The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-06


 Fine Rolling Equipment.
 No road in the United States Is better equipped as to rolling stock than is the Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic rail- road. For passenger service the company uses the 10-wheel type of engine, con- structed by the Baldwin Locomotive works They weigh, exclusive of tender. 155, GOO pounds each. For freight service they use the 1O-wheel engine, constructed by the same company, the weight of which Is 1S5 O00 pounds. A year ago con- tracts were closed for the construction and delivery within 12 months of 5000 freight cars. As many of these cars as could be constructed In the south were ordered from southern builders. In the construction of It's passenger equipment the company had most of the work done in its own shops at Fitzgerald, Ga., em- ploying local men.
 These coaches are the very finest that skill and money can produce. They are electric lighted, equipped with overhead electric fans for use in summer, have au- tomatic window sashes steam-heated III winter are handsomely upholstered and sunplied with toilet accessories the equal of any Pullman coach. The service fur- nished by this road has been revelation to the people of Georgia, who have hao a better opportunity to judge or US equipment The freight equipment IS very extensive. The company has large nun Der of powerful engines to be used Tn drawing the freight cars, which are the best that could be bought. This large number of freight cars were ordered with the knowledge that extensive tonnage would be derived from the Birmingham district; also the multiplicity Of manulac- turing enterprises in and around Atlanta demand adequate railroad facllties' III addition to this the large industries or south Georgia and northern Florida 10. gether with the agricultural ana lrui. pursuits require prompt and efficient service. All of these things have been taken into consideration by the moving spirit-Mr. Atkinson.
 That Man Atkinson.
 If ia small wonder that public atten- ton is just now diverted to the personaH" ty of the man responsible for this work In the face of most adverse financial conditions, beset by calamity howlers on the one hand and political demagogues on the other, he has pushed straight TOT ward to give to the people of the south what he believed would be an important factor in the development of the south. He was born in Boston; he was edu-  In the wilds of wyoming as a cowboy. He came to the south 22 years ago. when l he was but "A years of age to engage Tn l the cotton business. A few years tnere- 1 after he organized in Atlanta the Title Guaranty & Trust Co., with view of negotiating loans. One of these loans was on the Georgia Electric Light com pany. and was his first venture in the so-called public utility business Being unable. or not disposed to take up the boan secured on the property, the offl- cers of the Electric Light company TOT feited the enterprise to MT. Atkinson He thereupon engaged in the business l of supplying to Atlanta and her supurps electric lights. He was beset by com petitor who operated the Electric Street 1 Railway company, and who pubhcly stated that he intended to drive MT. At 1 kinson out of the electric light business. MT. Atkinson decided to engage in the street railway business, in addition to the l electric lighting business. This precipi- tated the street railway war which mas gone down in the history Of Atlanta as the greatest financial struggle known 10 the south. Millions of dollars were in- volved. The best legal talent obtainaole was employed by each side. Years oi 1 suspense and of political intrigue were suffered, but in the end MT. Atkinson was the victor and the various com nanies were consolidated as the Georgia ] Railway and Electric company, or which MT. Atkinson is now chairman of the board of directors, and which supplies Atlanta and her suburbs with street rail- way facilities, electric lights gas and steam heat. It Is an s1S,OO0,000 property, and has for some time been paying lib' eral dividends to its stockholders.
 Organized Steamship Company.
 MT. Atkinson organized the Brunswick Steamship company, which operates fast freight steamers between Boston, New York, Brunswick, Havana, Tampa and 1 Texas City He organized the Birming- ham Coal and Iron company, and IS i spending In the purchase and develop ment of this company approximately S6,- l coo OOO all of which is being spent In 1 Jefferson county. The approximate total value of terminals in Brunswick Atlanta and Birmingham alone Is s6,0o0,OOO He i built in Atlanta the $1,0O0,000 Empire building, the $500. 900 Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic railroad building. the s300,- l 900 Electric and Gas building, and financed the construction of the hand some new Century building. He organized l in south Georgia the Union Pinopolis 1 Lumber company and in north Florida the Fivay Lumber company.
 These two latter enterprises were the | struction of the now completed Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic railroad. To facilitate the handling of his lumber, 1t was necessary to have tram railroad. This was known as the Triton, Thomas vile and Gulf. In the operation of this railroad he saw the great possibilities for just such a system as he has now com pleted. It was therefore an easy matter for the projectors of the old Brunswick and Birmingham to interest MT. Atkinson in their enterprise when they became in volved in financial difficulties, after build ing out some 95 miles. That was 3h years ago. From that day until this the work has gone steadily forward without a sin gle break. Regular trains are now being operated over the entire system, boats are being operated by the newly-organized steamship company, coal Is being mined and iron manufactured by the newly-or- ganized iron company. Wealth has been created business opportunities increased, additional prosperity secured, and modern progress insured The road Is built on low grades, small percentage of curva- lures to insure the most economical and prompt handling of freight and safety of