The western sentinel., 1892-03-03
BIG THING FOR WINSTON.
The Deal Puts a Feather in the Cap of
the Twin-City.

February 27, 1S92-an impor-
tant date in the history of Winston
Salem.
This is the date OF an event that
will start the liveliest city in the old
North State on a new career OF prog
ress and prosperity.
1t is the linking of it's interest with
the interests of a wealthy progress
sive and liberal corporation, a cor
poration that is justly called the
"Town Builder of the South"
The Norfolk & Western has never in
it's history extended its lines in any
way to any city without great mate
rial benefit for that city. Winston
Salem will be benefited by this deal
in many ways. The officials of the
Norfolk & Western have strong in
fuence with class of capitalists who
have always invested in the South
and are looking for more investments
in a profitable field. 1t realizes that
there are unlimited opportunities for
the dvelopements ofSouthern resour-
ces, and uses its influence for the de-
velopment and upbuilding in which
it is interested.
1t makes solid improvements all
along it's lines, and advertises the
country all along it's lines.
! It's efforts are not devoted to the
advancement of any one special
branch of industry. 1t uses its eff
| forts for the improvement of agri-
| culture as we'll as for the building of
! manufacturing enterprises.
Winston will come in for a large
share of the benefits. to be derived
from this liberal and progressive
spirit.
Then besides this the city's ship
ping facilities will be greatly increas-
ed. The products of her factories
will find their way to centres of pop
ulation through one of the country s
| main arteries of trade.
The Norfolk & Western Railroad
Company has been in existence about
| ten years. The main line extending
| from Norfolk, Va, to Bristol, on the
border of Virginia and Tennessee, a
| distance of 400 miles, was until 1881
known as the Atlantic, Tennessee &
Ohio Railroad.
Billy Malone was at one time the
president of the road, and under his
management it went from bad to
| worse. Norfolk, Petersburg and
| Lynchburg were the only towns on
it's line. Roanoke, Radford and Pu-
laski were unheard of, Bristol was a
struggling village, Liberty, now Bed
| ford City, Pocahontas, Bluefield and
other towns of three to five thousand
inha bitants were mere stations.
The road was without traffic OF
any kind poorly equipped and bank
rupt.
AS far back 1866 the Shenandoah
Valley Railroad was chantered and
/ early in the seventies actual work OF
construction was begun The work
was suspended by the panic of 1878
without any of the line having been
put in operation. However when the
| normal financial condition returned,
work was resumed and in 1880 the
road was completed from Hagers-
town to Waynesboro.
/ Philadelphia, capital, principally
| the Charks, were at the back of the
| enterprise.
L 1t was about this time that the old
Atlantic, Tennessee and Ohio was
advertised for sale under under mort
gage, and in January, 1881 the
road was purchased by one of the
Charkes, of Philadelphia.
| Mr. Clarke was in New York, and
saw an advertisement of the sale and
| decided that the road would make
a good connection for their new line,
the Shenandoah Valley.
i When the sale was made it was Ge-
cided to build to the new line from
Waynesboro to a junction with the
old. The old road was reorganized
and the name changed to Norfolk &
i Western and the junction of the two
lines made at Big Lick, now Roam
oke. The securities of the new cor
poration were placed largely with
foreign capitalists. New life was i'm
bursed into it's management and q
Transformation of the entire country
along the lines Immediately began.
It is impossible in the space of this
article to trace the work of the Nor
folk G Western Railroad in the de-
velopement of Virginia. 1t has been
the leader, the very soul of the move
ment that has made Southwest Vir-
ginia new county 1t has extended
its lines until with its new acquisition,