The age-herald., 1901-03-21
BELT0 o'l.REATH 0N DEVELOPMENT Coal Master Returns From Visit
 to Kansas City, SAW PRESIDENT MILLER Will Be Great Improvements On Kan sas City Line, and It Will Give
 Fair Share of Business To
 Birmingham.
SAW PRESIDENT MILLER

'In Kansas City I had an interview with President B. L. Winchell of the Kansas City Memphis and Birmingham Railroad. and found him to bo a broad minded and liberal man of conspicuous ability" said Beton Gilreath, president Of the Gilreath Coal and Iron Company. Birmingham. who returned to the city from Kansas City yesterday.
 President Winchell declared his pur- pose to build immediately a large mum Der of new locomotives and coal cars for use on the line between Birmingham and Memphis. He intends to develop his line as a greater coal transportation road ,a nd he will foster by all legitimate means t.e mines along the route Heretofore the management of this line at Kansas City has not favored Birmingham, but has made it's yearly contracts with Memphis coal opera tors for the coal needed In the working of the line, and likewise the management has bought its general sup plies mostly in Memphis. Some business has been given to Birmingham, but noth- ing like this city was entitued to. con- sidering the great importance of Bir- mingham and the enormous freight ton- mage.
 Tn times past I repeatedly called the attention of Mir Washburn former presi- dent of the Kansas City line, to this ob- jectionable condition of affairs, policy which I held to be in effect a discrimina- tion against Birmingham; and I persist pSis cd bat ho tu was doing worse than neglecting Bir- mingham by suffering the roadway and equipment to become too much worn and by not cultivating and fostering the great interests along the line in the Bir- mingham district, thereby running coun- ter to the Louisville and Nashville Rail- road and the Southern Railway in re- spect to the mineral region of Alabama. Repeatedly I called the attention of the Kansas City management to the progress being made by those two great systems in the Birmingham district.
 Former President Washburn of the Kansas City always listened patiently to these representations, which I had the honor to make but he held that the Kan sas City, Memphis and Birmingham Rail road and the Kansas City, Fort Scott and Memphis Railroad were different corpor- ations and that consequently he as presi- dent was not so situated that he could accomplish his desires in the develop ment of the traffic as regarded fair at tention, of Birmingham. He and I, how ever, as I am especially happy to state, became substantial friends, and at the time of his untimey and unhappy death he esteemed me one of his best friends, although was determinedly opposed to his policy in the management of the Kan sas City Memphis and Birmingham Rail- road!
 Now, since the system of roads Is thoroughly consolidated I hope for a broader and more liberal policy and a fair division of the business of the joint lines with Birmingham, something in proportion to Birmingham's great ton nage And I look for a greater outlet for our coal.
 President Winchell has put on new and splendid passenger trains, and after certain needed improvements of the road bed the freight department of the Kan sas City will become a part of larger system and be more useful to the public and more profitable to its owners than ever before. It will certainly add in creased benefits to the coal opertors and therefore to the entire Birmingham dis