The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-03-12
COAST LINE OFFICIALS
MESSRS. DENHAM AND KNIGHT
 IN MONTGOMERY.
Reported That Gravel Pit Will Pc Bought for Plant System Di- vision-Rock Island
 and Frisco.

On the early train of the Atlantic Coast Line yesterday morning was the private car of General Superintendent Denham of the Plant System division. Besides MT. Denham. c. R. Knight, Engineer of Roadway came over from Savannah.
 Most of the morning was spenN by the officials at the company's shops in West Montgomery. Several blue prints were being gone over and while nothing official was given cut yet it is understood that the object of the trip to Montgomery Is for the betterment of the roadbed from here West.
 It seems that the gravel pit of the Mo bile and Ohio road near the Alabama river bridge Is 10 be bought. AS soon as the deal is completed work will begin at once building a compact gravel founda- ton of the roadbed, about five inches of gravel being put down between Mont gomery and Sprague Junction to begin with.
 One of the finest roadbeds in the South Is that of the Western road between here and Atlanta. It Is solid gravel and was put down during the regime of General Manager George c. Smith.
 MT. Denham said last night that he would leave this morning on the 6:2O train of the Coast Line, but will make an inspection of tho Elba branch before returning to Savannah.
 OulOu or TWO systems.
 The recent reports of a union of the Rock Island and Frisco systems arouses interest in just what the two roads com prise, says an exchange
 The Rock Island system has 7.12 miles of line and the Frisco has 5079 miles, a total of l2,20l miles. but this does not in- clude other roads controlled by interests affiliated with those which dominate the Rock Island: for instance. the Pere Mar qIIette Railroad, which has 22O4 miles of line, and, if considered as part of the Rock Island system, would bring the to- tai to A. 405 miles.
 The Rock Island system is composed of the eastern district of the Chicago. Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, 1926 miles; Northern district, 1887 miles. Western district, 2,2I0 miles; Chicago. Rock Is- land and Texas, 150 miles; Chicago, cago. Rock Island and Fl Paso. Ill miles | ':hoctaw. Oklahoma and Gulf. ls03l miles; Choctaw, Oklahoma and Texas 135 miles; Searcy and Des Arc. 2 miles, and the St Louis. Kansas City and Colorado, ua miles.
 The Frisco system is composed of the | St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad | 3.043 miles; the Kansas City, Memphis and Birmingham Railroad. 2S6 miles; Fort | Worth and Rio Grande Railway, IA miles; Red River, Texas and Southern Railway. S9 miles; Birmingham Belt Rail road, Is miles; Chicago and Eastern Hi nois Railroad. 737 miles; St. Louis. Mem | phs and Southeastern Railroad, 25I miles St. Louis and Gulf Railway, 23O miles; St Louis, San Francisco and Texas Rail way miles; Paris and Great Northern Railroad, 15 miles; Blackwell. Enid anc | Southwestern and Blackwell, Enid anC l Texas Railways, 255 miles.
 The Rock Island proposes to build iron Fort Worth and Dallas to Houston anC Galveston, Tex, and 1t is now completing connection between St. Louis and Kan sas City It will also extend from Anna rlllo, Tex, to Tucumcari and Dawson N NJ The Friscos proposed extension are Northeast from St. Louis to mak direct line from that city to Chicago Memphis to New Orleans, Madill, l. T. to Lawton, o. T.. and Brady to Spoffort and San Antonio. Tex.
 By the purchase of the Frisco the Rocl Island will secure what 1t has long de sired. a direct line from Chicago to St Louis, and furthermore, line from St Louis to Memphis, Tenn. and Birming ham. It also gains a network of lines Il Arkansas, Missouri, Indian Territory am Oklahoma, as well as an extension int Texas, and 1t will doubtless build tn
 Friscos proposed line down the Missis sippi from Memphis to New Orleans