The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-15
TOUR OF THE:
SEABOARD.
Officers and New Directors
Spend Two Weeks in In
specting the Line
THE TRAIN SERVICE GOOD
Scaboard to be Maintained and
Run as an Absolutely In
dependent System.

e.,,,,, ~ n.y., r,,rona.Dtsnaich, \

Especial to Tho Times ,Dispatch0
NORFOLK, VA Dec. 4.--Presldcnt
John Shelton Williams, Of the scaboard
Air Line Railway, arrived in Norfolk to-
night with Mr.. James A. Blair, Of the
banking house Of Blair and Company.
New York, member. Of the Executive
Committee OF tho seaboard and Vice
President and General Manager Barr and
other officials. Mr.. Williams said
'"rhe past two weeks we have spent
In inspecting the property Of the Sea.
board sAlr Line Railway with several OF
our new directors from Richmond 70
tho extreme southern portion sof Florida,
and from Birmingham, 3 Alabama, to Nor
folk and Portsmouth Among the places
that have been visited by our purity on
this trip are: Richmond, Va, Whining
ton Durham and Charlotte, NJ G.. Co
luulbia. s. c., Savannah and Atlanta
Ga, Jacksonville, Fernandina, Tampa,
Manatce and Sarasota, Fla, and BIZ
THE physical condition Of the system from
one end to the other shows marked I'M
rrovement. Our facilities everywhere are
being Increased to meet the uninterrupted
growth In traffic.
TRAIN SERVICE.
Notwithstanding the heavy movement
OF tonnage, our train service at the pres
crt time Is better than 1t has ever been,
both as to speed and regularity, and It
has been very gratifying to hear all along
tho line the Complimentary expressions
OF shippers and their satisfaction at the
manner in which their business Is be-
Ing handled During the past ten years
l have never seen conditions In the south
as bright and prosperous as they are at
the present time. The country banks have
larger deposits than they ever had day
before yesterday we visited one county
lin North Carolina where bank deposits
have increased within Year from $ao!-
COO to s1OO, 01o. This may be said TO De
true 10 az greater or less extent OF the
entire territory through which We travel.
Cd and Is a good index Of the wonderful
prosperity which the South Is now en-
loving. II the earnings OF the Seaboard
system for the next twelve months should
continue to increase as they are doing AZ
the present time, we will run $l,00O,Voo
ahead Of the best year In the companys
history .$5s a, II
INDEPENDENTS SYSTEM.
Mr.. Blair concurred In the views gen.
orally expressed by Mr., Williams, and
! said:
"rhe Seaboard will be maintained and
run as an absolutely independent sys--
item, and no railroad company has any
interest whatsoever In It. 1t IS the In
ftcptlon OF myself and my associates,
Mr.. Ryan and Mr.. Coolidge. to cooperate
with Mr.. Williams in building up the
Seaboard Air Line system. and the COM
munities which It serves. as we are pc
levers both in the Seaboard system
and In the South.
II have been going for the past four
teen days over the property Of the Sea-
board Air Line with view to making
myself familiar with 1t, and to look into
its present and future requirements, SO
could familiarize myself with any mat
ter coming before the board With REFER
ence to the property. found the prop
erty greatly improved and in good shape.
GREAT PROSPERITY.
.,In my travels through the Southern
States also found evidences OF great
prosperity. Business was good and every
body seemed to be prosperous. happy and
contented on account OF the good prices
which they have been receiving for their
crops, which have brought a larger
amount of money Into the Southern
states. l saw no evidence of declining
business; on the contrary, the outlook for
business in the South never was better.
This Is true especially of the Seaboard
Air Line, and have no doubt Is true
also OF the other lines. covered IN the
neighborhood OF three thousand and five
hundred miles. and this was the universal
opinion of people with whom talked.
and from what can see the future OF the
South appears to be very bright and OF
continued prosperity