The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-02-03
We're Given Railroad King When
He Arrived in Georgia.
BE GOOD TO HIM, SAID GUYT

He Was Wined and Dined and Made
Much of in the Big Cities of the
State. Says He May Spend Ten
Million Dollars Improving the Cen
trail Railroad, and May Also De-
eide to Add the Seaboard to His
Collection.
Edward H. Hartman, the great
railroad king of the world and owner
of the Central of Georgia railway,
spent several days in Georgia last
week, visiting Augusta, Savannah
Macon and Atlanta
At all of these places he was en-
Enthusiastically received and lavishly
entertained. Even the state govern
ment, which would have had a half
dozen duck fits and very likely called
out the militia to eject him from the
confines of the commonwealth had
he ventured down here two or three
years ago, extended the glad hand.
Hon. Guyt. McLendOn, who was once
alert in beating the tOm-tom and
dloillS Jue CIy vi dldIIl whenever q
railroad Octopus was about (and
often when one WASN'T, and the
representative of the administration
in matters pertaining to railroads and
railroad high gave
out statement to the press urging
and advising the people to receive
Mr., Hartman as great man should
be received.
Behold! the COnquering Hero Comes.
Mr. McLendon, who is chairman
of the Georgia railroad commission,
proclaimed to the people that the
great railroad magnate is not dan
gerous, and not to mind about his
being ViOlator of the antitrust law
The woods are full of them. Two
men cannot agree on forming a part
nership without violating the re
straint of trade provision, and the
thing is antiquated anyhow. Look
to the achievements of the great rail
road trusts, he said. Look at the
Pennsylvania railroad. 1t swallowed |
up $50 corporations. Did it hurt
them? They are not complaining of |
the fact if it did. Did it hurt the |
boacOnstrictor that deglutoniZed |
them? 1t is a quarter Of a century
since the Penny" complained of |
any pain or feeling of goneness in |
its Intervals. 1t is feeling pretty
well now, thank you. Destoyed |
competition? Oh, yes; it destroyed |
some little competitors and created |
some big ones. And then Mr.. Nc |
LendOn quotes what the Interstate |
Railroad Commission said about this |
man who swallows railroads at a
meal and yet will say nothing as to
how the trick is done:
1t has been, however, no part
of the Hartman policy to per
nit the properties which we're
brought under the Union Pa
cific control to degenerate and
decline; as railroads they are
better property today, with low
er grades, straighter tracks, and
more ample equipment than
they were when they came I'M
der that control. Large sums
have been generously expanding
IN the carrying on OF engineering
works and betterments, which
make for the improvement of
the service and the permanent
value of the property"
And so the barriers fall. And the !
conquering hero comes, and marches !
through Georgia, not like Sherman. |
with fire and sword, but with no
weapons but a smile backed by mil
lions. And everything and every
body capitulates before him.
VIII Spend Millions If
In Augusta at a banquet given in
his honor by the chamber of com |
merce of that city Mr. Hartman
outlined the policy of his railroads
in the state of Georgia, and in con-
uensed form they are as follows:
IF the people of the state will
cease to be antagonistic to the rail-
road interest he will spend ten mil
lion dollars on the Central of Geor-
gia, of which road he is the controll-
ing factor, and that if he improves
his property the other roads will have