The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-30
SEABOARD IS GIVEN
 ANN|STON RIGHTS.
Council Grants Franchise at
 Meeting Thursday Night
CONTRACT HAS BEEN SIGNED
Road Must Run Trains Into Anniston In Three Years-NeW Districts
 On Southern Will Be
 Created Tomorrow.

Anniston, Ala. June 29.-(Special) )-By a unanimous vote last night the city council granted a franchise to the Sea board Air Line over certain streets ave- nues and alleys in the city of Anniston, and gives the railroad three years in which to begin the operation of trains into the city. The council chamber was crowd ed with Annistons leading business men who were there to see this move for An niston's greatness passed by the coun- cil
 The mayor will be authorized at an contract with the railroad company The contract proposed to give Anniston a 9 cent rate on raw material within 90 miles of Anniston, which includes coal, and 1t may mean the general adoption of the rate by the other roads at an early date. There were present Thomas F. Kilby, mayor, and Councilmen Black
 mon, Cooper. Higgins, Ward, Thomp- son. Todd, Markstein. Wik1e, White and Lewis.
 The ordinance granting the franchise
 to the Seaboard over streets of the city
 given its second reading Capt. A.
 F Agee representing John B. I.aGarde and A. H. Quinn, was given the right of the floor and asked a postponement until
 tomorrow night of action on the fran chise He understood from an interview
 in the Hot Blast, with w. L. Seddon,
 chief engineer, that the route that the
 Seaboard had practically decided upon
 was a route from Jacksonville, and that
 the people he represented asked the post
 ponement that they could present to the
 council data why q provision should be
 made to include the contract of the
 railroad that the line should be builded
 over the survey from Grayton. He en-
 tered into short discussion of these
 reasons from data ne had secured in
 few minutes conference with the men he represented, stating that the rate on ore
 and coal would not be benefited by the
 Jacksonville route. Mayor kilby inter-
 rupted him and said that the Seaboard contract brought coal into Anniston with
 In the 50~mile zone for 20 cents per ton. Captain Agee then urged postponement that they could show the advantage of getting the Chalybeate ore in Anniston for 1212 cents per ton.
 Councilman Blackmon offered an amend-
 ment to the ordinance that if the Sea
 board was not running trains into the city by July 1, 1909 the franchise would
 become imperative.
 Councilman Blackmon spoke regarding the protest of the Louisville and Nash vile in which he charged that this road had not shown gratitude and referred to the union depot without shed. He also spoke of a committee calling on Presi- dent Smith, asking that a special rate be given to Ironton. This request was fatly refused and the Linthicum Pipe works was lost to Anniston. He moved
 that the ordinance be passed. On the vote
 the entire council voted aye The redistricting of the Southern rail- way will take place tomorrow and goes into effect at once. There will be four districts instead of two. as at present, and they will be called the northern cen tral, southern and western.
 F. H. Coapman will be assistant general superintendent of the northern district. which will include the Washington. Dan vile, Richmond and Norfolk divisions. with headquarters at Danvlle. J. N Scale present superintendent of transpor- tation, will have the middle district. cot,-
 ssting of the Charlotte. Charleston. Sa- vannah and Jacksonville divisions, with headquarters at Charlotte
 G. R. Loyal will be assistant general superintendent of the southern district with headquarters at Knoxville, and the district will include the Ashevile, Nash vile, Atlanta and Knoxville divisions The western district will include the Birmingham, Mobile and Memphis divis- ions and w. N. Foreacre will haze his headquarters in Birmingham, as at pres- ent.
 A report has been circulated recently that another division was to be created
 and possibly three new divisions, but 1t
 lacks verification. The one mentioned is
 said to be the Columbus, Miss, division,
 where an assistant superintendent is sta toned now.
 Work will commence in few doys on the new freight house and the extension of the cid freight house of the Southern railway on Powell avenue between Twen- tieth and Twenty-second streets. The inbound freight house will be g0x50 feet and will include the present freight
 house. which is 400x5O feet. The outaoand freight house will be entirely new and will be 7O0x30 feet.
 The front will be three stories high and will face on Twentieth street Mary of the offices of the Southern will be moved to the office space in this building
 The Improvements and the new freight | ts,,.a ,,,f1I oogt .k.,,t sfon anu I,.;at.