The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-01-18
RAILROAD WORLD.

The Alabama Car Service association met yesterday and transacted routine business. Superintendent Brooks of the south and north and Birmingham mineral divisions of the L. and N.. recently ap- pointed, was made chairman of the ex- ecutive committed This was the first meeting he has attended since his pro motion to this division.
 number of superintendents from out of the city were present at the meeting. Among them were A. J. Alexander super intendent of the Mobile and Ohio at Meridian, who also represented the Mo- bile and Bay Shore and the Mobile. Jack son and Kansas City; D. D. Curran, su- perintendent of the New Orleans and Northeast, who also represented the Ala bama and Vicksburg; J. l. Mckinney, superintendent of the Mobile and Mont gomery division of the Louisville and Nashville; w. N. Cox, superintendent of the Western of Alabama; F. J. Eagan the Southern; H. B. Crawford, superin- intendent of the Columbus division of the Central of Georgia, and w. E. Knox, superintendent of the L. and N. at An niston. All of the local superintendents were present.
 The reports showed that the car service In the state is in excellent condition, and that there is no shortage anywhere. The movement so far this month Is a little behind that of Januarys in the past, but this Is due to the fact that the mines are not running full time.
 J. s. B. Thompson, general agent of the Southern railway, with headquarters in Atlanta, was in the city yesterday on his way to Mississippi. He arrived at 11:45 o'clock from Atlanta and left a few minutes later.
 MT. Thompson stated that the Southern had no plans at present for the Birming- ham district, and that only improvements already in progress were being pushed. He said that the service in Birmingham was good and that the company was pleased with the traffic In Birmingham.
 President Milton H. Smith of the Lou isvflle and Nashville railroad and c. R. Brent, assistant general freight agent, were in the city yesterday. MT. Smiths private car was attached to train No. 4 last night at 9:1S o'clock and MT. Smith returned to Louisville.
 MT. Smith has been south of Birming- ham on the road on general tour of in- spection.
 two afyht and passenger agent of the Chicago, Milwau- kee and St. Paul. with headquarters in New Orleans, was in the city yesterday.
 R. M. Coffey, travelling passenger agent of the Seaboard, was in Birmingham yes- terday making arrangements for the transportation of the Ben Hur' com pany from Birmingham to Atlanta to- night after the performance. This is the second passenger train over the road, the first having moved the Across the Pa cific'' company about a week ago. The Ben Hur" company travels in private equipment
 The following special from Mobile was printed in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat of yesterday:
 One of the most interesting bits of speculative gossip afloat in the railroad world just now is the policy and future intentions of the people who are guiding the future of the Seaboard Air Line. Great interest is felt--an interest that has continued ever since the day, many years ago, when President Hawkins first suc- ceeded in launching the old Savannah, Amerieus and Montgomery. The Sea- board gets into Montgomery now from Savannah, but once in Montgomery 1t is completely bottled up. It seems to be the general belief in eastern financial cir cles that Blair & Go. and Thomas F. Ryan, who dominate the Seaboard, are shaping their plans to get the Seaboard over it's own rails from the lakes to the the branch of the Seaboasd from Atlanta to Birmingham was completed at an out lay of s12.O00.oO0.
 Some time before the East and West railroad of Alabama, now the Atlanta Birmingham branch, was bought by the Seaboard people, a little railroad running from Union Springs to Fort Davis, a sta- tion on the Seaboard's Montgomery-Sa- vannah line, was built. This was the Union Springs and Northern, and while it was ostensibly an independet road, with President Blount controlling it, still 1t was known that the Seaboard had furnished the sinews of war. Its trains run regularly into Montgomery over the Seaboard tracks and it's office Is in the uptown office of the Seaboard, on Com merce street.
 When the Union Springs and Northern was being built plans were being crystal li=ed for extending the road from Fort Davis to Birmingham. Whether the building of the Atlanta Birmingham branch has killed the Fort Davis -Birm- ingham project or not is a matter that will be watched with much interest
 New York January 17.-From a con- ductor of a mixed freight and passenger train to the office of president of the Long Island railroad in twenty-five years is the record of William T. Potter. who was chosen to srcceed the late VVilI;o n,