Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-06-12
The Murkpille Guqnirer.
YORKVILLE, 8. C. {:
THURSDAY MORNING, JUNE 12, 1884.
RAILROAD CELEBRATION.

RAILROAD CELEBRATION. .~.
The completion of the Chester and Lenoir
Narrow Gauge Railroad to its northern ter
minus-Lenoir, Caldwell county, N. c.
was the occasion of grand celebration in
that town, on Thursday last. The annual
meeting of the stockholders of the railroad
company was also held there on the same
day, and as is the time-honored custom OF
the management of the road, an excursion
train was run to enable stockholders and
their families to attend the meeting. This
train, in charge of the clever and accommo-
dating conductor, Capt. H. H. Beard, left
Chester at 10 o'clock on Wednesday, arriv-
ing at Yorkville about noon, where it
awaited the south-bound mail and passen-
ger train to pass. Quite a number OF the
good people of Chester and intermediate
points-ladies and gentlemen-were on
board, and this number was augmented at
Yorkville. At o'clock the train sped out
from Yorkville, the front car bearing
streamer with the inscription "Old Rip is
wide awake Linked by bands of iron,
South Carolina rejoices with you.-Let US
rejoice together" This was the conception
of Mr.. J. L. Simons, of Chester, who had
chartered the car to which was attached the
device, and his fraternal sentiment met
hearty response all along the route.
The entire length of the road runs through
a fine agricultural section, and as the train
proceeded on its way the cotton fields of
York and CASTOR, and the fields of golden
grain, ripe for the sickle, in those counties,
were succeeded by broad acres Of verdure in
the counties of Lincoln, Catawba and Cald-
well, the wheat and oats being in their ver-
nal garb, and the familiar "felds of cotton"
yielding to corn, clover and emerald mead
ows.
The most important towns on the line of
road from Yorkville are Clover, in York
county Gastonia and Dallas, in CASTOR
county Lincolnton and Maiden, in Lincoln
county Newton, Conover and Hickorys in
Catawba county and Lenoir, the terminal
point of the road, in Caldwell county, the
latter being a distance of eighty-six miles
from Yorkville. Other towns, however,
are springing up along the road, and if we
may reckon each station smart village,
which is not improbable in the near future,
there will be no less than twenty-one towns
on the line of road from Chester.
Each of those stations furnished its quota
Of passengers, and when the train moved
out from Hickory it was literally laden.
Lenoir was reached at 8 o'clock, the train
running on slow schedule and much time
having been consumed at the different sta
tions. Lenoir was alive with enthusiasm
over the first train of excursionists that had
ever arrived at their town. At the end of
the road, where the depot is to be built,
bonfres were lighted, and throngs of citi-
zens lined the track. The train neared the
end of the journey amid the shouts of the
assembled multitude, and when it was
brought to stop three lusty cheers were
given "for the Charlotte, Columbia and Au-
gusta Railroad"
And now was the hospitality of the town
put to it's test. With only two hotels in
the place, the large crowd of excursionists
could not expect accommodations in them.
Nor did the citizens intend that they should.
Every house in the town was thrown open
and with true North Carolina hospitality
the visitors were invited in and made well
come. It was our good fortune to be quar-
tered at the hospitable residence of Capt.
E. w. Faucette and his accomplished fam
lily, and if all Jared as well as we, the hospi-
tality of Lenoir is firmly established in the
hearts of her South Carolina guests. Here
we may say that we heard but one express
sion of opinion from the excursionists, and
that was that the citizens of Lenoir are the
most open-hearted, hospitable people they
have ever met.
Early Thursday morning the people COM
menced gathering in-not only people from
Caldwell county, but from all the adjoining
counties, and by 10 o'clock it was estima-
ted that fully three thousand persons were
on the streets.
At the hour of 10 the procession was
formed. Suspended across the public square
were massive letters, worked in evergreen
and flowers, &C. & L.", and in the shadow
of these initials, symbolizing the union by
bands of iron, of the two towns remote from
each other, and in different States, Gen. G.
Leventhorpc as Chief Marshal, with twenty
assistants, formed the immense column of
people who had assembled to celebrate the
most important event in the history of the
town. Preceded by the Dallas Brass Band,
the procession formed in the following order:
Railroad officials, representatives Of the
press and committee Of arrangements in
carriages; citizens in carriages; citizens on
foot citizens on horseback. The pro-
cession moved on Ashe street to Mulberry,
thence to East Main street, returning to the
Public Square and thence through West
Main street to the railroad, meeting Presi-
dent Haskell's special train at 1870. His
train arrived on time, and after music by
the band, E. Jones, Esq, Mayor of the
town, delivered an address of welcome.
He briefly reviewed the history of the
road, and the progress Of the work during
the ten years since the first dirt was thrown
in Caldwell county, and outlined the great
Importance that the road will prove to be
to the people of Caldwell. The completion
of the road is an exemplifcation Of what en-
ergy, pluck and perseverance will accom-
plish for people. While they were en-
titled to much credit for what had been
accomplished, to Col. Haskell they were
indebted for its completion. On that day
he more than ever recognized the fact that
the Carolinas are as one. He had seen a
banner on one of the excursion cars with the
inscription Grip Van Wrinkle is wide
awake" He re-echoed that sentiment, and
as an evidence of the fact would say that
with the work just completed it made five
hundred and fifty-nine miles of railroad
built within the State during the last four