-and South line
The occasion marked not only the com
pletion of great undertaking, but ii
commemorated as well half century
progress of raiIroading in the South
And right handsomely was it done, too.
In fact it could not have been more
royalty celebrated. TO begin with invi-
tations were sent out to representative
newspaper men along the line to be-
come guests of the road and participate
in the festivities. Then to accommo-
date the officers of the road and their
guests superb special train was made
UP in New York. 1t was composed en-
4irely of the private cars of officials,
and was the finest train ever run into
the South. At Savannah banquet was
served at the De Soto Hotel, to which
the business men and prominent citizens
of the place We're invited. Third Vice
President Cannon presided at the ban
quet and toasts were responded to by
the officials and their invited guests.
The Southern's vice presidents. traffic
managers and passenger agents said in
their speeches that in reaching out TO
take in the best aud largest cities in the
South, the Southern had found that it
could not neglect a great port like Sa-
vannah, and that they hoped their COM
Ing might be mutually beneficial
The people Of Savannah responded by
saying that they considered the occa-
sion a significant one: that they appre-
ciated the interest which the Southern
had taken in Savannah, and that they
welcomed /, this greatest railway system
of the South with pleasure and with
assurances of cordial cooperation.
The speeches were all different and
yet so alike. And as one contemplated
the occasion and listened TO them he
could but feel that there is an ideal
strain that never dies ont in the world,
a note of hope, and of courage and
power that is like music heard in the
upper air. There was in it all such a
blending of realization and promise as
appealed nightly to the imagination
The officials present Were as follows:
Col A. b. Andrews, first vice presi-
dent, Raleigh, n. G.
Il. S. Cannon. third vice president and
general manager, Washington, d. G.
Reuben Foster, president and general
manager Chesapeake Line Steamers,
Baltimore Md.
j. NJ. Cup, traffic manager, Washing
ton. ID. G.
W. A. Turk, general passenger agent,
Washington, d. c.
j. III. Barrett, general superintendent,
Washington, d. c.
w. II. Peddle, general superintendent
of maintenance. Washington, d. G.
w II. Wells, civil engineer, Washing
ton. ID. G.
George B. Allen. division passengel
agent, Charleston, s. c.
In addition to these there We're at tie
banquet some half il hundred Savannah
people and half as many newspaper men
representing leading papers from New
York to Atlanta.
After the banquet, which lasted from
9 to 5 O'Clock, the visitors were taken
In carriages and driven over Savannah
which. by the way, is the most beauti-
full city in the South The special train
left Savannah on its return at $50
o'clock, and after stopping for two hours
ait Columbia reached Greensboro at ]
Il. III.
TO relate in detail what we saw and
did during these two nights and day
would require another article. ] woult
have to tell how, but for the ringine
cry of the wheels gliding oyer the stee
rails, we could hardly have told W.
were moving, so smooth was the track
how great clusters of lights flashed by
every few miles announcing the fact thai
there was a cotton mill turning out 1T
fabrics night and day. Then next day
we saw pine forests, and thriving towns
green willows. then jasmine and finally
palms and magnolias. Also it would bt