The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-19
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RUMoR OF COMPETING LINES
NORTH DENIED.
PRES. WILLIAMS STATEMENT.
ALREADY OWNS SUBSTANTIAL IN
TEREsT IN OLD DOMINION LINE.

seaboard's Position In the Southern
AmnIganntiOn Scheme Closely
Wntched-Was outgeneraIed by
southern Railway in Its Fight for
Plant System and Is Now Figuring
In southern and l.. & n. Talk.
Savannahians have been interested
in the rumor that the Seaboard Air
Line is to establish a steamship line
from Savannah to Norfolk and New
York, in competition with the Old
Dominion Line and the Savannah Line.
The rumor has not received much
credence among those who know the
Seaboard's position. The Seaboard al
ready owns a substantial interest in
the Old Dominion Line. The rumor,
like some others of its kind, is given
a quietus by the denial of President
Williams. who says. in an interview
in the Boston Herald. that his road is
not contemplating an independent
steamship line in competition with the
Old Dominion and the Savannah
steamship lines to run between New
York, Savannah and Norfolk. He add
ed that the management of the COM
pany had not even thought of start
ing any steamship line.
There is considerable interest felt in
financial circles in regard to the po-
sition of the Seaboard Air Line in the
expected amalgamation of Southern
roads. The management Of this road
has IN the past been entirely independ-
ent of all alliances and has shown the
greatest energy in the building up and
strengthening of the property.
The formation of the present Sea-
board Air Line system was carried
through by John SHELTON Williams
and his associates amid the greatest
opposition from some of the most pow
erful banking interests in the coun-
try. Thomas F. Ryan, who was gen
orally understood TO be representing
the Southern, brought more than so
suits, attempting to prevent the con-
solicitation of the different properties
forming the Seaboard Air Line sys-
tenn.
Management independent.
The present management won most
of these suits and since then has
shown the greatest independence in the
management of the property. Some
what more than two years ago a char
ter was obtained from the Virginia
Legislature permitting the Seaboard
Air Line to build from Richmond to
Washington. The company agreed not
TO build this extension If a one-siXtn
interest in the Richmond Washington
Company, controlling the line between
these two cities, was given to it. This
was agreed to by the other roads.
The next step taken by the Seaboard
was to open negotia lions for the pur-
chase of the Plant System or roads and
steamship lines. If this purchase
could have been contaminated the
Southern would have been shut out of
Florida. The Seaboard was outgen-
eraled in these negotiations and the
Plant properties were absorbed by the
Atlantic Coast Line.
The company has recently acquired
an entrance into Birmingham, Ala,
where a close connection is made With
the st. Louis and San Francisco.
seaboard and the Merger.
The reports have been persistent of
late that the relations between these
two properties in the future will be
much closer than they have been in
the past. These two properties COM
bined would form quite a powerful sys-
tenn. Interests identified with the Sea-
board are emphatic in their state
ments that the property will contin-
ue to remain independent, and that 1t
is not for sale at any price. Notwith-
standing these denials The belief is
firmly held in Wall street that COM
prehensive Encouragement of the
Southern railroads is being worked.
and that the Seaboard, Louisville and
Nashville ar ! the Southern will be in