The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-19

ern railroad systems, and the branch lines
which they control, compose the greatest
railroad mileage in the state Of Alabama.
These systems are noted for their splendid
schedules in the passenger service and for
the remarkable rapidity with which they
handle freight. AS will be seen from the
accompanying map, the lines Of the South
ern railway system extend in every direc-
ton from Birmingham, and compose the
shortest and quickest lines to almost every
point in the country.
The Southern railroad has In recent years
grown to be one of the greatest railroad
systems in the world. 1t is progressive and
sup-to-date in everything. 1t has done much
to develop the mineral district of Alabama,
and 1t will do much more
=. The Southern Railroad company was or
ganized in July. 1894, and with all the lines
that 1t owns, operates and manages, con-
sists of 55s1 miles. Into this magnificent
system have been merged the Richmond
and Danville railroad system, and con-
trolled lines; the East Tennessee Virginia.
and Georgia railway. the Georgia Pacific
railway, the Memphis and Charleston rail-
road and other smaller lines.
All of the separate lines that have been
merged into the Southern railway were In
the hands of receivers, and their property
was in diapidated condition prior to the
reorganization, but, since the Southern rail-
way has taken charge of these properties,
and merged them into one magnificent sys-
tenn, under a progressive and energetic
management, they have been wonderfully
improved. The roadways have been i'm
proved by remodeling the grades, curves,
ETC., and by the relaying of a large portion
of the track in new so and S5-pound steel
rail. Thousands and thousands of new ties
have been put under the rails, and many
hundreds of miles of track have been re-
ballasted; that the Southern railway
lines at the present time is strictly modern
in its track construction. The Improvement
is being continued every day, and no ex-
peDAS or care is being spared to bring the
= road in every way up to the highest stand
ard of excellency. Since the Southern rail-
way has acquired the many smaller lines.
it has improved the rolling stock and equip
ment in every possible way. New and pow
erful engines have been purchased; and
some of the most powerful and modern To-
comotives that have ever been built are
now running Southern railway lines.
hauling their fast limited passenger, mall
and express trains. Hundreds of coaches of
the most modern type have also been pur-
chased and recently they have turned their
attention TO improving the standard OF the
Pullman sleeping cars running over their
lines; and have required the Pullman people
to build and remodel many new cars for
service on their lines. The improvement in
freight equipment has also been carried on
extensively the Improvement in pas
senger equipment.
The Southern railway proper is managed
in thirteen operating divisions, as follows:
Washington division, headquarters Char
1ottesville, Va; Norfolk division, headquar-
tiers Greensboro, N. c.. Charlotte division,
headquarters Charlotte N. c.; Atlanta di-
vision, headquarters Atlanta, Ga; Rich
mond division. headquarters Richmond,
Va: Asheville DIVISION headquarters Ashe-
vile, N. c.; Columbia division, headquar-
ters Columbia, S. c.; Knoxville division,
headquarters Knoxville, Tenn; Macon d.
vision, headquarters Macon, Ca Birming-
ham division, headquarters Birmingham,
Ala; Admission division, headquarters Sell
ma, Ala; Louisville division, headquarters
Louisville, KY; Memphis division, head
quarters Memphis, Tenn.
The Alabama Great Southern railway Is
also controlled by the Southern railway but
is operated separately, with headquarters
at Birmingham. Ala.
The division Is divided into seven traffic
divisions. Birmingham and the country tri-
butary thereto is in the sixth traffic d.
vision.
The Southern's Headquarters
The general headquarters of the Southern
railway system are In Washington, d. c.,
with the presidents office in New York
city The general officers are as follows:
Samuel Spencer, president; A. B. Andrews,
first vice-president; w. w. Finley, second
yice-president; F. s. Cannon, third vice
president and general manager; A. Ii.
Plant, auditor; H. c. Ansley. treasurer; ).
NJ. Culp, traffic manager; w. A. Turk, gen.
eral passenger agent; 7. c. Powell, general
freight agent. The general freight agent
has three assistants, as follows; j. II.
Drake, with headquarters at Richmond. H.
L, Mcclellan, with headquarters at Mem
II al with
at washington, D. c.; also general western
freight agent Edwin Fitzgerald, with head
quarters at Louisville with several division
freight agents located at principal points.
The general passenger agent has three as
sistants: S. H Hardwick, Atlanta, Ca; G.
A. Benscoter, Chattanooga, and VIM. ii.
Tayloe, Louisville.
T.. Green. division freight agent of the
sixth traffic division has charge of all the
territory tributary to Birmingham, with II.
L, Simpson, soliciting agent, located at Biz
mingham reporting to him; and soliciting
agents at other points In the Alabama ana
Mississippi territory.
G. A. Benscoter, with headquarters at
CHATTANOOGA. Tenn, has charge of all the
messenger business on all the lines west or
Bristol Tenn. and Atlanta. Ga. including
all the lines In Tennessee, North Georgia
Alabama and Mississippi. He Is assisted
at Birmingham by c. e. Jackson. travelling
passenger agent, with other travelling and
soliciting agents located at various points.
A j. Frazer. superintendent of the Biz
mingham division, has headquarters In this
city: and his trainmaster, Chas s. Hayden,
IS also located here.
Superintendent c. L. Ewing, with office at
Selma Ala. has charge of the Admission
division. one branch of which reaches Bir-
mingham from Selma through Montevallo
and Woodstock -
Passenger Service
Tho Southern railway radiates from Biz
mingham in almost every direction, and
operates twelve passenger trains into and
out of Birmingham daily: and operates
double daily schedules between Brming-
ham and the east, with through sleeping
cars from Birmingham to New York, The
time between Birmingham and eastern
points is as follows: Washington % hours