The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-01-06
ILLINOIS CENTRAL
 FOR NEW ORLEANS
Will Build Line from Birning-
 ham to Crescent City
IS A LOGICAL RESULT
Route to Be Used Has Not Been Decided-Engineer in Field During the Present
 Year.

The Illinois Central railroad will build from Birmingham to New orleans.
 While no official announcement to that effect has been made t is understood from reliable sources that such a move is contemplated and Is being planned.
 No preliminary survey has yet been made, but it is possible that such a survey will be commenced within the next few months. It is not known what route will be chosen, whether it will be one paralleling the Louisville and Nash vile the Queen and Crescent or a route between the two existing roads.
 1t is said the officials of the Illinois Central have been considering such u move in connection with their trackage arrangements for entering Birmingham.
 It will be about a year before the Ill., nois Central will be running trains into Birmingham and it Is thought that by that time the plans to build to New Orleans will have taken more definite shape. Work on the proposed line will be commenced probably in connection with the opening of train service into Blrming- ham.
 Several months ago the Illinois Central purchased property lying between First and Second avenues and Thirteenth and Sixteenth streets which is 10 be used for terminal purposes. At the same time it was announced that trackage arrange ments had been completed by which the road would enter Birmingham over the Frisco tracks from Jasper.
 In order to reach Jasper the Northern Alabama will be used from Haylesvlle. Ala, to Jasper. The Northern Alabama is holding of the Southern railway. A road has been surveyed and will be built at once from Corinth, Miss, to Hayles- vile Contracts have already been let for this work and it will be under way within a short time,
 The tracks of the Mobile and Ohio will be used from Jackson, Tenn, to Cornth The officials of the Illinois Cen tral estimate that it will require twelve months to complete the connecting link between Haleysville and Corinth.
 Railroad people in Birmingham have been discussing for the past two or three days the probability of the Illinois Centrars building to New Orleans, and they all agree that it Is a most logical result of the roads entrance into Br- mlngham.
 A prominent railroad official who has been in Birmingham within the past few days said that he thought when the Illi- nos Central announced that 1t was com ing to Birmingham that the next move would be an announcement that it would also build from Birmingham to New Or leans.
 "The Illinois Central Is one of the great developers said this official "It's policy is to push ahead whenever possible and never to be idle. It is always building somewhere. opening new territory and making improvements. It's officials are among the most energetic in the coun- try and the road Is backed by immense capital and unlimited credit.
 "rhe entrance of the Illinois Central into Birmingham will mean more for this district than the average citizen realizes and the road will not be content with just reaching Birmingham; it will be branch ing out continually"