The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1921-03-02
Is Rumored That Frisco May Buy
Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic
Moultire Railroad Men Suspect
Big Roads Trying to Freeze
Out A. B. & A.
Supposition is Rife Among In
terested People All Along
Line of Road

Moultrie, March, Out of the
chaos on the A. B. and A. Railroad
caused by the protested inability Of
the road to pay the salaries demand,
ed by its employees, important posi-.
billties that loom before the public
mind at this time are these questions
rs the Frisco system attempting to
get possession of the A. B. and A.
and thus obtain an outlet to the At.
lantic Seabord?"
Are the biggest trunk lines of the
country working in unison to force
the Junking of the A. B. and A., or
to freeze out the little fellows so that
one of the bigger systems can OBJ
tain control?"
will B. L. Bugg, president of the
A, b. and A. road, now its receiver
be able under court order to carry
out his original order to reduce oper.
atlng expenses by cutting salaries.
there are many phases of the stu
alton on the A.. B. & A. road that
are causing daily comment among
railroad men of this section who are
studying the situation from its diff.
ferent angles and who look for almos,
anything to develop. They have seen
other deals put through overnight
The A. B. and A. railroad has more
than 500 miles of roadway, in a sys.
tenn extending from Birmingham to
brunswick, with connecting links ex-
tended from Atlanta to Mancheste,
and other branches extending into the
along the Florida line,
Has Splendid Equipment
The road has equipment that is far
ahead of its roadbed, according tc
some of the best posted railroad men
III this city who are familiar with the
situation. They have locomotives big.
ger and better than any one on the
Central of Georgia system.
The line extends through a fertile
section of Georgia. section that If
normal times would furnish lots O.
business to the system. Then there !,
the Seaboard trade, with the connec
tons established with line of steam
ers extending to New York and Bos
ton that in normal times help to swell
the revenue of the company.
But for months and months thi,
business has been below normal N,
road IN the South at the present finn,
could exist if they were confined
to the business of the territory il
which they operate, railroad men saw
Other big trunk lines have been more
fortunate, having through bushes.
with which to fatten their earnings
Much of the through business which
IS holding up the trunk lines extend
ing INTO the South is in the touris,
passenger business and the necessary
freight business that must follow ir
The wake of this traffic. Tourists NAV
be llkened to soldiers. And an army
OF tourists must be fed, just as an
army of soldiers.
Need More Business
Every trunk line in the South could
handle more business Naturally if
would be to their interests to force
decline in the valuation of the A,
b. and A. securities, even to the ex-
tent Of forcing the junking of that
line. For which the elimination of the
A. B. and A. there would be less COM
petition and more revenue would be
coming into the former competing
lines.
But in the event that such a con-
dition should be brought about there
is a possibility that the Frisco svs-
tenn which for years has been look
ing for an outlet to the Atlantic Sea-
board, would step in and buy I'D the
property, giving it a short route from
Birmingham to Brunswick, and with
connections in tIanfa