The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-08
SHORT LINE
TO THE GULF POINTS
Plans to Invade Territory of
Illinois Central
WILL USE THE M. J. & K. C.
Construction of Line From Middleton,
Tenn, to Joppa Will Give Through
Route From Chicago
to Mobile.

Railroad men here are all interested in
the announcement of the arrangement by
which the Frisco is to have the shortest
line from ST. Louis and Chicago to Mobile
and New Orleans.
Plans are to be made, it is said, to con-
meet the Chicago and Eastern Illinois
with the Mobile, Jackson and Kansas
City, which was recently acquired in the
name of the Frisco system, and have the
short line TO the gulf.
The Mobile. Jackson and Kansas City
crosses the Birmlngham-Memp division
of the Frisco at New Albany, Miss, and
this would give the Frisco a line from
Birmingham to New Orleans and ri
although roundabout and also more
direct line from Birmingham to Chi
cago. via the Frisco to New Albany, the
Mobile, Jackson and Kansas City 10
Joppa ILL.,, and the Chicago and Eastern
Illinois 10 Chicago.
The St. Louis Republic of Wednesday
gives the following complete account of
the plans:
Miller Goes Over Route.
The trip of President II. l. Miller of the
Chicago and Eastern Illinois railroad over
the Mobile, Jackson and Kansas city has
disclosed plans, which are now under offl'
cial consideration, for a new short line
from st. Louis Chicago and Memphis to
New Orleans and Mobile. The new road
will invade all the territory or the ILL
nois Central, which is now Hartman
property, from st. Louis and Chicago to
New Orleans, and, according to the esti-
mates which have been prepared, 1t Will
he about 100 miles shorter from st. Louis
and Chicago to New Orleans than the
Hartman line
The plan, which is under consideration
by the officers of the Chicago and Eastern
Illinois and the committee on manage
ment of the Mobile Jackson and kansas
City, is TO connect these two lines by new
construction. 1t is estimated that ABOUT
$50 miles of new road costing as little as
S35, 900 per mile or less than s9ooo'ouu III
all. will realize the project in entirety.
The Chicago and Eastern Illinois extends
from Chicago to Joppa Ill, on the ONO
river. The first part of the plan Is TO
build an extension from st. Louis to the
coal fields in Williamson county, lii
nois, in the direction of johnson city, so
that the Chicago and Eastern Illinois may
enter into competition for the 81 hools
fuel traffic. This extension Will give 10
the Chicago and Eastern Illinois ROAD
direct from Chicago to Joppa. $40
Bridge Across ohio.
bridge will be erected acr9ss he ONO
river at Joppa. and another EXTENSION VIII
| he constructed from Joppa to Middletoil'
! Tenn, about forty miles east of Mem
/ n Northern
! nus of the Mobile Jackson and Kansas
| Citv. The Frisco's present line from Mem
| nhis to Birmingham crosses the MO
| lille Jackson and Kansas City at New
| Albany Miss 90 .4
! With the extension from ST. LOUIS INTO
| Williamson county, and that from Joppa
| to Middleton, the Chicago and Eastern
| ILLINOIS and the Mobile, Jackson and Kan
sas CITY will have. Jointly, direct line
fron, 81 Louis Chicago and Memphis
ia Mobile where the Mobile. Jackson ana
kansas city terminates. The third part
of the plan is to build an extension iroii
Laurel Miss, to New orleans
The approximate distances of the new
ronte will be: St Louis to New Orleans
mr. Mobile, 6lO miles; Chicago to New Or
loans or Mobile $50 miles. Inc man
aeements of both roads have peen III
formed that the mileage to New orleans
bv this route, will be shorter than by
the Illinois Central ON the east sue .,
the Mississippi river. or by the douio
lines on the west side
May Use Northeastern.
NEGOTIATIONS are now pending between
the Mobile, Jackson and Kansas Clty, Tue
Frisco and the New Orleans and North
eastern. for trackage rights over the
Northeastern from Laurel. Miss, TO New
ORLEANS. But it is understood that there
is not much probability that TINS arrange
nent will be made Should the traeRase
rights over the Northeastern be secured,
the proposed extension from l4aurel TO
NeY Orleans viii not be constructed.
HoweN er. should negotiations Iaii, .ne
extension will be built
The officers of the Chicago ana East
ern Illinois and the committee on man
agement have not approved the pans as
vet. but it is known that they are Sc
rionsly discussing the suggestions ana
that sanction will almost surely be gwen.
As the plans have been submitted TO the
manaecments only within the last week,
no official announcement Is expected ior
sometime.
rne recommendations are so recent, fol-
lowing the appointment of Il. r. foakum'
chairman of the Rock Island and FRISCO
executive committees, to the committee
ON mana cement of the Mobile, Jackson
and Kansas City, that the question o!
consolidating the Chicago and Eastern
Illinois and the Mobile Jackson and Kan
sag city as one system has not yet been
discussed.
The Yoakum Moore Red interests,
which are strong and active rivals of the
Hartman interests, control the Chicago
end Eastern Illinois and they have con-
siderable holdings in the Mobile, Jackson
and Kansas City. in the name OF the
Frisco system. Mr.. Yoakum Is, according
to reliable report acting in Mobile, Jack
son and Kansas City affairs only in ac-
cord with the committee on management.
The Frisco has arrangements with the
IUlonis Central for transferring its New
Orleans traffic to the latter road at Mem
phis Under the contemplated plans for
connecting the Chicago and Eastern lll-
noIs and the Mobile, Jackson and Kan
sas City, it is virtually certain that the
traffic of all the Yoakum- Moore-Reid
lines will go over the new route.
May Abandon West Side Project.
For some time the Frisco management
has had in mind the construction Of
water-grade line, on the west side Of the
Mississippi river, from Memphis to New
Orleans. Should the latest plans be
adopted, as seems TO be probable, the
west side project will be abandoned, or,
at least, postponed indefinitely.
The extension from st. Louis into VIII
liams county, Illionls. and the connect
ing of the Chicago and Eastern 1llionls