The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1888-04-18
To Have a Street Railway.

Mr. r.Aesop tells fable which runs
so aewhat thus: A lark had built
her nest in a wheat field. On one
occasion, upon her return home, her
offspring, with much concern, told
her the owners of the field had been
ont and arranged with some neigh
bors to gather The harvest. The
mother bird with much wisdom told
the young ones not to be alarmed,
that they would not be disturbed
yet awhile. The next day, sure
enough, the neighbors tailed to re-
spond The master came the next
evening, aud said he would send for
his cousins and nephews to come
and harvest the grain. When the
old bird was told this, she again
cautioned her pets To be calm, that
they would not yet be disturbed.
The relatives failing TO put in an
temperance, the master told his boys
to be ready early the next morning,
that they would not further depend
on others, bat do the a0ork themselves
When the old bird was told this she
told the children 10 prepare at once
to move.
Our people have waited upon
strangers and others for several
years to come and build street
railway, only to be disappointed.
Finally, our people began to con-
suit among themselves ana deter-
mined they, themselves. could do
the work. As one and another plan
had tailed, some gentlemen inter
ested in South Ashevilie asked the
privilege of building a line from the
depot, through that section, to the
public square, whereupon, Capt.
Atkinson whose energies and pub
lie spirit comprehsnda the entire
CITY and section. fearing their short
stem -winder might DO damage t IL
larger system, bestirred himself and
fo2nd other prominent ana progress
sive capitalists ot the city 10 join
him and pledge the immediate cons
struction of n system extending
from the depot up Depot Street to
Patton Avenue. thence to Main
Street, up -and down Main Street
from Wo0dtin corner to town
branch, and from the square down
Cp.l1gr, Oak, NOodtin, Charlotte,
Cnes:llu, ria Mrrrimon Avenue to
North Main and back to a conn-c-
tiDN ut the WO0dtin corner,
luis system is to be built, that por-
ti1n from the depot TO the public
square within six months from the
granting & the charter in Decem-
Der last, and completed as above
mapped out within TWO Yeas frnm
December, or all rights, privi-
!egeS, etc granted by the authorities
shall be forfeited. Capt A. and his
associates accept this charter with
all its obligations, and, on condition
that no charter or privileges be
granted TO any other company
agreed to file Il good bond for five
thousand dollars as guarantee OF
the fulfllment of the contract, to lie
forfeited in case of failure. Too
much credit cannot be given Capt
Atkinson and his associates, Messrs
Reynolds, Williamson, W. W. Bar
nard, J. E. Ray for their energy; but
it illustrates the fable we have
given, that when our people deter
mine to do for themselves they sue
ceed. The gentlemen who proposed
the Soutbside stem winder are also
entitled to the gratitude of the COM
munity for their proposition, for it
Immediately breatLed the breath of
life into that which was most un-
interesting corpse, and will secure
for Asheviile very considerable
benefit. While they have not sue
ceeded for tie present in obtaining
permission to build their short line,
they haye emphasized one fact, that
the system when completed, either
by the one or the other company,
must comprehend the extension of
a line through that section at an
early date. If one company will
not construct it another will.
So altogether the self dependence
of our own people is the greatest re-
lance for Asheville after all. We
will have q street railway, now that
our own people have taken hold of
the matter.