The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-11-05
KEY TO R R. SITUATION
Shutc Southern out of New Orr
 ans If Report is True.
The Activity of the Louisville c Nashville in the Vicinity of Selma Lends Color to the
 Report of Deal. .

| From present indications it seems as ie
 the Louisville and Nashville is fast secur-
 ing the key to the railroad situation in
 this part of the country.
 It was stated yesterday on pretty re-
 liable authority that the controlling in- terest of the New Orleans and North
 Eastern has passed into the hands of the Louisville and Nashville, and that they will use 1t to get into the Crescent City from Meridian.
 If this is true there will be two-fold object accomplished-the Louisville and Nashville will get forty mile nearer route to New Orleans by Selma, Meridian and the North Eastern than by tho present route from Montgomery and Mobile, and 1t seems that by this move the Southern would be virtually shut ous of New Orleans except by the grace of the Louisville and Nashville, the latter road having the line that the Southern now operates. the Trans-Continental link of the connection between New York and San Francisco. This link is from Mont- gomery to New Orleans and In the event. of war. If the control of the Western from Atlanta to Montgomery rests entire
  Washington branch of the Southern would have to find another outlet in Atlanta.
 All indications point to the fact that the railroad map of this section of the South win be so radically changed within the next year or so that its most intimate friends will not recognize it. Some mouths ago, 1t will be remember ed, the Louisville and Nashville purchased the Birmingham. Selma and New Orr leans, branch leading from Selma down | into Marengo County. When the Louts- vile and Nashville got hold o1 the road from Colonel Abbott it was being built | to Martins Station a little place in Dallas County. fifteen miles below Selma. The Louisville and Nashville has let the l contract for building the road from Thomaston on to the Tombigbeei River.l Thomaston is little station a few miles this side of Linden in Marengo County. forty-three miles from Selma. the twenty- eight from Martins Station to Thomas- ton being already completed.
 The fourteen miles from Thonaston to the Tombigbee River-ffty-seven miles from Selma-are being constructed as rapidly as possible. At the Tombigbee a bridge of the same plan as the one the Louisville and Nashville is putting up over the Alabama River at Selma will be built.
 After crossing the river the road will be extended to Meridian, Miss, eighty miles from Selma. The contract for the twenty-three miles extension from the Tohbigbee to Meridian has not been let as yet, but The Advertisers informant stated positively yesterday that 1t soon would be.
 From Meridian the New Orleans and North Eastern Railroad forms the re- maining link of the Queen and Crescent route of the Southern between Chatta- nooga and New Orleans. The distance from Meridian to New Orleans Is 196 miles and while the Southern has here- tofore been using the North Eastern to get into the Crescent City. yet this Is an independent road.
 samuel Spencer is given as President of the other branches of the Queen and Crescent division of the Southern while the North Eastern has an entirely dit- ferent set of officers.
 c, C. Harvey of New Orleans Is prest- dent and general manager of the North Eastern with John F. Brent secretary and treasurer; Larz A. Jones, auditor; Harry H. Hall, general counsel; Phillip Willard, purchasing agent; T. F. Steele' general freight agant; J. D. Grant. as- sistant general freight agent; George H. Smith, general passenger agent; k. J. Anderson, assistant general passenger agent and F. Y. Anderson of Birming- ham, land commissioner.
 All of the above are from New Orleans except Mir. Anderson, and the general of fees are In New Orleans, Superintendent Curran of the North Eastern, having his office in New Orleans while Superinten- dent Edward Ford of the Alabama and Vicksburg Division, has his office in Vicksburg. The Alabama and vicks- burg is a division of the North Eastern extending from Meridian to Vicksburg on the Shreveport division and is l40 miles in length.
 It Is said that the Pine Apple branch of the Louisville and Nashville will be from Selma up somewhere in the coal fields of Bibb County to a junction with the Birmingham Mineral. If this is done-and there seems to be no doubt of the fact that 1t will eventually be done-it will give the Louisville and Nashville almost the key to the situation.
 From Birmingham most of the immense tonnage of export coal could be sent over the Mineral and new extension to Selma where 1t would go over the Pine Apple branch to Flomaton and thence to Pen sacola or New Orleans. Or on reaching Selma 1t could be routed over the Birm- ingham. Selma and New Orleans division and get into New Orleans by way of Meridian and the North Eastern.
 The Pine Apple division has been con- nected at Gulf Junction, station on the Selma division of the Western, seven miles this side of Selma. and going into Selma over that road. Now the Pine Apple road instead of going on to Gulf Junction stops three miles the other side and seven miles of new road Is being built from there into Selma.
 The new bridge which the Louisville and Nashville is building will be near the old wagon bridge in Selma and the plains were for the Western to use that and abandon the present one. There was hitch of some kind, however, and for the present anyway the Western will continue