| Annual Report of the Atlantic & Gulf RR |
| as of February 1, 1862, |
| President's Report |
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| Office A. & G. R. R. Co. |
| Savannah, February 1, 1862 |
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| To the Stockholders of the Atlantic
& Gulf Rail Road Company |
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The President and Directors of the Atlantic & Gulf Rail
Road Company being desirous not to depart from a long and well
established good rule, of reporting the progress and condition of
their charge, to those most interested in the welfare of the work,
while they have but little to report, respectfully submit to the
Stockholders the following remarks, with the report of the Chief
Engineer, J. S. Stone, Esq., and the Treasurer's Report. The past year
is one that will long be remembered, and occupy a space in history,
that will forever mark a distinct reproach upon individuals who are
more desirous to take care of the consciences and characters of other
persons, than to preserve their own from reproach. the history of
breaking up this country is the history of such persons as now hover
around our shores, seeking what they can find to destroy: acting under
a strange delusion, are endeavoring to make us think that they are
working for our benefit. The acts of such people have retarded the
progress of this Road, and while they continue to blockade our ports
and hold the veins of commerce in a stagnant condition, there will be
but little inducement to extend this work on the heretofore
contemplated line. The war, however, has fully developed the actual
necessity of Rail Roads all along our sea coast, and it is with
feelings of great satisfaction, that the writer can now look back and
see the agency that he has had in the construction of sea-board Roads,
which now exist from Charleston, in South Carolina, to Thomasville, in
Georgia, three hundred miles, and the further prospect of the progress
of such Roads is quite gratifying. To more fully comprehend this idea
of sea-board Roads, a digression must be permitted, to bring the
subject more directly before your notice. When the sea-coast Road was
commenced, the idea was to run it as straight to Mobile as possible,
and a prospective line was run, passing through Tallahassee, Florida,
below the junction of the Flint and Chattahoochee rivers, and on to
Mobile, a distance of but little over four hundred miles from
Savannah. Progressing wit this view, causes arose which changed the
course of the Road, though not the contemplated destination. Our
friends in Florida made objections to its passing through their State,
and although your Road has gone on and diverged from its first
intention, may we not now look for a more favorable views from our
friends in Florida, and yet hope to see the diverging point from our
Road through Monticello, Tallahassee, and on to Pensacola, where the
prospect for a large Gulf City is beyond a peradventure. Yet we should
not lose sight of extending the Road on its present course, and with
all the expedition possible, to Bainbridge, and thence onward to
connect with the Vicksburg lines.
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| I will state, that although
you have a finished Road, one hundred and thirty-two miles long, over
which the cars are rolling daily, you have no rolling stock. The
Savannah, Albany & Gulf Rail Road Company having commenced the
enterprise of building this sea-coast Road, had completed sixty-eight
miles of their Road when your Road commenced, and the rolling stock
was on that Road; and that Road has continued to run their cars on
your Road up to this time, under an arrangement of a division of
earnings. So far, this work has been done harmoniously, and it might
perhaps continue to go on harmoniously for ages to come. There may
arise interests, however, that will cause jarring. There is now a Road
from Brunswick intersecting your Road ninety miles from Savannah and
one hundred and ten miles from Thomasville; there is a Road being
constructed from your Road to the Pensacola & Georgia Road, in
Florida; there may, hereafter be a Road to Pensacola via Tallahassee,
and there is quite a prospect that there will be a Road from Macon
crossing the line in the vicinity of Doctor Town; this Road has been
commenced, and there is thirty miles completed running out of Macon,
and considerable work has been done on the line. |
| Again, the Savannah, Albany
& Gulf Rail Road Company contemplate, at an early day to extend
that Road to Tybee Island, and for that purpose obtained an amendment
to its Charter at the last meeting of the Legislature, and as one of
the evidences of its practicability, usefulness and benefit, the
Central Rail Road and Banking Company, always vigilant and watchful,
caused an amendment to be added to that bill before it was passed,
giving that Road all the rights and benefits of the Road, by not
allowing any discrimination against it. Illiberal and uncalled
for as this amendment was, it is to be hoped, that as the Central Rail
Road and Banking Company have claimed the right of its benefits, that
it will be generous enough to aid in its construction. |
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With all these prospects ahead, the proposition is
submitted whether or not it would be for the interest and mutual
benefit of the Atlantic & Gulf Rail Road and the Savannah, Albany
& Gulf Rail Road, to connect their interests, as the Roads are
connected, and make it one. The process might be made very simple, by
taking each Road at its respective cost, merge them into one, and
issue Scrip of the one Company where the Scrip of the two is now held.
This might perhaps require some legislation, but it would not be
improper to have the adjustment arranged, if it be a feasible one and
as the City of Savannah owns One Million of Dollars of the Capital
Stock of the Savannah, Albany & Gulf Rail Road Company, and Two
Hundred Thousand Dollars of the Capital Stock of the Atlantic &
Gulf, and the State of Georgia will soon own One Million of Dollars of
the Atlantic & Gulf, it would appear feasible, that those two
large interest should take the subject into consideration.
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In the first and second annual reports of this Company,
you will find reference made to a grant of public land which was
obtained to aid this Road onward through Alabama. The State of
Alabama received that grant, and gave her assent that this Company
should have the land so granted. This subject is referred to more at
this time to keep the rights of the Company where they may not be
forgotten, and at some future day they may be respected when the
question of Public Lands in the Confederacy comes up.
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Referring to the report of your Chief Engineer for the
progress of your Road, and other valuable information; and to
the statement of your Treasurer for the monetary statement, and a list
of Stockholders, which forms part of the interesting history of this
Company, I simply state that the printed history of this Company is
one that is valuable, and ought to be preserved, and to do that it
should be bound.
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Respectfully submitted by
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Hiram Roberts
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Vice President
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