The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-30
RAILROAD WORLD.

Travelling railroad men were almost en- t,rol., consnicuous by their absence In Birmingham yesterday in the local oniees' This fact was frequently commented nnon The fact of 1t being the middle of inc week made 1t all the more notice- able. as usually a number or traseiihs and freight agents would meet at 1hls noint prior to returning to their respee- tive homes for Sunday. R. l. Cheatham' assistant general freight agent or the seaboard Air Line, and Lewis '. shith of the Traders Dispatch line were the o,,,,, aoer+s noticed in Birmingham yes terday.
 snecial from Norfolk to the Atlanta Constitution says: A. B. Andrews Vieo nresident of the Southern Railway cum nanv. and James N. Barr, vice presiuen' ana general manager of the Seaboard AIT Line railway. had long private conler- ence at the Monticello hotel, and Var'ous arc +bs srrmises as to what IS Tn the wind If is believed that the conference was in regard to the possible acquisition of the control of the Seaboard system py the Southern or by interests allied s"l'h the house of J. P. Morgan X Co.
 It has been reported within the past day or so that the committee who are ei- deavoring to adjust the financial dlnicui- t;es of Messrs John l.. Williams & sons of Piohmond and J. w Middendorf or Baltimore. have received two or more ih- terests' offers for the Seaboard stoch heiu hv their firms, and it is conjectured tha' Inc Morgan interests may be of these.
 While it is impossible to obtain any thing authentic, it is reported that Mor- gan has set out to secure control or the Seaboard.
 A dispatch from Baltimore to eie e'' Lotus Globe-Democrat says:
 A syndicate is being formed by man c,ers of Baltimore, Richmond ana other southern cities to cooperate wlth the banking houses of John L. Williams @ Sons and ]. William Mlddendorf x Co., in continuing in southern hands the con trol of the Seaboard Air Line system. John Skelton Williams, president or the seahoard, still says that the two firms
 
 If is reported in financial circles here that proposition has been received 10 pur- chase in a block all of the Seaboaro slock hold bv the two firms If so, it is the inn preston that the offer came from either the Rock Island-F Frisco interests wnicn recently acquired a large lot or Seapoafd stock and are anxious to secure control of the property or from the Gould inter- ests.
 Robert c. Davidson, chairman of the committee in charge of the affairs of the two banking houses, when asked If an offer had been made said he could not say anything about it. It is believed here that if the Rock Island or Gould interests or other northern or western people secure dominating power. Baltimore and the south will lose it's identity with the prop erty.
 A special from New Orleans to the Globe-Democrat says.
 President Samuel Spencer of the South ern railroad deafeated the plans of the Frisco system today by quietly slipping in the river to New Orleans on a char tered tug and buying the Chalmette ter minals. while the Frisco people were nego- tiating for the property. President Spen- cer denies that the Southern has purchas- ed the New Orleans ana Northeastern road. President Yoakum's plans for the control of the passenger terminals here f,.,,- ,fol J.x,t t1,a