Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1908-06-20
A Notable Address.

Inc OCCASION was 6u lbs anu UHc 6u-
dress makes good reading to those who are inter
ested in the great A. B. & A. system and the de-
velopment of Georgia:
sMR PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN:
1t is gratifying to me to be here tonight
among so many Of my friends. am glad SO many
of our friends along the A. B. & A. r. r. are here
as it bears such strong testimony in their interest
in the work of building it and its future success.
This work began three years ago this month. The
significance of this celebration and one of its oppOr
tunities is that it enables me to tender and dedi
cate the A. B. & A. r.. r. and it's allied interests
to the service of the people Of Georgia and Alaba
ma do this heartily. l pledge you that its
aim will be to develop; that your interests it's
interests and that it will deal fairly with you
man to man. 1t cannot live without your support
it will not deserve to unless it you faithful
ly.
A brief description of the work might proper
ly come from me tonight-the story of what it is
and what it hopes to accomplish.
This, as l have just said, is the third anniyer-
sary of the beginning of the construction work,
not only of the A. B. & A. r. r. but it's allied
companies. The work is practically finished;
trains are running from Brunswick to Atlanta, and
will be running from Brunswick to Birmingham
by about August l. 1908; our ships are giving
regular service between New York and Brunswick
in connection with the A. B. & A. r. r. and 9th
er railroads. Our coal is being mined and our
iron manufactured on our road thruOut our terri
tory and on our ships and other ships from Bruins
wick.
This work, now nearly completed, covers the
construction at one time of $50 miles of railroad,
Gas the portions acquired have been reconstruct
ed with 100 miles of secondary track in addition,
or $50 miles in all; the construction and putting
in operation of the line of steamships the cOnstruc
ton of iron furnaces the construction of coal mines
the construction of terminals not only at Atlanta,
Birmingham and Brunswick, as well as all the
other points, but at New York also. When / say
that it took five years to acquire orr terminals
at Atlanta and that we purchased the property
from three hundred different owners, it will give
YOU some idea of the labor involved.
Part of the construction work has also been
the construction of 70 locomotives, 63 passenger
cars and nearly 5000 freight cars half of
the freight cars having been constructed in Georgia.
In addition, the Tampa Northern Railroad is
now under construction from Thomasville to Tampa
distance of $50 miles, SO miles of this road being
completed and in operation. 1t is owned by the
same people
Here are few of the details of this work:
$4,000, 900 cubic yards Of excavated material
requiring 20, 900 men; 10000 mules and % steam
shovels (steam shOvels being equivalent to 15O men
each, or total of 3, $50 men; and would move 375,
900 yards Of excavation per month";
S,OOO 900 pounds of explosives were used in
blasting rock.
$4,000 cubic yards of concrete were used in
culverts and bridge piers and abutements-requir-
ing about $780, 900 barrels, or IL; 900 car loads of
cement which, if put in one train, would make
train miles long.
$4,000 yards of this concrete was reinforced
steel bars the weight of which aggregated 900
pounds
On the work now being completed and started
three years ago. there ITO steel spans of bridges
aggregating 5000 hneal feet, and weighing H. 7OO
900 pounds.
On the track laying, there has been used:
2,340, 900 tics, So, 900 tons of rail, 5,450,OOO
pounds of track spikes, 100000 pounds of bolts.
This work is all new work. Existing proper.
ties were not consolidated. New wealth has been
created, which is an absolute addition to existing
values The road is developing new territory and
creating new towns.
All of the various companies are incorporated
locally and managed locally. Each of our patrons
from the smallest to the greatest can reach any of
the officials at any time and get prompt action
The work means years of unremitting toll and
heavy responsibility years full of anxiety and dis