The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-05-28


Georgia, and throue : - of the richest
agricultural territor : = leen made up,
which is absolutely H.. q led by south
ern capital. .
COMPETITOR Oh SSYLVANIA
But this is only lion of the
scheme. While IL = oard reaches
Baltimore through II connect on
on Chesapeake bay, the Baltimore Steam
Packet Co, it may be said to III ''bot-
tied up SO far as an all rail line 10 the
North is concerned, for it must use the
Atlantic Coast Line, known to be a
strong ally of the Southern, to Rich
mond, and the Richmond, FrcderickS-
burg and Potomac and PENNSYLVANIA
lines, north of the Virginia capital. The
Seaboard has been given the small end
of the deal by the Pennsylvania as to
train service, and the trackage for It's
through trains to New York over the
Pennsylvania and Atlantic Coast Line
has been very heavy. The Richmond,
Petersburg and Carolina railroad. now
being constructed, and party completed
between Richmond and a connection
with the Seaboard Air Line Is in real.
ity the Richmond extension of this sys-
tenn. 1t will probably be completed with
in the next year, as bonds have been
fioated TO insure its construction and
contracts have been let BY the charter
of the State of Virginia any railroad
company has the right to lease the
tracks of the Richmond, Fredericksburg
and Potomac on equal terms with the
Pennsylvania or any other system, and
no line can be kept out. Consequently
the Seaboard has an equal right to use
this road to it's terminus, which is but
40 miles from Washington. Only this
distance remains to be built in connec-
ton with Il bridge across the Potomac
river. to make Il connection with .hc
Baltimore and Ohio, which with its con
nections the Philadelphia and Readlng
and the Jersey Central. is a competing
line to New York with the Pennsylvania.
1t can safely be said that within the
next two years the plan of the southern
syndicate which comprises a system
from Jersey City to- the heart of the
South will be completed, and train SER
vice will be in operation. The single
bridge across the Potomac river, which
the Pennsylvania railroad now controls,
will have parallel structure 1t is un-
necessary to state that the Baltimore
and Ohio would be such a gamer from
the new plan that it would willingly
form a traffic arrangement with the
southern combination now being car
ried out.
THE LEADERS IN THE DEAL.
The main man in the deal has been
Mr.. John Skelton Williams, of Rich
mond. Mr.. Williams may be termed the
Pierpont Morgan of the South for In
addition to bringing about this c0mbin-
alton thus far successfully, he has also
purchased several street railroads III
Richmond, Petersburg and Norfolk, and
has conducted other operations on large
scale Altogether through these plans,
$4,000, 600 have exchanged hands i'll
the requirement of railroad lines or i'll
the floating of bonds for extensions, and
all within three years.
From an expert railroad standpoint
the combination described forms the
most powerful competitor, not only to the
Southern. but the Louisville and Nash
vile and other north and south INES as
well. for it is closely allied with the
Mobile and Ohio SYSTEM connecting with
the latter at Montgomery. BY means of
the st. Louis division of the Mobile and
Ohio a new freight route has been form
ed for shipments direct from st. Louis
to Savannah by the Mobile and Ohio
and the Georgia and Alabama. This
will give Il new export route in compet-
ition with the Illinois Central and the
Louisville and Nashville. The Mobile
and Ohio also reaches the extensive min
eral district of Alabama and the timber
tracts of Mississippi, having one outlet
at Mobile which can be utilized by the
new combination if desired. In return
the connection with the Georgia and Ala
hama gives the Mobile and Ohio another
seaport at Savannah. With the Mo
bile and Ohio, the combination aggre-
gates $3.50 miles of railroad. With the
chain completed to Jersey City, the en-
tire mileage will be 1850 miles.