The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-04
in DARK AS TO DEAL
PLANT SYSTEM OFFICIALS HERE
KNOW NOTHING OF 1T.
A. C. L. MAY HAVE THE PLANT
MANY BELIEVE THAT THE MER-
GER HAS BEEN MADE.

Reports Have 1t That the Atlantic
Coast Line Has Secured a Control
ling interest in the Plant System,
and viii Operate the Lines-Gen-
eraI Superintendent Denham and
other Plant System officials Knew
Nothing of the RepOrt-southern
Railway Is Said to Have Trackage
Rights to Jacksonville Assured in
Perpetuity.
For several months there have been
intimations that the Southern Railway
was seeking the control of the Plant
System, and there have been intima-
tons also that the Atlantic Coast Line
wanted it.
The New York and Baltimore papers
of Wednesday printed reports that the
Coast Line had secured a controlling
interest in the Plant System. The At
lanta Constitution of yesterday stated
that it had positive information to that
effect. The Associated Press was una
BILE, however, to verify the report in
New York, and stated that nothing
was obtainable in Baltimore to show
any such deal.
Officials of the Plant System in Sa-
vannah, the headquarters of the COM
pany, are completely in the dark. None
of them, so far as can be learned, knows
anything about it.
Some CONSERVATION among officials
and employees was caused by the ru-
f~t. ses
feet of the deal would be. A consolida-
ton would doubtless mean a general
change in the heads of departments.
This is common talk among officials
and employees.
General Superintendent Denham was
asked about the report. II do not know
a thing about it," he replied. mo one
has said anything to me to lead me to
believe that there has been such a
deal"
IF such a plan were contemplated,
would you have known about it?" he
was asked.
81 do not know whether I would or
not. 1 might have been told, and 1
might not have been"
At the Office of Mr.. w. L. Clay, general
counsel for the Plant System, nothing
was known about the. sale. Mr.. Clay
quest of President Erwin.
No change in traffic arrangements
because of the deal, if it has been
made, is looked for in Savannah. One
railroad man said that the relations
between the Plant System, when under
the control of the Atlantic Coast Line,
and the Southern would be just as
amicable as they have been heretofore.
In fact, he said, they would be more
e.. l. -
gether pleased with it's treatment by
the Plant System. 1t is said that the
Southern has complained that the
Coast Line has been favored more than
the Southern by the Plant Sys-
tenn in the operation of the through
trains between the North and Florida.
The Plant System has been handling
through trains for both the Coast Line
and the Southern, receiving the former
at Charleston and the latter at Savan-
nah and carrying them through to
Florida. When it became a question
OF favoring one or the other, the
Southern claimed that the Coast Line
always got the better of it from the
Plant System. It is understood that
under the new arrangement, assuming
that deal has been made, the South
ern will get into Florida on terms of
its own making.
branch lines, embraces 2,140 miles. The
Atlantic Coast Line has 1907 miles.
1t extends from Richmond southwark
to Charleston, with many ramifications.
The difference in mileage between the
two roads, it may be seen, is slight,
but the fact that the mileage of the
Coast Line is less than that of the
Plant System does not leave it to be
rightly inferred that the tail may not
have wagged the dog" and. that the
Coast Line has not secured the Plant
System. The railroad historian does
not have to leave Savannah to be sup
piled with an instance-a notable one,
wherein small line has bought a big
one. The Georgia and Alabama Rail
road, that was. bought the Seaboard
Air Line, and the Florida Central and
Peninsular, merging the three into the
Seaboard.
The report gives the Southern a
part. 1t is said that, while that road
is not directly interested in the deal,
it yet gains an advantage through it,
This advantage consists in the right to
perpetual traffic arrangements whereby
it will reach Jacksonville from Har-
deeville and from Jesup. A fee simple
right will be allowed the Southern,
whereas, with the Plant System, it has
now a. time contract.