The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-03-24
MANY PROMINENT R. R. MEN IN TOWN W. A. Garrett of Queen & Cres-
 cent Was Here DENIES A REGENT RUM0R s. H. Hardwlck, Passenger Traffic Manager of Southern, Pays Short vlsit-Presiden Milton H.
 Smith of L. q N. Here.
DENIES A REGENT RUM0R

w. A. Garrett, general manager or the Queen and Crescent route, arrived in Birmingham yesterday with large par ty of his freight and soliciting men from New Orleans, where the party had in- spected the terminals.
 MT. Garrett denied most positively the the frequently circulated reports that he would resign and go with the Mexican Central as president.
 This finally puts a stop to the rumor, as M. M. Richey, assistant general su- perintendent of the Southern, who, &C., cording to the rumor, was to succeed MT. Garrett, has also most emphatically denied the report.
 MT. Garrett carried his entire party oyer the Birmingham terminals yesterday and 1t was the first time that some of them had seen the city. They were sur prised and astonished at the district and the immense business interests here. The party left yesterday afternoon for Chat tanooga.
 MT. Garrett said before leaving:
 q would like for The Age-Herald to deny most positively that I intend re- signing from my present position. The first I heard of the matter was when I was handed paper recently which stated that I had rendered my resignation and that MT. Richey was to succeed me.
 Such reports are an injustice and they tend to hurt railroad. For in- stance. when there are rumors floating about that there is to be a change in in the general officers the men become demoralized to a certain extent. and 1t is particularly hurtful to the transporta- tion department.
 Train crews get to discussing the prob abilities of who will get certain posi- tions if certain changes are made. and they are apt to forget some order and cause an accident. We want all our em- ployes to keep their mind on railroading and on their business, and they cannot do this if they are constantly thinking of changes among officials above them.
 'I am glad to hear that the new hotel scheme is going through. Birmingham needs a twelve-story hotel. It will enable the city to get many conventions. I un- derstand that if the merger goes through it will mean large increase in the output of the district and additional de- velopment. I am glad of that, for l am greatly interested in the Birmingham district and feel like this is sort of second home for me.
 Anything that helps the Birmingham district helps the Queen and Crescent and we are always willing and anxious to aid anything for the upbuilding of Birmingham.
 Our business Is continuing to increase ia all directions, and the Birmingham district is more than holding up it's end of the line. We show increases in every department in Birmingham all the time. I hope the city will get the increased capital that the merger would bring.
 My soliciting agents, freight men and commercial agents who are with me were greatly impressed with our great terminals in New Orleans. which we consider among the finest, but they were equally impressed with Birmingham and it's immense resources. They are becom- and shipping centers on our road in or der that they may better transact their duties, and I have men with me from Chicago, New York and other such cen ters.
 Again l want to deny the report that l am to resign and say that I regret its publication
 In MT. Garretts party is w. c. Rinear- son, general passenger agent, Cincinnati; L. Sevier, general freight agent. Bir- mingham; Charles Patton, treasurer Gin cinnati; S. L. Ramps, chief clerk to chief engineer, Cincinati; E. Schryver, assistant general freight agent, Chattanooga; c. A Egley, eastern freight and passenger agent, New York; H. E. Fruend, trav- cling freight and passenger agent, Chi. cago H. Osborn, commercial agent, Chi cago; S. c. Porter, travelling freight agent, Chattanooga; G. w. Bemus, com mercial agent. Pittsburg; J. G. Hill. tray cling freight agent Cincinnati; R. Hamil- tons travelling freight agent, Cincinnati; J. s. O'Shea, general agent Lexington.
 S. H. Hardwick passenger traffic man. ager of the Southern railway, arrived in Birmingham yesterday morning over the Queen and Crescent route from Chat tanooga with W. c. Rinearson. general passenger agent of the Queen and Cres- cent MT. Hardwick left yesterday at noon on the Southern, going west He and MT. Rinearson were together all the morning and visited several of the pas senger offices of the city.
 MT. Hardwick was formally general