The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-08
NOT OWNED BYS.A.L,
SAYS PRESIDENT WILLIAMS ABOUT
ATLANTIC AND BIRMINGHAM.
AS SEPARATE PROPERTY
SEABOARD WILL CONTINUE TO BE
MAINTAINED AND OPERATED.

| President williams, Mr.. j. NJ. Barr,
Vice President and General Mama
ger, and MIR. james A. Blair, II
Director, Visitors in Savan nah
Yeste rday-Mr. Blair Particularly
Impressed with the South ana
| Predicts UnexampIed PrOspe rity
For It-VisitOrs Inspected savan-
nah Terminals of the Company.
VIII Leave This Morning for
Montgomery.
President J. Shelton Williams of the
Seaboard Air Line. First Vice President
and General Manager ]. NJ. Barr, Mr..
James A. Blair, one of the directors;
Mr.. ]. S. Hazen, secretary to Mr. Will
liams, and Mr.. A. W. Wagner, secre-
tary to Mr.. Barr, spent yesterday in
Savannah, having reached this city
early yesterday morning on a tour of
inspection OF the system.
The major portion of the morning
they spent on Hutchinson's Island,
where they We're shown over the COM
pany's terminals by some of the local
officers of the system. They returned
to the city in the afternoon, took lunch
con with Mr.. w. w. Mackall, and later
drove in carriages ever the other prop
erty of the companys on this side of
the river. On this drive the visitors
were accompanied by Mr.. w. w. Mack
all, Mr. j. Randolph Anderson and Mr..
Walter Hale. They will leave for Mont
gomery this morning
AS an instance of the prosperity of
the Seaboard Air Line, Mr.. Barr said
that the gross earnings of the system
for November were greater than ever
before in the history of the road. In
TACT, all the members of the party are
satisfied with the condition of the road,
and the outlook for its continued pros
perity.
The A. & b. Deal.
President Williams was asked about
the reported Atlantic and Birmingham
deal. He said:
President Williams said: 1.-THE story
to the effect that the Seaboard Air
Line Railway has or ever had any in
terest in the Atlantic and Birmingham
Railroad, which, it is reported, has re-
! Gently consolidated with the Triton and
Northeastern, and the Triton, Thomas
| Vile and Gulf railroads, and passed I'M
| der the control of the Seaboard, is err
I roneous and entirely without founda-
| ton. The Seaboard Air Line Railway
| has not and never had any interest,
directly or indirectly, in either of the
| roads mentioned. nor has Mr.. James
A. Blair or the banking house of
1 AfncCrC lot ~
| with them. Neither have these gen
tlemen any connection with the rail-
road contractors mentioned in the ar
| ticle above referred to.
| The Seaboard Air Line Railway
| owns the Atlanta and Birmingham Air
Line Railway, which is now being con-
| structed between Atlanta and Birming-
ham, and which will be completed
| within the next few months, giving the
Seaboard Air Line Railway the short
est line between the two cities men
| toned"
Mr.. Blair is a member of the Execu-
tive Committee of the aboard and
has been taking a trip over the system
| with President Williams and Vice
| President and General Manager Barr
and other officials of the company, to
familiarize himself with the property.
Mr.. T. Jefferson Coolidge, Jr., of Bos-
ton, who has been with the party for
the past week. left last night for New
York.
South in Fine Condition.
Mr.. Blair confirmed the statement of
President Williams as to the Atlantic
and Birmingham Railroad.
MY trip over the Seaboard' he
said. lis for the purpose of familiar
! izing myself with it and of looking
| into its future needs. From what l
! have seen of the South T am much
| Impressed with it's future 1 believe
that the developments in this section
are going to be greater than in any
other portion of the country. The facts
that crops in the South have been
| abundant and are commanding good
prices, is going to bring to the South
a large amount of money. In fact,
! the conditions of the South is better
| to-day, and will be better, than at any
time in it's history. The development
of its coal and iron interests have only
begun. The temporary depression that
! we are having is one, that in my opin-
| ion, will soon disappear. Business will
| resume its normal conditions, and the
| prices of iron and steel will advance,
but not to the point from which they
have recently declined.
From what 1 have seen of the Sea-
board Air Line Railway so far, 1 have
been very much impressed with it, My
stay in Savannah is for the purpose of
! looking over the local situation and
seeing what property they have here.
In connection with this l will say that
the rumor which has appeared in the
newspapers as to the Seaboard's con-
nection with other properties, there is
nothing in it, and this road will con-
tinue to be maintained and operated as
an independent system"
]