Evening star., 1899-03-02
CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP
Florida Central and Peninsular Railway
Bought by seaboard Syndicate.
No Changes to BE Made Imme ediate13 ,
in Management of the Road
Official Statement.

The Florida Central and Peninsular rail-
road lines. over which the Southern
Railway Company runs its Florida trains
south of Columbia, S. c., have passed into
the hands of the parties who recently Sc
cured the Seaboard Air Line.
The official statement detailing the trans
action is as follows: "Messrs John L. VIII
liams & Sons of Ric hmond, and Midden-
dorf, Oliver & Co. of Baltimore, for them
selves and associates, have purchased, from
Nessrs. w. Bayard Cutting and r. Fulton
Cutting of New York, majority of the
capital stock OF the Florida Central and
Pennsular Railroad Company. The Messrs.
Cutting have secured for all other stock
holders of the Florida Central and PENN
suIar Railroad Company the privilege of
selling their minority stock on terms CIV
ing them fun protection 1t is understood
that no changes will be made Immediately
in the management of the company, al
though it is believed that later on plans
will be developed looking to a closer union
among the Florida Central and Peninsuar,
the Seaboard Air Line and the Georgia and
Alabama railway, all three of which are
now owned and controlled by the new pur
chash of the Florida Central ard Peninsu-
lar system"
Competition for Southern business.
1t was pretty well understood by leading
railroad men and bankers when Mr..
John Shelton Williams of Richmond. Va.
who recently became president of the
Georgia and Alabama Railroad Company
and d few weeks since extended his opera
tiOns so as to unite the Seaboard Air Line
by purchase, with the other road, that the
syndicate of which he is the head would
not stop there and it is believed to be ap-
parent now that it is the intention of the
syndicate to make the S. A L. a powerful
competitor for southern business with the
Atlantic Coast Line and the Southern rail-
way.
The acquisition of the F. c. and P. r. r.
makes possible the formation of
railway system in the south which would
own 200 miles of track and would COM
pare very respectfully with either the At
lantic Coast Line or the Southern. The
building of a short link would unite the
Georgia and Alabama and the Seaboard
Air Line, and at the same time give the
latter an entrance into the very heart of
Florida.
The b. and o. Connection.
The Baltimore and Ohio already has a
charter authorizing the construction of a
railroad from the south bank of the Po-
tomac to Quantico and it is believed that
the Tcll-known aggressivencss of Mr..
James ]. Hill, president of the Great
Northern Railroad Company who is one
OF tie directing minds of the new Balti-
more and Ohio Company, will cause the lat
ter to take advantage OF the privileges of
the charter mentioned. 1t is claimed that
many of the political obstructions which, IT
is said. have operated to prevent the carry
ing out of the Baltimore and Ohios long
cherished plln to build n line across the
District of Columbia have been removed
and that in the near future a close rela-
1OnShlp Will spring UP between the Sea-
board Air Line and Baltimore and Ohio
If such shall be the case. the SeabOari Air
Line after the completion of the link be-
tween Washington and Quantico would
have the monopoly of all the southbound
traffic which would go over the Baltimore
and Ohio, and would furnish the latter
with the outlet which the Baltimore mer-
chants have wished for for many years