The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-18

Who Is Now Extending His
System In West Alabama.
tall. raw-boned companion was William
Toxey. chief engineer of the road.
The presence of a railroad president in
the town did not cause the least sensation.
York refused to rise up and bend it's knee
to even the president of a railroad-not
even when there was a chance for that
town to annex the road But this dere-
fiction on the part of a progressive COM
munity was excusable.
He Visits York.
The first intimation of the identity of
the strangers was when Mr.. Cochrane in
troduced himself to the mayor in front of
one of the leading stores of the place.
Us this the mayor of York?
Being assured that the parsonage ad-
dressed was that celebrity, Mr. Cochrane
/ continued My name is Cochrane. I am
building a railroad through this section
and may want to come through your
| town"
You have my permission" replied the
mayor.
During this brief conference William
Toxey. with head erect, was gazing out
a preliminary survey toward the Gulf of
Mexico.
With the preliminaries so satisfactorily
concluded, John Cochrane and his COM
panion boarded train on the Alabama
Great Southern and departed.
They had journeyed through the country
, from a point in the north end of Sumter
county. where the north end of his system
is being extended southwark to join the
| south end of the road at Silas, in Chocta W
county. The gap to be built between
these two points covers a distance of 60
miles, and Mr.. cochrane hopes TO have the
road complete sometime next year. The
road will cross the Alabama Great South
ern somewhere between Livingston and
Cuba. II York wants the road bad
enough it stands the best chance to get 1t.
Line 1879 Miles Long.
When the line is completed the road will
| be 1s9 miles long extending from Re-
form, in Pickens county. to Mobile. The
road is already in operation from Mobile
| to Silas. a distance of so miles, and from
Reform to Ivy. a distance of something
| like Al miles
| After this gap is completed it is MIR.
| Cochrane's intention to push the north
line into the Birmingham coal fields as
soon as possible This will give the most
direct route from the coal fields to the
| gulf, and win be one of the most impor-
| tant railroads in the state.
While Mr.. Cochrane has made but little
noise he is one of the most energetic de-
velopers In the state The story Of John
| Cochrane's rise in the business world Is
| nothing short OF wonderful. Nine years
/ ago he was an employe Of the Birming-
| ham Belt Line at Tuscaloosa on a small
salary. Today he is at the head of the
| largest individual railroad development In
| Alabama.
He showed his first INCLINATION for road
building while with the Belt Line This
concern had only one mile of track when
he went with it. He was allowed to pro-
ject with the property, and when he
stopped he had added three more miles
This was the limit of possibility or prac-
ticability at the time, and he looked about
for new fields for his energy.
| Had NO Money
He had no money but he wanted to
| build a railroad. He was determined
to build railroad, and that was enough
for John Cochrane. He resigned his
| Job with the Belt line and looked over
| the field. Pickens county and the
| counties to the south seemed to offer
| the very opportunity he wanted. Car
| rollton had no road.
But 1t was real proposition to build
one without money. He secured the
| promise of a bonus of $4,000 from the
people of Carrollton on the compile
| ton of line from Reform. lie bought
| lot of old rails on credit and began
work. He cut poles from the right OF
way that was given to him by the
property owners along the way and on
| these he spiked his rails. The road
was completed In time. but not until
after many difficulties had been sur
mounted. He collected about $4,000 OF
the bonus that had been promised him
and was able to purchase a light
| equipment.
Improves the Service.
| But the road paid at once and he was
| able to improve the service gradually
| Encouraged with this success he push ed
| the road on down from Carrollton to a
| point near the Tombigbee river. He
! did not have money enough to build a
| bridge across the river, so he drove
| down spike. cleared a spot in the
swamp. built temporary platform for
a depot and named the place Alice
| Vile This was in honor OF his wife.
| Aliceyllle has grown to a busy town Of