From Rule's Standard History of Knoxville, Tennessee, with Full Outline of the Natural Advantages, Early Settlement, Territorial Government, Indian Troubles and General and Particular History of the City Down to the Present Time.  Chicago:  The Lewis Publishing Company, 1900.

     In 1891 the mileage of the roads owned, leased and operated by this company, as given by Poor's railway manual, was as follows:

     Included in the mileage of the Meridian subdivision is a section of the Mobile & Ohio railway from Lauderdale to Meridian, Miss., 18 miles, which was used under trackage contract; and included in the Atlanta subdivision was 17.6 miles from Austell to Simpson street, in Atlanta, which is owned jointly by this company and the Georgia Pacific Railway Company.

     The Embreeville branch was opened June 1, 1891, and the Bessemer branch on the same date.  In September, 1891, the company purchased a controlling interest in the Chattanooga Union Railway Company.  The board of directors of the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Railway Company, elected December 16, 1891, was as follows: Samuel Thomas, New York; Calvin S. Brice, Lima, Ohio; John G. Moore, New York; Samuel M. Felton, Cincinnati, Ohio; John H. Inman, New York; James Swann, New York; T. M. Logan, New York; John Greenough, New York; William L. Bull, New York; R. G. Erwin, New York; E. P. Howell, Atlanta; George J. Gould, New York; C. M. McGhee, New York; George Coppell, New York, and E. J. Sanford, Knoxville, Tenn.

     The officers elected were as follows: Samuel M. Felton, Cincinnati, Ohio, president; Calvin S. Brice, vice-president; Henry Fink, New York, second vice-president; J. M. Mitchell, Knoxville, treasurer; William Hawn, Knoxville, auditor; L. M. Schwan, New York, secretary, and C. H. Hudson, Knoxville, general manager.

     Henry Poor's manual for 1893 states that plans for reorganization were under consideration.  According to the manual in 1892, Charles M. McGhee and Henry Fink of New York were appointed receivers of the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Company.  At the election held November 16, 1892, W. G. Oakman of New York became president, and ex-President Samuel M. Felton became vice-president in place of Calvin S. Brice.  Samuel Thomas of New York was again chosen chairman of the board.  Mr. Brice remained as a director.

     The Richmond & Danville railway was sold under foreclosure June 15, 1894, and was purchased by the reorganization committee.  The Southern railway was then organized with the following officers: Samuel Spencer, president; A. B. Andrews, second vice-president; W. H. Baldwin, Jr., third vice-president; Francis Lynde Stetson, general counsel; W. A. C. Ewen, secretary; George S. Hobbs, auditor.  The new company began to operate the property on June 30, 1894.  In 1892, Samuel Spencer, of New York, was added as a receiver of the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Railway Company, in connection with the two former receivers, Messrs. Charles M. McGhee and Henry Fink.  The same board elected November 16, 1892, are reported in Poor's manual for the year 1894.

Southern Railway Depot, Knoxville, circa 1915

     Poor's manual for 1895 gives the following mileage of the Southern at the time of the consolidation:

     The Southern Railway Company was chartered by the legislature of Virginia, February 20, 1894, and the corporation was organized in Richmond, Va., June 18, following.  August 1, 1894, the operation of the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia railroad was assumed, as was that of the Charlotte, Columbia & Augusta, and the Columbia & Greeneville railroad.  Other railroads were acquired September 1, 1894, giving at that date a mileage to the Southern system of 4,429.47 miles.

     October 23, 1894, the following board of directors was elected: Aubin L. Boulware, Richmond, Va.; and the following, all from New York: Charles H. Coster, Harris C. Fahnestock, Thomas F. Ryan, Samuel Spencer, Anthony J. Thomas, Samuel Thomas and Skipwith Wilmer.   (One vacancy.)

     On the same day the following officers were elected: Samuel Spencer, president ; A. B. Andrews, Raleigh, N. C., second vice-president; W. H. Baldwin, Washington, D. C., third vice-president; F. L. Stetson, New York, general counsel; W. A. C. Ewen, New York, secretary, and H. C. Ansley, Washington, D. C., treasurer.  At the time of this election the Principal office was at Richmond, Va., the New York office being at No. 80 Broadway, and the Washington office, No. 1300 Pennsylvania avenue.  Later on other mileage was added to the Southern system and the total mileage, including the Alabama Great Southern, amounting to 5,591.86 miles, was as follows:

Mileage by Divisions.

     On August 1, 1894, the Southern railway assumed the operation of the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia; the Charlotte, Columbia & Augusta and the Columbia & Greenville roads.  The mileage at that time as given by Poor's manual was before given.

     The Southern railway covers almost the entire South, from the Ohio and Potomac rivers to the Gulf, and from the Mississippi to the Atlantic.  There are few important cities which it does not reach, and it gives all points on its lines direct passenger and freight service and facilities scarcely, if at all, surpassed by points on any line.

     Since the organization of the Southern railway, the trackage, grades, equipment and service of the roads amalgamated to form it and afterwards added have been greatly improved.  Patrons have been given facilities not before enjoyed, and such as are now equal to those given by any railroad line.  The administration and policy of the company are progressive and wide-awake.  All that is possible is done to build up the country tributary to the lines of the company, and within the past few years a great development in agriculture, horticulture, manufacturing and commerce has been witnessed.  That development is still in progress.

     The present board of directors is as follows: Hon. Joseph Bryan, Richmond, Va.; Charles H. Coster, H. S. Fahnestock, James T. Woodward and Adrian Iselin, all of New York; S. M. Inman, Atlanta, Ga.; Skipwith Wilmer, Baltimore, Md.; A. B. Andrews, Raleigh, N. C., and William W. Finley, Washington, D. C.  The principal officers are: Samuel Spencer, New York city, president; A. B. Andrews, Raleigh, N. C., first vice-president; W. W. Finley, Washington, D. C., second vice-president; Frank S. Gannon, Washington, D. C., third vice-president and general manager; Francis Lynde Stetson, New York city, general counsel; J. F. Hill, New York city, secretary; A. H. Plant, Washington, D. C., auditor; H. C. Ansley, Washington, treasurer; John M. Culp, Washington, traffic manager; W. A. Turk, Washington, general passenger agent, and M. V. Richards, also of Washington, land and industrial agent.