The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1917-01-07
NAsY IMPROVEMENTS 10
FOLLOW PURCHASE 90
NO& &NfRn
WILL PUT ON A
THROUGH TRAIN
rbh Train VIII Ron rrom New
Yoft Direct 90 New Orleans
Va Meridian.

I.. tmI. aa.'sI ihai tbs re
aa. purchase Of lbr yee Orleans
aad Northeastern By he Southern
GmIall a la la followed by many
Improvements prominent among
.bem He.u.hnss through train which
uil rub from Eea Yors go New or.
lean. va Atlanta birmingham and
Meridian The Improvements con.
.,mputed are enumerated in the FOL.
lowing article, which s taken from d
recent issue of tbe Meridian Star
Very important developments are
expected to follow the acquisition Of
the New Orleans and Northeastern
railroad by the Southern Railway
Company which has been announced
by President FairfuN Harrison,
through H. w. Miller. vice president
Of the system at Atlanta. Secretary
James Bozeman of the Meridian
Board Of Trade and Cotton Exchange
calls attention TO the following ar
tiele appearing in the January 4 is
sue of the Manufacturer Record,
relative to changes and Improvements
that will, in an probability be made
on the road under It's new manage
ment:
English stockholders in the road,
known as the Ehrlander interest, dis
posed of their securities (about
$12,500,000) TO 3. ? Morgan 4 Co.
Of New York, and it was stated at
the time that the purchase was made
in the interest of the Sonthorn Rail-
way, which statement is now confirm
ed officially.
Although the Southern Railway
Company has declined to make any
statement at present than that the
New Orleans and Northeastern rail-
road has been acquired it is under
stood in railroad circles south that
the company will, as soon as advan-
tageously possible, establish a new
through route between New York and
New Orleans, trains going to Atlanta
as at present, but from there going
over the Southern's own lines via
Birmingham to Meridian, Miss, and
thence over the New Orleans and
Northeastern railroad l96 miles to
New Orleans. Valuable waterfront
and terminal facilities at the Crescent
City will also be obtained
That this route win become the
main line to and from New Orleans
for eastern travel is fully expected,
and that it will be double tracked and
built up to high standard to cor.
respond with the Southern Railways
main line between Washington and
Atlanta. on which the second track
all the way through is fast nearing
completion, is also regarded as fore
gone conclusion. The Queen and
| Crescent route service will continue
as it has always been, from Cincinnati
via Chattanooga and Meridian to and
from New Orleans.
1t was stated at the Southern RaA-
way offices in Washington with ref
erence to the acquisition Of the New
Orleans and Northeastern that no
new construction as a result of the
deal is proposed at present. This.
Of course, does not mean that double
tracking may not follow any consid-
cradle increase in the traffic Of the
road.
Between Atlanta and New Orleans
the New York trains of the Southern
Railway now run over the Atlanta
and West Point railroad and Western
Railway of Alabama from Atlanta
to Montgomery and thence over the
Louisville and Nashville railroad via
Mobile to New Orleans, this arrange
ment being under traffic agreements
with those lines By adopting the
new route via Birmingham and Meri-
dian. the Southern would have
through line entirely under its own
control and all the revenues from
which would be its own advantage.
But the agreements with the roads
named must be terminated before
the new route could be adopted.
Il must be noted that the Southern
Railway In acquiring the New Or
leans and Northeastern gives up its
minority interest in the Alabama and
Vicksburg railway from Meridian to
Vicksburg, Miss, and the Vicksburg,
Shreveport and Pacific railway from
Delta opposite Viekshurg n.the Mis-
SiSgipui river To Shreveport La