Atlanta Georgian., 1914-03-01

railroad, and r. r. Cuyler, afterward second
president, the vice president. And so the
railroad organized that plunged through
the ancient forest northwest to Macon. The
venture as momentous would be
transcontnental railroad today and every bit
significant, opening up it did world of
territory into which the Georgia of the white
man might expand.
Until that time, white mans Georgia was
tiny area comprising the cities of Savannah
Augusta and Macon. Beyond was the territory
of the Indians-Creeks and charlottesville
were highly civilized, and therefore protected
by treaties and bonds against encroachment Of
the paIeface.
But when the railroad was built a period of
expansion began. Macon grew overnight from
frontier town to thriving, bustling city.
The white man cast his eye longingly into the
land of the Indians and in 1898, matter of
economic necessity, the Indians We're sent West
by amicable agreement with the Government
Macon and Savannah breathed greatness and
prosperity the one into the other by means of
the connecting link of the railroad. And thus
the jealousy of Augusta aroused, Augusta
being Savannah's rival in those days of the
claim of municipal emnence. Then jealousy
became alarm and the business men of Au-
gusta, realizing it was the railroad that was
giving its rival power, planned also railroad
not to Macon, but, more daring, through the
wilds to Chattanooga Thus, with James Ca
max and John P King as fostering geniuses,
the Georgia Railroad conceived, and the
laying of its track began
Men of Savannah and men of the thriving
Central of Georgia Railroad were nothing if
not resourceful, and they sounded the firm
resolution that Augusta should outstrip them
in nothing Therefore young Telemon Cuyler,
an adventurous and imaginative spirit, and a
capable man with it all, was sent out to survey
a line for railroad to be constructed by the
Central from Macon to Chattanooga, to thwart
the designs of the Augustans. He was the
grandfather of the Telemon Cuyler who re-
lates the enthralling story.
And now, through these more or less inter
estng details, we are led to the incident of the
birth of Atlanta, and to the explanation OF why
it was located where it is instead of on the
ChdttahoOchee RIVER the lOSlCal sue OIL d set
tlement.
Young Cuyler was commissioned to make the
survey with the view to an advantageous
crossing of the Chattahoochee. Thus, his in
structions led him to stop the first lap of his
journey at the top of the highest ridge this side
of the river, from which a crossing could be
arranged, according to a subsequent survey, by
easy gradations. He drove stake when he
= had reached the top of the ridge, and wrote
on the stake Terminus"
The identical spot lies within the trainshed
of the present Union Station, and it is marked
to-day by a square, battered stone pillar. But
of that pillar later
Along came the surveyors of the Georgia
Railroad, the Augusta enterprise. And as the
Terminus" of Telemon Cuyler was the logical
end of this stage of their travels, they also
rested at the stake.
Now, it was beginning to occur both to Sa-
vannah and Augusta that the construction of
railroad clear through to Chattanooga was
a more prodigious venture than they first had