The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-20
DEAL IS CONFIRMED
L. 6 N. PURCHASE OF NORTH
 WESTERN SEEMS CERTAIN.
Demopolis Special of Yesterday Says the L. & N. Has Secured Line
 Into Meridian, Giving It Double Tracks.

A special from Demopolis in yester- days Advertiser stated that the Louis- vile and Nashville had made deal whereby they secured the Selma and Meridian branch of the Southern, at the same time stopping work on the Bir- mingham, Selma and >New Orleans divi- sion. Continuing the telegram stated that the Louisville and Nashville would get from Meridian into New Or western.
 Some weeks ago The Advertiser con- l tained a story to the effect that the Louisville and Nashville would extend the Birmingham, Selma and New Or leans from Thomaston to the Tombigbee River. cross the Tombigbee and further extend to Meridian where a connection 1 would be made with the New Orleans and Northeastern, the Louisville and Nashville getting into New Orleans that way. This story created great sensa- ton at the time and was widely copied. New York and other. papers giving 1t special prominence.
 In certain quarters the story was doubted but the doubters were men who
  officially the story has never been de- | nied. Now whether there Is anything in the story from Demopolis is not known the general offices of neither the Louis l vile and Nashville nor Southern are in Montgomery and of course 1t is fmpos- sible to get anything reliable. The fact of the Louisville and Nashville stopping work on the Birmingham. Selma and New Orleans is in itself enough to give a tinge of truth to the story.
 If the Louisville and Nashville gets hold of the Meridian branch of the Southern they will have no use for the Birmingham, Selma and New Orleans, for the Sogthern's branch would put them straight from Selma into Meridian. Once reaching Meridian there is the Northeastern to carry them straight to New Orleans.
 This is exactly in line with the story The Advertiser published a month ago. It would give the Louisville and Nash ville virtually a double track-the pres- i ent route by Montgomery and the one from Birmingham to Selma and Meridian and into New Orleans over the North | eastern.
 In a very few weeks from now sev- eral things of great interest will be known. The 1st of January will proba- | bly tell a story that the railroad world will be vitally interested in.
 A New Steamer
 A Savannah dispatch says: The City of Memphis. the steamship that is being built for the Ocean Steamship Company of Savannah by the Delaware River Iron Shipbuilding and Engine Company, will be launched some time in January. The exact date, President John M. Egan says, has not been determined upon. This will depend upon circumstances and the progress of the work on the ship. Miss May Egan, daughter of President Egan, will act as sponsor of the steamship, christening her the "City of Memphis" as she is launched. This will be in the l presence of no great crowd, as 1t is not the plan to make the event the occasion | for the assemblage of the friends of the company that will gather later. when the ship arrives at Savannah to be in- stalled upon the Savannah-New York l Line. Only a few officials of the com pany will attend the launching. Presi- dent Egan Is making the arrangements for the ceremony of launching the ship. It was thought possible at one time that the avent would be signalized by the prominence the company would give it, and there was talk of inviting large deelgation of Memphis people and others. l This has been given over for a plan for the celebration of the arrival of the ship at Savannah. when prominent Memphis people will be invited by the company. The contract time for the completion of the vessel is April 1. 1902. But President Egan does not think that she will be finished by that time. Not before May or June, he said, will she be completed.
 The Mobile and Ohio is having 1,5OO freight cars built by the American Car and Foundry Company at St. Charles, Mo
 There will be 75O box cars, 800 coal cars-S0. .0O0-ton capacity-100 furniture cars and 15O ventilated fruit cars. DrasIdaot Xyfotxarsba,, of ftn Uyosto.u reached the city yesterday morning and spent the day making e round of the property of his road here. This Is his first trip to Montgomery since the Col lege Park accident and his Montgomery friends are glad to see that he sustained no permanent injuries. MT. Wickersham left last night for Selma. "The Alaba- ma,' his private car, Is as bright as a new dollar. Master Mechanic Walsh hay | ing turned it out of the local shops We'd nesday.
 Holiday tickets will be put on sale In the mornng-Saturday-in of Mon- | day. Numerous requests have been made and several sales prevented because the purchaser could not get his ticket on Saturday. This Is all remeded now, how ever, for the Southeastern Passenger As sociation has extended the time for the sale of tickets at holiday rates, so that tickets can now be bought on the 2lst and 22nd we'll as the 23rd and days succeeding. This action was taken on ac- count of the large number of people
 wishing to leave different places on Sat urday in order to get the benefit of the full Christmas week. The roads, after l considering the matter, granted the eX- tension, which will allow a large num- ber of people to have Christmas vacation two days longer than they could other wise have had.
 l aI