The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-05-10
COL. ANDREWS ON
 INSPECTION TRIP Southern Railways Vice preSl- dent Spends Day in City TR0DUCESCOUNSELTHOM Conference of Legal Representatives. Prominent Rock Island.Frsco of-
 ficials Here-Wnchell and
 the Moores in the Party.
NTR0DUCESCOUNSELTHOM

l StA. A. D. AluIENSf lNe nfSt Vice DreS- ident of the Southern railway, accom- panied by Alfred P Thom, who recent ly succeeded Judge Henderson as assist ant general counsel and practically the head of the legal department of the Southern, arrived in Birmingham yester- day morning in Colonel Andrews private car, spent the day here in conference with legal representatives of the South ern system and left at Il o'clock last night for Greenville, Miss
 Purpose of Visit. Colonel Andrews explained that he was merely making one of his frequent trips over the road in order to keep in touch with the system and to inspect the road from a general point of view An especial purpose of this trip. said he, was to en- able MT Thom, the newly appointed head of the southern's law department, to meet the Southern's counsel in various states.
 In carrying out this object conference was held yesterday afternoon at the off, ces of Weatherly & stokely, the South ern's legal representatives here. It Is understood that subject of general na- ture only were discussed. At the close of the conference Colonel Andrews party was entertained at luncheon and later upon the invitation of Wilson Brown, went for a drive throughout the city and in the suburbs. Colonel Andrews in the evening entertained a few gentlemen at dinner in his private car.
 Silent on Rate Question.
 Colonel Andrews refrained from com- menting on what is known as the railway rate question in Alabama, or the new union station project in Birmingham. The latter subject, said he was, so far as the Southern was concerned, in charge of Fourth Vice President c. H. Ackert in Washington, while the former subject. namely, the railway rate question, comes more properly within the province of Third Vice President J. M. Culp.
 An Enjoyable Trip.
 "1 am here on one of my usual trips of inspection over the road" said the Southern's genial first vice president. left Raleigh Sunday joining Colonel Thom, our chief counsel at Charlotte, and coming thence to Birmingham
 We've had most enjoyable. day here. It Is only last October that was in Bir- mingham, but even in So short time I see evidence of increased prosperity and progress on every side.
 Birmingham is not only a great in- dustrial center but it is city of sim gularly attractive social life. It is difficult for one to come here and to meet people of Birmingham and not to feel better and happier for having had that privilege. Like everyone else who knows Birming- ham, I have abounding confidence in the constant growth of the city and of the dis trict. Birmingham has wonderful nat ural resources, and its citizenship is the stuff that great cities are made of.
 We leave tonight for Greenvllle' and thence for Memphis and Chattanooga and other points on the road.
 "The Southern touches great many prosperous cities," said Colonel Andrews, but there is none whose futures is more radiant with promise than Birmingham is"
 Judge Henderson, who was formerly chief counsel of the Southern, returns to Knoxville from Washington to assume the duties of general solicitor.