The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-07
JOHN SHELTON WILLIAMS.


The confident. determined stand that
! John Shelton Williams has taken in
tie face of the temporary trouble that
has befallen his firm is but character
iBtic of the man. Relying as implicitly
in MIR. Williams as he does himself in
his ability TO tide over the embarrass-
ment, his friends and the many peo-
| pie in the South who know him per-
| sonally or by reputation feel gratifica-
ton in the knowledge that the Seaboard
Air Line is in such competent hands.
They recognize that the sta bility of the
Sea board has never been threatened,
and they feel sure of the fact that Mr.
Williams and Mr. -Middendorf of Bal
timore are fully able to take care of
their firms.
Mr. Williams has done too much for
the wide section of the South that the
Seaboard Air Line traverses for that
section not to place every confidence
in him. His assurances of facts have
always been followed with the demon
strations that time brings. That val
ues of Seaboard securities will rise and
that those holding them will realize
upon their investments are beliefs he
confidently processes, and the entire
course of his! and the allied firm of
Middenderf & Co. has proven that he
is willing to abide by his Judgment.
Such confidence as he has shown can
not fail in time to beget confidence,
and then a decided Improvement in
securities viii follow.
Less than ten years ago Mr.. Williams
became identified with this section of
the South through his reorganization
of the Georgia and Alabama Railroad.
That comparatively short line was put
upon basis that indicated the master
hand that shaped its destinies, and it
became property of which Mr.. Will
liams was justly proud. He was not
fashioned in a mould that permitted
him to be content with modest enter
prises in this age of tremendous rail-
way projects, however, and when the
opportunity offered for the amalga-
Ination of the Georgia and Alabama.
the Seaboard Air Line and the Flor
ida Central and Peninsular Railroad,
he was not slow in taking advantage of
it. Many will recall the sensation Gre
ated when it was announced that the
Georgia and Alabama had acquired the
Seaboard. Some were ready to de-
clare that there had been an error, and
that it was the Seaboard that had ac-
quired the Georgia and Alabama. The
true condition seemed to them TO pre-
sent too many aspects of the tale
wagging the dog"
The name of Mr.. Williams, coupled
with that of Mr.. w. w. MackalI of
this city, has been Synonymous with
progress in Savannah. Chief in the
great enterprises peculiar to the city
that have been launched largely
through Mr.. Williams instrumentality
is the great system of terminals on
Hutehinson's Island, where such a vast
volume of freight is handled annually.
To him, too. as the head of the Sea-
board Air Line, which was the NOV
ant force. through Mr.. Mackall, in the
plan for the construction of a union
passenger station in Savannah. may
largely be ascribed the handsome, and
connexions station on West Broad
street.
The Seaboard Air Line is too closely
identified with wide section of the
South for it not to share any measure
of prosperity and success that may be
the Souths. Never before was the
South in a more fiourishing condition,
and this fact in itself means that the
Seaboard must soon have it's values
recognized.