Evening star., 1902-04-05
ABSORBS PLANT LINES
THE ATLANTIC COAST LINE
TAKES CONTROL.
Rights to Be Accorded to the Southern
Between Savannah and
Jacksonville

The New York Tribune of today says:
Following a conference yesterday in this
city Of representatives Of the two companies
named. w. q. Elliott. president Of the At
lantic Coast Line Railroad Company, and
r. @. Erwin. president Of the Savannah.
Florida and Western Railway Company
authorized last night the following state
ment:
Negotiations have been completed under
which 1t is arranged that the Savannah.
Florida and Western Railway Company
will. on or before July /, 1902. be consol-
dated with and become the property of the
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company.
The negotiations also contemplate that the
other railway properties Of the Plant sys-
tenn will pass under the control Of the At
lantic Coast Line at the same time.
1t has also been agreed that when the
consolidation takes place the Southern
Railway Company will have trackage right
thereafter for all Of its trans. both passen-
ger and freight, over the line between Sa-
vannah and Jacksonville, thus making
Jacksonville the southern terminus of the
Southern Railway Company for its Florida
service to and from the east and west.
The railroads controlled by the Plant sys-
TEN extend from Charleston s. c. to Tam
pa, Fla. and to Montgomery, Ala. with
total mileage of 2. l;9- The system includes
the Florida Southern. st. Johns and Lake
Savannah. Florida and Western roads. The
capital stock Of the companies aggregates
S23,+ +3,9oo, and all is owned by the Plant
Investment Company. The total OF the
bonds is S34. Ia, $50 The Plant Investment
Company also controls the Plant Steamship
Company and the Canada, Atlantic and
Plant Steamship Company. The water lines
aggregate 1,449 miles in length. The Plant
system also includes three steamboat lines.
126 miles in total length, operating in the
waters near Tampa.
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Com
pany, which has outstanding 81, $50 100
common stock and SIS, $1,000 preferred-a
majority of its stock being owned by the
Atlantic Coast Line Company-operates a
system extending from Richmond and Nor
folk. Va, to Wilmington, y. c., Charleston,
S. c., and Augusta, Ga, its total mileage,
including many branches. being / .S01. BY
its acquisition of the lines of the Plant sys-
TEN, and it's announced arrangement with
the Southern Railway Company, the pres
ent terminus of which is at Brunswick. Ca.
the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company
apparently becomes formidable rival to
the Seaboard Air Line Both roads reach
Washington from Richmond by way of the
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac,
which Is controlled by the Richmond
Washington Company, a corporation the
stock of which Is owned one-sxth each by
the Atlantic Coast Line, the Seaboard Air
Line. the Southern Railway Company, the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, the Bal
timore and Ohio and the Chesapeake and
Ohio.
Like the Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast
Line reaches Wilmington and Charleston
from Richmond. The gap between Charles
ION and Savannah Is now bridged by its
acquisition of the Savannah, Florida and
Western. which road. with its allied lines
of the Plant system. extends west from
Savannah to Montgomery, Ala, does
the Seaboard Air Line and south from Sa-
vannah to Jacksonville and Tampa. again
virtually paralleling the Seaboard Air Line.