The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-09-24
About the southern shops.

A few days ago this department of The
Advertiser contained rumor that the
Southern authorities were contemplating
moving their shops from Selma to some
other point. and told OF the closing up
of certain departments as evidence OF
their intention These rumors have been
started afresh during the past day or SO.
and this time 1t is said that the shops
are to be located at Wilton. the juno
ton of the two roads. just a mile this
side of Montevalio. The Southern au-
thorities give as their reasons for NOV
ing their main shops to Wilton. that It
is nearer the coal fields, and they can
get all of the land there that they want
to increase the size of their plant, which
they can not get in Selma without hav-
ing to pay an enormous price therefor. II
is not proposed to remove the shops from
Selma entirely, but a small force Is to
be kept here in order to do the abso-
lutely necessary repair work. All of the
car building and foundry work. includ-
ing the principal machine shops will be
located at Wilton.
II this is fact 1t will be a heavy blow
to Selma. The Southerns ray roll in
this city is about $4,000 per month, and
the larger portion of that amount goes
TO the men in the shops. If the shops are
removed from East Selma It means a
great loss to that portion of the city.
and unless other industries are located
there to make up the loss. 1t means a
depreciation in real estate and many va
cant houses that are now occupied by in
dustrious. thrifty mechanics.
A great many think that the Southern
is moving the shops from Selma to VIII
ton because that road is not satisfied with
itS treatment at the hands of the City
hn diffaranPaQ for
years between the lawmakers and the
Southern. growing out Of the desire OF
the Southern to run over certain streets
and alleys. and 1t is argued that the
granting to the Western Railroad the
privilege to build up Peacock and Hinton
Alleys. and a refusal of the privilege to
the Southern. was the straw that broke
the camers back, and hence the removal
of the shops from Selma to Wilton.
Business interests are greatly worried
over the proposed removal and 1t is more
than probable that an effort will be
made to see the Southern authorities TO
try to stop the movement. Those In a
position to know say that the matter
has now gone too far and that as the
lands have all been bought and removal
definitely decided upon, II Is too late to
stop the matter. Others contend that this
is just a bluff on the part of the South
ern, to get privileges they are demand
ing, but the opinion of those best In
formed does not agree with this idea. II
is expected that some further develop
ments will be forthcoming shorty.
A Murder Suspected.
Frances Hatcher and Mary Murphy
two negro women, are in the city jail
pending the investigation Of charges
against them that may develop into a
murder companion of these two wo-
men has disappeared, and report Is
current that her throat was cut and
that she was dumped off the bridge into
the Alabama River at the dead hours D;
night. A white man whom the negroes
saw was named John, Is said to be co1-
cerned in the affair.
The rumor that a negro woman living
in West Selma had had her throat cut
has been current TO-. several days. Yes
terday the two negro women. who had
been talking of the AFFAIR, were put I'M
der arrest In the meantime the police
are after the white man, whom the ne
gro women say told them about the muir
der.
Word has been sent down the river
to look out for a body. but II murder
has been done it is more than probabie
that heavy weights were fastened about
the corpse and that it is now at the bot
tom of the river. 1t is proposed by some
to drag the river under the bridge 70
recover the body.