The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-03
NOT FIGHTING THE CENTRAL.
PEOPLE OF EATONTON NOT PUSH
ING THE SUIT.

M THE SUI
4 Petition Largely Signed by BUSH
ness Men and Farmers Opposed to
Bringing the suit-OnIy Five Men
signed the Petition for the Suit
EatontOn Now Enjoying the Best
Railroad Service 1t Has Ever Had
A strict Interpretation of the Com
stitutiOn would Prevent Any Rail-
road in the state From Acquiring
Another, where Competition Was
Reduced in the slightest.
President II. NJ. Conner Of the Central of
Georgia Railway Company, has not return
ed 10 the city since his interview with
Gov. Gambler this week, when he endeav-
ored 10 show the latter that there was
no foundation for the suit which par
ties in Eatonton have instigated against
the Central on account of the purchase by
the latter Of the Middle Georgia and At
lantic
The petition to bring the suit has been
under consideration by Gov Gambler for
several months, so that his decision in
structing the attorney general to bring the
action in behalf of the state, was not hast
lily arrived at. Gov. Gamblers statement OF
his position in the matter has been given in
the Morning News.
The impression given IN reports which
have been sent out from Atlanta about
the case Is that the entire peop.e of Eaton
ton have brought the suit, and that they
are endeavoring to relieve themselves of
injustices which they are suffering from
the Central Railroad. The impression given
by these reports is entirely incorrect.
A gentleman who is tho. oughly familiar
with the suit in speaking to a Morning
News reporter of the matter, said that only
five of the citizens Of Eatonton united in
the petition to the Governor to bring the
suit. When the announcement was sent out
from Atlanta that the petition had been
presented to the Governor, citizens of Ea-
Lonton, on their own motion, Immediately
began the circulation of a counter petition
opposing the bringing of the suit. This
petition was numerously signed by the
business and professional men of Ea tonton
and the leading farmers of that vicinity
The signers to this petition stated that
they were opposed to the bringing of the
suit for the reason that since its pur-
chase of the Middle Georgia and Atlantic
the Central has given Eatonton the best
railroad service the town has ever had.
The matter was argued before Gov.
Gambler by the attorneys of the Central on
Aprll %. The statement made in the petit
ton that the Central had an interest in
the Middle Georgia and Atlantic and also
in the Milledgeville and Eatonton Rail-
road previous 10 the purchase is stated
by the attorneys of the road to be untrue
The Central had no interest in either prop
erty they state.
THE Milledgeville and Eatonton road
was built in 1880" said Col. A. r. Law
ton yesterday, land was leased to the
Central before its completion, The Central
operated the road, or branch. as it WAS
called, until the collapse in 1893. when
The Central defaulted on the rental. The
stockholders then entered into an arrange
ment with the Middle Georgia and At
lantic Railroad, the owners of which sub
sequently acquired all of the stock of the
former road, and thus became it's owners.
Having purchased the Middle Georgia and
Atlantic, the Central took possession on
Jan. 1, 1897. From 1850 up TO 1893 the Cen
trai had sole control of the railroad facil-
tiles leading from Eatonton to the outside
world From 1893 or 1894 the Middle Geor-
gia and Atlantic was in sole control, and
since Jan. l, 1897, the Central has had sole
control"
Col. Lawton said that If the section OF
] the constitution upon WHICH the case Is
| based should be as strictly interpreted as
| some people seem to desire IL would make
| It impossible for any railroad liz Georgia
| to acquire possession of any other road
| where there was the slightest competition.
i He instanced the Gainesville, Jefferson
and Southern Railroad as a case in point
| This road is now on the market 1t runs
| from Social Circle on the Georgia Rail-
! road to Gainesville on the Southern, in
| tersecting the Seaboard Air Line at Win
der At Social Gree IL is only a few
miles from the Centrars terminus at Cow
ington. Naturally 1t is expected that the
| Gainesville. jefferson and Southern will be
| purchased by one of these four roads and
yet under strict interpreta ton of the con-
stitution neither one of the four could be-
come the purchaser, as competition over
the line would necessarily be reduced to
! some extent by any one road acquiring
| ownership. AS all three of the roads
crossed by the Gainesville jefferson and
Southern run to Atlanta, the people of
| Gainesville, Winder and Social Circle each
have three routes to Atlanta and other
points. 1t is hardly to be expected that
| this strained Interpretation of the consti-
| tuition will prevent one of the four COM
panies interested from acquiring the prop
erty.