The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1908-09-10
COMPLETION OF THE A., 3. & A.

4
the following editorial:
In fitting combination Of circum-
lstances. the distinguishing event Of
Labor Day in birmingham, the Pitts
burg OF re South. was the official en-
trance into that city Of the Atlanta,
Birmingham and Atlantic railroad.
&c more appropriate occasion could
Ihave been chosen for the formal de-
but ard welcoming Of the new south
ern trunk line. which is to give the
expanding industries of Birmingham
ianother outlet<to the Atlantic, while
contributing its inevitable part to the
development Of the rich resources Of
the portions Of Georgia and Alabama
traversed by its main tracks.
Reports from Birmingham indicate
that the people of that city were fully
awake TO the Importance of the event.
The private in the army Of industry
that is slowly Transforming the Ala
hama metropolis into the greatest steel
IanG iron producing center in America,
jcined with the official higher up" in
making the welcome Ct the new rail.
road the heartiest and most democra-
tic in the history Of Birmingham.
With the celebration of the compile
ton Of the last link in an enterprise
dlstinctively southern. it is but the
part Of justice that due credit should
be given to the initiative. the courage
and the persistence Of the president
cf this railroad. H. N. Atkinson, Of
Atlanta. He represents the highest
type Of the constructor. the man who
builds. who dreams of large practical
usefulness and who possesses the BRAY
cry and the capacity to bring them
into the realm Of actuality.
It is to his energy, his far-seeing i'm
agination and his unwayerlng faith
in himself and his projects that the
millions Of people and the tremendous
property interests affected by the con.
struction Of the Atlanta Birmingham
and Atlantic railroad owe the fact
that it today exists as a powerfully
potential factor in the development Of
the south.
When Mr.. Atinkson originally an
Incunced his intention of laying down
new connection between the Allan.
tic and the. west in the shape of a
railroad which should rank in equip
ment with any of the dominant trunk
lines of the east, there were plenty of
pessimists TO predict that ne had I'M
derwritten an impossiblity Their
morbid forecasts found further encour-
agement when the stringency Of last
fall and the ensuing depression
brought important construction Of all
classes to a temporary halt.
But they did not reckon with the
caliber of the man who had placed
the whole force of his energy and de
termination behind a work he had
made the GROWING ambition of his
| life. For every obstacle he developed
Enew energy, fresh exped.ents When
Iseemingly Weather roads found it
advisable 10 curtail construction, he
pushed the building of the line, the
erection OF his terminals and the Sc
curing of his equipment with surpris.
ing activity and an abundance of con
ddence in the ultimate outcome,
| AS result, this splendid new rail
road stands practically completed to-
day, and within a few days the prod
ucts cf the mines and the foundries OF
the Birmingham district will begin to
roll over its tracks through Alabama
and Georgia to the magnificent ter
minals provided at Brunswick, and
thence by the steamship line, also
part of the Atkinson system, ~ the
distributing centers of the east
! Approaching the economic and in
dustrial significance of the completion
of the Atlanta. Birmingham and At
lantic, the people of this section should
not lose sight of the rare constructive
igenius of the man who has made it
possible,
| The south needs more of his kind
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