The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-13
Advertiser Bureau.


 Selma. Aug. IF. : rhe majority of the corps of civil engineers who have been surveying n, and around Selma for the past week have moved across the Alabama River Ind are now working soushwardiy from this city.
 Their visit to Selma has been the theme of a good deal of talk during inc mast week and every one Is confi- S.nt that if will result in another rail- road being built to this city which will prove of great beneft to Selma. That a road will be built over the sur yey that they have made everyone IS certain and 1t is just as certain that the road will be built within the next few years.
 when the surveyors entered the feld near Bessemer about a year ago every one was sure they were making line for the Louisville and Nashville to build a road up the survey of the old Selma and Cahaba Valley. The actions of the engineers during the past week have been watched closely and now that theory has about been exploded. With the explosion of the theory that the Louisville and Nashville intended to build the road naturally arises the question what does that system intend to do. The territory which will be tra- versed by tho new road Is that which should be traversed by branch line of that system and such branch would rive them double track from the nhin- sral region of the Birmingham district to the gulf
 The question is being asked that if the Louisville and Nashville did not in- tend to construct this branch why did they build such a fine bridge across the Alabama River at this point. The bridge was built with the purpose of holding the heaviest freight trains and the business of the road out of this city does not warrant the construction of such bridge. Perhaps 1t is the in- tsntion of that system to build such e line and the survey over this field that has been recently made may cause that system to take some immediate action to keep another road from encroaching on territory that Is rightfully theirs.
 During the past week the engineers surveyed into Selma from Efkdale Park up Franklin Street to Water Street, then down Water Street to the old Erhart warehouse at the foot of Church Street. At Church Street they turned into an alley and continued in q westernly direction until they struck Jones Street which they followed across Valley Creek until they struck the banks of the Alabama River. A wagon load of the engineers crossed the river yesterday to the south side of the river and took up the survey on that side of the stream oppo- site to where 1t was left off on this ajde.
 This movement leads everyone to be. fieve that the men are working for the new Memphis and Pensacola Road. If they had been working for the Lou isviiie and Nashville the survey would hardly have continued to the western part of the city. to the river bank, where another bridge would have to be built for the road to cross the river Instead 1t would have went to- wards the eastern part of the city and crossed that road bridge just at the eastern outskirts of Selma.
 The survey of the main line of the Memphis and Pensacola Road between those two cities has already been made. This survey carried the main line west of Selma about fifty miles and strikes Demopofis and Linden in Ma rengo County. 1t is stated that it is the intention of the promoters of that :. road to build short branch line from the main road to the mineral regions fin the northern part Of the State. The survey made by the corps of engineers who have been here is supposed to be making the line for this road which will run from Birmingham to Selma and then cross the Alabawa River and join the main branch in Wilcox County. Such branch would be the source of much revenue to U Noad and would give then 8 short line |. Jm the mineral region to one of the principal gulf ports over which a large amount of export coal and iron would be shipped.
 It was intimated some time ago that the Memphis and Pensacola Road would offer them the proper induce- ments. To bring the road by Selma a bridge would have to be built across the Alabama River which would not have to be built if this city was not touched by the mineral branch Of the road. Although 1t was not stated what bonus this city would have to give to get the road 1t is believed that the bonus would have to be large enough to cover the cost of the construction of the bridge across the river.
 The survey to the point in Wilcox County where the main line will be touched will probably be completed within few weeks. After this survey has been completed and the figures sub mitted to the promoters and the esti- mates made as to the cost of the build ing of the line some definite proposi- ton will doubtless then be made to the citizens of Selma. The road would mean much to this city and whatever proposition Is made will very likely be entertained by those who are in fa- vor of the upbuilding of this city.