The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1907-05-03

COL. E. L. RUSRELL
MAKES ADDRESS
At Dedication of the New Terminal at Mobile on
Thursday, April 18TH

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mally opening this nsw station.
/ think it appropriate on this oc-
casion to make a brief statement
giving the history of the efforts
made to secure a passenger sta
ton in the city of Mobile.
"Jt is matter Of lublic histo-
ry that Mr.. w. Du1ler Duncan
and | have for years tried to
bring about an agreement among
the railroads running into and
through Mobile for the purpose
of building a union passenger
station. In 1899 when your pres
ent mayor was a member of the
committee Of the general coun-
Gil charged with the duty of en-
deavoring to secure the construc-
ton of a passenger station, Mr..
Duncan and | appeared before
this committee and submitted a
proposition and suggestions look
ing to the erection of such sta
ton. Mr.. Milton Smith, presi-
dent of the Louisville & Nash
vile Railroad Company, also ap-
peared before this committee.
'This all resulted in my Or
ganizing a corporation for the
purpose of building a union pas
senger station. We secured leg
islation from the legislature of
the state authorizing the crea-
tion of corporation and confer
ring power upon the city govern
ment of Mobile to cooperate
with this corporation for the pur-
pose of securing the station, but
after numerous conferences we
were unable to agree upon a To-
cation, and this important pro-
ject fell through.
"After the Southern Railway
Co. purchased the controlling in
terest of the Mobile & Ohio Rail-
road Company, the project of
building a union passenger sta
ton was renewed.
.'Mr. Spencer, who was then
president of the Southern Rail
road and the Mobile & Ohio Rail
road Companies, authorized me
to revive the original corporation
and proceed to arrange for the
construction of the station. Again
we were unable to agree upon
plans and a location. About this
time Mr.. F. O. Hoffman, asmem-
Der of the state legislature from
this county, introduced a bill and
had it passed by the legislature
requiring the railroads entering
and passing through Mobile to
build a union passenger station.
This act conferred power upon
the state railroad commission to
select a location and order the
railroad companies to proceed to
erect station thereon.
THE provisions OF this act
were brought to the attention of
Mr.. Samuel Spencer, and | stat
ed that | thought we ought to
cooperate with the commission
and build the station. Mr.. Spen-
Ger agreed with me, and to con-
summate the enterprise, sent Mr..
J. S. B. Thompson, an officer of
the Southern Railway Company,
to Mobile to confer with Mr.. Chas.
S. Clark, at that time general
manager of the Mobile and Ohio,
and myself. We had a confer
ence with Mr.. Thompson, which
resulted in his taking the matter
up with the state commission and
cooperating with it for the pur.
pose Of selecting a location. Mr..
Smith, at that time president of
the commission, and Mr.. Wiley
Tunstail, an associate member of
the commission, came to Mobile
and proceeded to hear testimony
bearing upon the question as to
the most available spot for the
site of the station. Numerous
witnesses were examined and af-
ter due consideration the COM
mission selected the spot. After
considering the testimony the
commission directed that plans
be prepared and submitted to it
for approval. The plans were
prepared, submitted to and ap-
proved by the commission. Of
course these plans were entirely
different from the present station
After the plans had been ap-
proved by the commission | took
the matter up direct with Mr..
Spencer and presented to his con-
sideration the Importance OF
building the station, Of providing
offices therein to be used by the
officers and employees of the Mo
bile and Ohio Railroad Co. Mr..
Spencer, after due consideration,
directed me to proceed to have
Mr.. Marye, the architect who
had been selected to draw the
plans, include in the plans fol
the station offices for the use OF
Mobile ard Ohio Railroad Go.
This change in the plans vas
brought to the attention OF Mr..
lP. Thornton Marye, architect,