The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-08
ATLANTA'S RAILROAD FIGHT.
CONTEST BETWEEN THE COMPAN-
les GROWS ACRIMONIOUS.


johnson 10 BE Brought Back to
Atlanta.
Atlanta. Jan. THE fight between the
Consolidated Street Railway Company and
the Atlanta Railway Company, which was
thrown out Of the Federal Court yester-
day BY Judge Newman, because he had no
jurisdiction. has become only more in
tersidod on account of this temporary set
back to the Consolidated.
I1 is The popularity accepted theory that
the Consolidated people wanted 60 get
their case in the Federal Court, aud thus
have it relieved from local influences, be
cause they realize that public sentiment
is against them on general principles.
Several years the people have been grow
INC more and more antagonistc TO the
Consolidated on account of its refusal to
concede that the public has rights grow
ing out of the street car franchises, as
well as the part the company has been
playing in local politics 10 strengthen its
monopolistie hold upon these franchises.
This hostility has already been sorely felt
at the hands OF jures trying damage
suits. verdicts for claimants being The in
variable rule whenever there Is the slight
est pretext for a suit.
But the Consolidated people are fight
ers. They have never given any indiea-
ton of showing the white feather, al
though recognizing the increasing hostili-
ty of the public toward them. Joel Hurt
the genius of the Consolidated, has never
asked for quarter, though he has been APP
narentIy downed more than once He al
ways finds a way to get back on top, ana
the next fight has been all the harder 1or
mis- temporary fail.
There have been numerous causes Tor
the feua between the Consolidated ana the
people. but probably the most aggraVat-
ms one has been the manner in which the
company has treated the demand Tor
transfers. In this Mr.. Hurt, in effect, re-
peated the famous retort Of Commodore
Vanderbilt when the people of New York
,,,are sore ON his railroad management:
ssr-ha nublic be d" Thus, every time
the consolidated raises its head for any
purpose whatever, there are whole NORGE
Of neople waiting with raised cudgels 10
crack it.
Fight of the Companies.
II was due to this feeling that the Con
solidated people tried to shift the hght
on the Atlanta company, when II Is sdlu
the Consolidated wants to hrst wreck
then scoop in. to the Federal courts Inc
6gbt over the west side franchises is
roere incident of the real contest that has
hoen Going on between the two companies
CO.. months past Developments both at
tbis end and in the East show that the
Atlanta company is making a hght 1or It's
very existence. ..., - ~
The next step will be repelltloh OF the
6aht made this week in the tederal couIt
a. ne state court before Judge john .
GAMBLER. The bill for injunction TO re-
strain the Atlanta company from taking
,,ossassion of the west side franchise
rirbts granted by Council has already
been filed Judge Lumpkin Is dlsquahleu
a. The case because of personal interest
As the Consolidated people resorted 20
legal friction to keep out OF the s'Ste
cc,,rts. it Is argued that the result,
tried there was feared. Hence there Is
disoosition among the people who are
,vatcbing the fight very closely 10 make
frae prediction that the Consolidated Com
panv's fears will be verified, that is that
he decree of the state court will be
against IL. This is anticipating the trlai
of course but when the people OF thls
country get interested in anything they
do not hesitate to DO this as one OF the
special privileges of an American citizen.
w here BGFkliN Ahs
To-day's proceedings in the case before
Commissioner McCord, who was designat-
ed TO take certain testimony, show that
the Consolidated IS back of the Perkins
Injunction suit. by which Perkins, an al
Feged stakeholder of the Atlanta Railway
Company is trying TO prevent that COM
pany from taking up the west side fran
chise His examination showed quite clear
iy that II was Consolidated money that
bought the stock of the Atlanta company
which was used in his name for fling the
bill.
This circumstance shows to what extent
the struggle is being carried. No such BIT
ter and determined fight between rival
corporations has ever before been waged
in this city, or perhaps in the state. The
pfeadings have been acrimonious to such
q degree that it is wonder the lawyers
do not cease to speak to each other. At
one stage last week the Consolidated show
ed a small sign of weakening, when Mr..
Hurt intimated in his pleadings before the
federal court that transfers may some
day be granted. This might have been said
to influence the court only, for when public
attention was directed to what the Con-
solidated magnate had intimated, ne i'm
mediately began to qualify his already
vague intima lion.
Fight About Transfers.
The subject OF transfers has come TO be
like the matador's red mantilla in the bun
ring. Every time it is brought up Atlanta
people get mad. Thus the whole fight be
tween the Consolidated and the Atlanta
company may be said to be about trans
fers. The latter agreed to give them an
over its system when Council granted the
west side franchises.
The acceptance of these franchises will
make the Atlanta company pretty near as
big as the Consolidated, and with trans
ters on one system covering half the town
the other half covered by the Consolidated
would rise up in open revolt rather than
submit 10 such discrimination The Con-
solldated would then be at last forced 70
yield and il is to avoid this thai the nrss-
ent death grapple is going on between the
corporations. pan for reorganiza ton
has been arranged for The Atlanta COM
pany, ON basis of getting the West Side
franchises If there is failure in this Ia
is said these plans will be defeated. In
this event it would then be ia order for
the Consolidated TO make a feast upon
the remains of lis vanquished rival.
Warrants out for johnson.
Two warrants have been issued bara for