The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-22

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 with all the comforts and conveniences of modern life. There has been no gradual stage of development. as in the olden time, but by sudden transition a populous city arises from the plain, or springs from the bosom of the fer tile valley. And all due to the magic influence of the railroad.
 Nor Is this all. The railroad is a most potent agent in the development proposition were not self-evident, we have only to look around in our State at the vast progress made possible by them, in the past three decades. But for the railroads, the scores of iron furnaces. steel plants, foundries and other important industries, now operat- ing in Alabama, could have had no existence; and without them, our coal mines. ore-beds. and other sources Of mining wealth. there could have been in this line no practical development In the past. all our cities offering a confined to the banks of our naviga- ble rivers. By means of railroads, great cities are now built and sus- transmitting touch of the railroad, such cities as Indianapolis. Birmingham. AL lanta, Denver, Dallas and other cities of that class. could never have become populous and important marts.
 On Lines of Longitude.
 For many years most of the rail- roads of our country north of us were built on lines of latitude and were ducts to the Atlantic cities for com sumption and export. They are now built following lines of longitude, ex- tending south beyond the City or Mexi- co. with a number of lines extending from the gulf to the lakes and the far northwest. The shipment of tropical fruits forms an important part or the freight of these lines and such fruits far in the lake cities as they are in the cities Of the gult. And this Is an achievement Of the rail- road wholly impracticable in their ab- sence. railway was devised and operated by the steam locomotive. It Is scarcely fifty years since the railroad became of freight and passengers in Alabama Previous to their appearance passen- gers were carried in old-fashioned stage coaches at cost of 10 cents mile. Where there was no water transpor- tation, freights were hauled in wagons at the basic rate of l cent a mile PCT hundred pounds. or $2o ton per lQ9 miles. This is what our fathers paid for freight and passage. ,,,
 These high rates have been revolu- tionized by the railroads. one now travels in palatial &aches. with the ut most comfort, at cost Of cents mlle or less, in less than the tenth part or the time 1t took to cover the same als- In the way of freights. the trade now pays on q ton of freight shipped thousand miles. scarcely the foftieth transportation an hundred miles.
 So far, all is to the credit Of the railroads. But there is another side to their history. The management has not always been characterized by fair deal ings toward the people. Some of them have discriminated against localities and individuals In restraint or trade ana fair competition. They have given re- bates to great corporations, combines and trusts enabling them to bear down their weaker rivals and monopolize trade and rob the public.
 Unjust DiscriminatiOns.
 These facts apply chiefly to inter; state transportation. Tn nnins local not to say absurd, discrimlnations. For instance, the plain people are unable to see the justice of q rate of 55 cents per minrham. than from Birmingham to Montgomery. True. 1t is down grade from Birmingham and the same loco motive should haul more than In the not accustomed to considering such trifles. and the railroads should strike the average in such eases and make the rate the same in either direction. Many other similar discriminations exist in The local rates of the Alabama rail- roads which we doubt not, the rail- roads themselves will voluntarily adjust in a short time
 more at length than necessary. I beg now to say something about the news psper and it's relative position to the railroad. |. n nost potent factor in the progress of fertilization. While the amount Of cap itai employed in the conduct of the newspapers of the worid IS scardely 10