The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-06-04
SEABOA2D ENTERTAlNS.
OPENING OF NEW LINE BEING
CELEBRATED.
Seaboard Airline Owners and Guests
Are Inspecting Route in
Special Train.
Bv Frank Weldon.

Columbia. s. G.. MAY 30-(SpeciaL)-
The greater Seaboard is opening its new
! Richmond-Tampa line In style which
surpasseS anything ever seen in these
parts Even the historic opening of the
Queen and Crescent years ago IS over
shadowed by tho elaborate and sumptuous
manner with which the Seaboard Air
Line is celebrating the practical compile
ton and consolidation Of its physical
properties.
Prior to the war the greatest event of
this character was the celebration which
marked the opening of continuous rail
line from Savannah to Memphis. That
was the occasion when President Gordon.
of the Central. carried . large party Of
Georgians, including a company of Sa-
vannah fremen To Memphis and pumped
Savannah river water into the Mississip-
pi in that manner verifying the ironi-
cal prediction OF a Georgia legislator who.
opposing the granting Of a charter to
the Central, had declared that when cars
propelled by steam succeeded in climbing
the intervening mountains the water of
the Savannah would flow Into the Mis-
sissippi
This celebration is n promise of vigO-
rous competition between the Seaboard
Airline. Southern ana Atlantic Coast
line for the Florida and West Indies bust
ness. IN buliilnS tilr TWO INNS btANC'tt
Richmond and Ridgeway and Cheraw
and Columbia. the Seaboard has obtained
a lire forty-three miles shorter than the
Coast line between Washington and Jack
sonville and seventy-two miles shorter
than the Southern's present route be-
tween the two points.
The officers and guests of the Seaboard
left Richmond this morning in two lux
urious special trains. made up of Pull
man sleepers. diners and private cars. y
rafting good brass band composed of
Seaboard employees from the Richmond
shops, accompanied us and at every stop
serenaded the people who assembled to
welcome the special party. At one place
the band leader stopped In the middle
of q piece 10 pack a hot box and finish
Ing that picked up his baton and went
on with the music. At Henderson, y.
G.. both the chamber of commerce and
the board OF town commissioners present
ed President Williams and Vice President
ST. John with resolutions congratuiatlng
them on the completion of the Tampa
line. compllmenting them on their ability
as financiers and railway managers, and
thanking them for past courtesies and
aid to the town. At Camden a group of
ladies' appeared and cheered for the Sea
board. The dining car feature which -
supplied by the Pullman company, lays
the WaldOrf-Astoria in the shade.
Among those in the party was John
Shelton Williams. president; J. w. Mid
dendorf, chairman of reorganization com
mittee: l.. st. John, vice president; Y.
T. McBee, general superintendent; ex-
President Hoffman. of the Seaboard;
Judge Watts, general counsel; Postmast-
er Warfied. Baltimore; j. II. Hume
Smith, president Baltimore chamber of
commerce; T. w. Leary. general manager
Southern Express; John ,. Elicit, preSi-
dent State Bank. Richmond, Va; ID. J..
Toney, member Virginia general assem-
bly,: Major Sol Cutchins. W. .. Noting.
George Wayne Anderson, w. II. Allison.
w. e. Cotshaw, =. J. Waring, : w.
Travers, Richmond; George w. Watts,
Durham; August Kohn, Charleston News
and Courier; j. s. Bryan. Richmond
Times; = c. Gilreath, Atlanta journal:
a. X Darby, Baltimore News: :. \. Kill
patrick Philadelphia Press; II. W. Jen-
nings Philadelphia Times; +. ID. Bright.
World; G. &. Latus, Reading, Pa. Eagle;
il. A. Maurice, mayor Manchester, Va.
John Il. Purcell, Richmond; J. b. Tree,
superintendent Western Union Telegraph
T. Harris, Richmond Dispatch; w. J.
CroSswell. superintendent Southern EX-
press Company; T.. Donaldson, superin-
tendent Pullman Company; w. y. Flour
noy, secretary to Vice President St. John:
j. F. Calvert Western Union Editor
Avery, Charlotte Observer; Colonel Fed
dies, Raleigh; Joe BOattOn, Baltimore
American. The party will spend tomor-
row morning at Tampa; banquet tonight
at Jacksonville: lunch Friday at Savan-
nah; Friday night at Columbia; breakfast
at Raleigh; banquet Saturday night at
Richmond.