The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-15
both RAILROADS WANT 1T.
Central LikeIy to Apply for Bay
street Franchise.

1t is more than probable that by the
time the City Council gets ready to give
its consideration to the question Of allow
ing a railroad track on Bay street, that
there will be two candidates for this priv
ilege instead of one. 1t is understood on
good authority that the Central of Georgia
had a proposition Of this kind under con-
sideration when the Georgia and Alabama
stole a march on them, and got In its
petition to Council first.
The matter had been brought to the at
tention of Vice President Egan of the
Central by business men who felt the ne
cessity of having such facilities provided
on Bay street. It was also incidentally
brought to the attention of an officer of
one Of the Georgia and Alabama com
panies. Neither company seemed disposed
to regard the idea favorably at first but
Vice President Egan had taken the mat
ter under consideration.
The presence of President John Shelton
Williams, OF the Georgia and Alabama, in
the city a few days ago, accounts for the
prompt action by that company When
Mr.. Williams was Informed Of the move
ment among the merchants for securing
railroad track on Bay street, he promptly
instructed the attorneys for the company
to take advantage of the situation at once
by peuuoning Council for permission to
provide the desired facilities. The an
nouncement Of the Georgia and Alabamas
petition was somewhat of a surprise to
some Of those interested as they had ex-
pected the petition would come from the
Central.
Vice President Egan, who had just re-
turned from Atlanta, said that he had been
too busy with other matters to give the
question his attention. He admitted that
he had heard something of a desire on
the part of the merchants to secure a rail-
road track on Bay street, but was not
prepared 20 say what the Central proposed
to do in the matter. While Mr.. Egan did
not care to discuss the matter, il was evl-
dent that he considered the subject worth
looking into, and IL can be taken for grant
ed that the Central will be heard from
before the city takes definite action in
the matter.
The prospective railroad track on Bay
street is the most interesting topic of dis
cussion with the business men west of the
Exchange. and they can be seen in knots
of twos and threes along the street dis
cussing the subject, and pointing out just
where they think the tracks should be
4OIdtths 81 as 10 dliOIu lIt pest IdCllltlGS
for handling business, and at the same
time interfering as little as possible with
other traffic The sentiment among the
business men and property owners west of
the Exchange is so unanimously in favor
of having the track that it can be con-
sidered as practically assured that Coun-
Gil will grant the permission under proper
conditions and restrictions. Whether the
grant will be made to the Central or the
Georgia and Alabama or to both remains
to be seen. AS a rule, the business man
would prefer that access TO the tracks
should be free TO both COM
panies as the benefits to the mer-
chants would be thereby increased. Some
have expressed themselves to the effect
that If ii is a question of one road or the
other that they would prefer the Central
because of the advantage possessed by the
latter company in it's fine of steamships,
by which large amounts of freight in bulk
are brought to the board. The easy recep-
ton of large shipments is considered by
some of the merchants as of more i'm
portance than the shipping out again be-
cause OF the fact that the latter work is
chiefly done in broken shipments, necessi-
tating more or less drayage anyway. The
Council is not likely to act in the matter
until II has given hearing to all parties
interested, including the railroad men, the
merchants and the property owners