The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-06

Illinois Central a rival, that will be
 found worthy of foeman's steel says a New Orleans Paper. It will not
 find 1t so easy a matter to control ex-
 ports out of the West through its
 Chalmette terminals, for the Fish sys-
 tenn has now crystalized plans which
 for long time have been hatching
 and which mean the inauguration of
 the most potential movement for the
 advancement of export trade ever put
 in motion. Unlike the Frisco system, the plan which the Illinois Central inaugurates tomorrow has behind 1t a great initial artery of commerce own ing it's own rails into New Orleans and already possessing enormous river front terminals through which 1t can pour its immense trade products di- rect into the hulls that are to carry 1t to the marts of the old world.
 The Illinois Centrai's departure is the inauguration of unquestinonably
 the greatest impetus that the Crescent City has ever experienced as place
 of export and import. The manage ment has announced no definite plans Second Vice President and General
 Manager John T. Harahan, whose in- terest in this port is second only to that which this veteran railroad man. ager feels in the Illinois Central itself
 sin teh city. but he has not officially given expressions to any of the com pany's immediate plans. To inquiries directed along this line his character
 istically emphatic response was:
 The Illinois Central Is a frieni of
 New Orleans and 1t will not overlook any opportunities for the advancement
 of It's commercial greatness"
 All the recent delevopments, in fact
 every movement of Mir. Harahan with
 in the past several months has been indicative Of the fact that the Illi- nois Central was working on @ plan
 that had for its ultimate purpose the establishment of a direct and greater
 trade relation with New Orleans as
 the gateway through which the fruit of the company's efforts are to pass.
 Briefly the idea is to bring greater tonnage from the West through New Orleans to the gulf and to bring back to the Illinois Central wharves from
 the old world a sufficient import trade
 to send the company's equipment back into the north with European The first decided movement in this direction was the establishment of the European agency of the company in London with Donald Rose, a compe- tent. live American at its head. Mir
 Harahan went personally with For eign Freight Agent Henry Baldwin to London to establish the agency. Be- fore his return the way was paved for the opening of a new trade era for
 New Orleans as a port of entry for
 European products destined for Amer ican consumption. With the formida. ble personality of such men as John T. Harahan and Stuyvesant Fish be- hind 1t this movement was given an
 impetus not easily gathered.
 It gives presently every indication
 of outstripping the Frisco's great
 boast of fabulous trade prospects.
 The success that has come as a re-
 sponse to the preliminary movements
 has, been ample to assure the entire
 success of the plan as a whole. The
 inauguration of a Department of Ex-
 ports and Imports in the Illinois Cen
 tral service with the opening of the New Year is what will now follow
 The process of organization was be-
 gun yesterday when MT. Harahan formally announced the transfer of General Freight Agent W. M Rhett to Chicago. MT. Rhett will retain his ti- tie and will form one of four mag nificently equipped freightmen who will have in hand the destinies of the Illinois Central's exports and imports,
 one of whom will be located in Cnica- go, one in St. Louis. the other in New Orleans and the fourth in London
 Mir. Baldwin will continue in New Or leans. Mir Rhett goes to Chicago and
 MT. Rose will remain in London.