12 Cbe Conservative.
PKOGKKSS OF SOUTHERN ROADS.
Many good judges are of the opinion
that the nest great development of rail
road prosperity , if not of railroad con
solidation , will be seen in the South.
That region possesses vast possibilities
as yet but little cultivated by modern
promoters. The field is rich and the re
wards of enterprise are close at hand.
In some of the states better laws for the
protection of creditors are needed as a
part of the foundation for industrial
success. These doubtless will come in
time. As for natural products , the
South has an iron region that rivals in
richness and surpasses in cheapness of
production that of Pennsylvania , bitum
inous coal of superior quality in inex
haustible amounts , timber of world
wide fame , a favorable climate for live
stock and miscellaneous agricultural
products of infinite variety , culminating
in cotton , still the king of the South , as
corn and wheat are the king and the
queen of the west.
As elsewhere , of course , the industries
of the South , to whatever extent estab
lished , require facilities for transporta
tion , and speaking broadly , these already
are provided abundantly. One has only
to travel below the Potomac and the
Ohio to become impressed with the great
amount of railway mileage , considering
the sparseuess of population , and with
the general excellence of the transporta
tion service. The average speed of pass
enger trains is by no means low. Indeed ,
in the mountainous regions of the
Appalachian system , in which sharp and
frequent curves are inevitable , it is
quite high enough for comfort. The
freight service in like manner , particu
larly in the handling of perishable fruits
and vegetables , is fairly up-to date ,
although the rules of rate making in the
southern territory are sui generis , and
are open to attack. One hardly could
ask for a better system than that , for
example , of the Central of Georgia , in
which merchandise sent by steamer to
Savannah is laid down regularly , as if
by clockwork , in Birmingham , Ala. , in
five days from New York , or for more
expeditious traveling than that of the
Southern's fast mail at two hours and a
half for the 106 miles between Alexan
dria and Oharlottesville.
Tendency to Consolidate.
The tendency to consolidation has
been less marked below the Potomac
and the Ohio than north of these
natural boundaries , although it has gone
on to no smnll extent. Numerous cross
country and local lines still exist at a
poor dying rate , the only logical end of
which will bo annexation to their more
powerful neighbors. Amalgamation is
prevented to some extent by hostile
legislation , but more by differences of
opinion with regard to value. Railway
lines "built to sell" are not unknown
At the present time the greater part of
the southern mileage east of the Mis
sissippi is embraced in ten systems , viz :
Chesapeake & Ohio , Norfoik & Western ,
Southern , Seaboard , Atlantic Coast ,
Plant , Central of Georgia , Louisville &
Nashville , Mobile & Ohio and Illinois
Central. Of these , of course , the
Illinois Central is more a northern than
a southern company , while the Louis
ville & Nashville , Mobile & Ohio and
Norfolk & Western also have important
interests north of the Ohio. The
Southern and the Seaboard alone are
showing marked tendencies to contin
ued expansion.
What further consolidations , if any ,
among the ten systems , mentioned are
likely to come about , it would be difficult
to say. In the case of the Chesapeake
& Ohio and the Norfolk & Western , the
joint operation of which would be
natural enough , geographically and to
pographically speaking , a formal union
would add little to the security of in
vestors , in view of the large interest and
the powerful influence of the Pennsyl
vania railroad in both properties. The
Central of Georgia already is affiliated
in interest with the Southern. The
Mobile & Ohio is a thorn in the flesh of
the Southern , the Louisville & Nashville
and the Illinois Central , but it is easily
self-sustaining , and to be acquired will
have to be paid for. The Southern has
picked up a number of feeders within
a few mouths , and the Seaboard probably
will follow suit after the completion of
the consolidation of the present system ,
but , so far as is known , no great "deals"
like those of late in Lake Erie & Western ,
Chesapeake & Ohio , etc. , are in sight.
Revenues Increasing- ;
Most of the southern companies for
two years past have had steadily in
creasing revenues , and money for im
provements has not been given out with
a niggardly hand. The conditions of
traffic in the South generally do not lend
themselves to such a maximum of econ
omy in transportation as is possible in
the grain belt of the Northwest or
among the coal and ore carrie'rs of the
trunk lines. More depends there upon
management , less upon natural con
ditions. The important subject of train
mileage has been grappled with great in
telligence by some of the leading man
agers , and particularly those of the
Southern Railway with gratifying re
sults in net income. Much goncl western
blood is now employed with dis
tinguished success in the railroad work
of the South. In the markets for stocks
and bonds , the securities of the leading
lines in that part of the country have
gained in credit materially since 1898.
The disappearance of the distrust that
used to be felt concerning them is no
more than the natural consequence of
the manifest improvement that , accord
ing to all present indications , will go on
to gain strength for some time to come.
Railway Age.
AN INTERESTING DISCOVERY IN
ARCII/KOLOGY.
An inscription , which is regarded as a
verification of biblical history , was
recently discovered on the gateway of
an old palace at Ephesus. This important - '
portant discovery was first announced to
the archieological congress at Rome by
Professor Bohermann of the Vienna
University. The professor of the British
museum has investigated the inscription
and has pronounced it genuine. He re
gards it of great importance as it estab
lishes , ! saysthe authenticity of the cor
respondence alleged to have taken place
between Jesus Christ and King Agrippa.
These letters were written A. D. 97 , and
were found about 84 miles from Icouium.
The letter of King Agrippa to Christ
reads as follows :
"I have heard of theo , and the cures
wrought by theo without herbs or medi
cines. For it is reported that thou
restoreth sight to the blind and make
the lame to walk ; cleauseth the leper ;
raiseth the dead ; casteth out devils and
unclean spirits and healeth those that
are tormented of disease of a long con
tinuance. Hearing all this of thee I
was fully persuaded that thou art the
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