The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-10-17
RAILROAD WORLD.

Quite large number of contractors had in bids for the construction of the Wetmore, Tenn, and Gainesville, Ga., extension of the Atlanta, Knoxville and Northern railroad. Wright, Williams & Wadley of Birmingham secured the con- tract, the same having been given out from the offices of the Louisville and Nashville railroad at Louisville. The price Is not given
 The earnings of the Central of Georgia railway for the first week in October amounted to s225,9OO against s20S6.1 for the same week last year. The increase in earnings for the week amounts to s17.aOO.
 railroad authority in Baltimore Is re- sponsible for the statement that should L. F. Loree re-enter railroad life, his new field of labor is apt to be in Mexico, instead of with the New York Central, in view of the large railroad interests that Speyer 8 Co. have in that country.
 The New York Commercial makes the statement that trains will commence run ming over the Birmingham and Atlanta division of the Seaboard Air Line about December 15
 The double track of the Southern rail- way between Washington and Orange, Va, eighty-five miles in length, has been opened for traffic.
 The gross earnings of the Seaboard Air Line for the month of August amounted to s1,o14,770, against s946,619 for the same month last year. The Seaboard now operates 2611 miles of railway.
 Chicago special says: It is under stood that the plans of MT. Loree, while president of Rock Island, to make Chi cago and Eastern Illinois practically an operating division of the Frisco system, which plans were partially carried out, have been dropped, and that c. and D. l.. will be restored to the independent oper- ating position held before Loree's advent. H. H. Hammond, recently transferred to Chicago, Is expected to take charge of the operation of 0. and E. I. and made president of the road, succeeding Mir. Da-
 
 relinquish his authority over Frisco lines and have charge of c. and E. I. alone. A. S. Dodge, now in charge of traffic of c. and D. l. and Frisco, Is expected to be confined to Frisco alone. The attempt of MT. Loree to make c. and D. I. into a division of the Frisco system was one of the causes of his retirement.
 The St. Louis Globe-Democrat says;
 Through the courtesy of c. H. Ackert. general manager and A. Stewart, me- chanica1 superintendent, the following of ficers of the mechanical department of the Southern railway are attending the worlds fair in a special car: A. Stewart. mechanical superintendent Washington, D. C.; J. Hainen, general master me- chanic, Greensboro, N. C.; w. H. Hudson, general master mechanic, Birmingham, Ala: W. H. Owens, Manchester, Va; J. B. Michaels. Knoxville, Tenn; s. R. Rich ards Spencer, N. C.; s. M. Dolan, Att lanta, Ga; N. N. Boyden, Selma. Ala. c. B. Cramer, Sheffield, Ala; G. N. How son. Birmingham, Ala; J. Sheahan. Co., lumbus, s. C.; H. w. Burkheimer,
 
 ville Va, Several of the master me- chanics are accompanied by members of their families Special car Redlands con- taining the party is parked just outside of the grounds, through the courtesy of the Wabash railroad.
 Copies of the tenth annual report of President Samuel Spencer of the South ern railway to the stockholders have been distributed. The report covers the oper- ation of the system for the fiscal year ending June 30. The gross earnings from operations for the year amounted to A5 1O9777.34, against s43. .354. O59.7e for the year 1903
 The average number of miles operated for the fiscal year 1904 was 76439 The sum of s1,517,6 .3S was expended during the year on new equipment. forty-nine locomotives being included. During the year the Southern operated 1O42S4 miles of railway in Alabama.
 The gross earnings from passenger bus mess amounte to $11.314,045.12; from freight, $30,032415.92; from mail, s1 ,695,- 672ss; from express. s1,24s.1Os.75 and from miscellaneous. sS2l5s4.62. A total of Ss.- 150 tons of steel and 2,796, S25 cross ties were laid during the year. The company now has 1926 locomotives on hand The average number of passenger train cars in service during the year was s46, and the average number of freight cars was S6,s65
 total of 1o.296.23s passengers were car ried during the year, and the freight ton- mage for the year amounted to 20,733, ,049.