The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-28
BELIEVE THE REPORT TRUE.
RAILROAD MEN THINK THE f. c. a
Z. HAS BEEN BOUGHT.


dOsta and Western-Beavy Rails
Are Being Laid on the Lines and
the Southern. Is Believed TO BE
Doing 1.-THE baltimore and Ohio
Is Mentioned as the Northern Con-
nection-Link From the Seaboard
to Columbia to BE From Cheraw,
:. G.
The report of the purchase of the Florida
| Central and Peninsular by the controlling
interests in the Georgia and Alabama and
che Seaboard Air Line finds pretty general
credence among railroad men. Some be-
lieve the report and are ready to bank
on its certainty. Others receive it with
less belief and are awaiting Developments
that may show its truth or falsity.
One railroad man said yesterday: Il be-
iieve the Southern Railway people know
the purchase has been or will be made.
They know they will have to give up their
present connection a t -O4umbia for reach
ing Jacksonville, and they are already
making other arrangements. They win
divert their business and take their trains
via Atlanta and Macon. At Macon they
will turn them over to the Georgia South
ern and Florida, which road viii take
them as far as Valdosta, where they will
be turned over to the Atlantic. YaIdosta
and Western, the new road that has just
been built.
1.-THE Southern owns the Georgia South
ern and Florida, and believe 1t owns the
Atlantic, Valdosta and Western. Steel
rails weighing ninety pounds are being
| put down on the Georgia Southern aud
Florida and have been laid on the Attain
| tic, Valdosta and Western / think this
is pretty sure indication that the South
ern has a finger in the business and is
looking out for this route to Jacksonville
| When the Seaboard Air Line Is ready to
make it's connection at Columbia with the
| Florida Central and Peninsular the Soutn-
ern will have 90 adopt some other route"
Another railroad man does not believe
| the Pennsylvania can be expected by the
Seaboard to shift its favors from either
| the Atlantic Coast Line or the Southern
to the new Southern system talked or
The interests represented in the Southern
| and the Coast Line are too powerful ana
| the Pennsylvania could not be induced 10
| make change This gentleman thinks
| the Baltimore and Ohio is the system with
which the combination of Southern and
Northern connections is to be worked, de-
! spite the declara ton attributed TO the re-
| ceiver of the property that no such plan
is considered. 1t is declared here that the
Baltimore and OHIO has been looking for a
Southern connection for years, and it is
believed it would welcome an opportunity
to secure one gladly
1t is said there can be no question about
the Georgia and Alabama and Seaboard
! interests having had the matter of the
! purchase of the Florida Central and Pc
| ninSnl9R fflsY-a ff,,r, Co..
time. A gentleman just back from New
York and who spent some time on Wall
street While there said yesterday that il
ID currently reported and believed on the
street that the deal has already been
made. There has been a strong advance
in the stock of the Southbound Railroad
and of the Georgia and Alabama The
common stock of the Georgia and Ala
bama is reported to have made tremen-
dous jump. Saturday ii was at 50. but
a report received by the treasurer of the
road from New York indicated that il
had gone to 6S. A few days ago a small
holding of $4,000 was sold by a Savannah
owner at So For the past eighteen months
| the stock has been on the rise, having
gone up from to its present quotation.
Since the Seaboard deal the advance has
| been rapid, and the more recent advance
is attributed 10 the report of Mr. John
Shelton Williams and his syndicate hav-
ing secured control of the Florida Central
and Peninsular
Cheraw, s. c., is the point on the Sea-
board Air Line from which il is said con-
nection is to be made by building to Co
! lumbia. Chester is about the nearest
/ point, but road was partially graded
some years ago from Cheraw and it is
said that would be the logical point from
which to build. 1t would cut off consider
able of the distance as it is now traversed.
|
parallel the Southern from that place TO
/ Columbia.
If the report of the, acquisition of the
Florida Central and Peninsular is true
a great system OF valuable lines is ia he
formed. The mileage of the Florida Cen
Il al and Peninsular is greater than that
of either the Seaboard Air Line or the
Georgia and Alabama, and the addition of
all gives 2,34l miles. The Seaboards mile
age is $40, the Georgia and Alabama's Is
459 and the Florida Central and PeninsD.
| lars 942. The line from Cheraw to co.
lUmbia would be about eighty miles ana
that from RidgeUay, N. c., to Richmond
would be about 100 miles.
Mr. Fl. D. Ellis. travelling freight and
passenger agent for the atlanta and West
Point and the Western of Alabama, was
in the city yesterday from Atlanta. his
headquarters.
There will be lively competition for bus
mess among the railroads at Macon to-
day, when the Seventh Immunes are mus
tered out of the service. The regiment
was raised in the district around 81
Louis, Memphis and Little Rock. The
lines that can handle the business have a
number of representatives on the field
10 induce all the soldiers possible to travel
by their route.
A battalion of the Second Missouri Regi-
ment was mustered out yesterday at Al
bany. Tomorrow there will be another
battalion mustered out, and the third viii
be discharged on March 3.
Mr. John M Egan, vice president, and
Mr.. E. II. Hinton, traffic manager, of the
Central Railroad, have gone to Washing
ton TO attend a meeting of the advisory
| committee of the lines In the Southeaet