Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1893-06-15
RAILWAY QUESTION AGAIN
TIMELY AND SENSIBLE SUG-
GIsST ION MADE.
A Preliminary survey of thc
Route. 10 bristol 5a d be Nh aSle
tO Have something 10 work


EDrroK TIE CITIzEN:-This is not the
"gildcd age" therefore railroads cannot
be built with talk. Our people at last
have come to realize the Importance of
another railroad connection north and
west. While this awaking seems to
some of us like locking the door after
the horse has been stolen, it will certainly
do no harm to agitate the question. In
my opinion this connection could have
been secured three or four years ago by
a united effort ON the part of our people,
but they did not see proper to make it.
We now seek to secure it at time of the
greatest financial depression known for
many years, and when it seems almost
impossible to enlist capital Or any enter
prise.
These being the conditions that con-
front us. what should we do? 1 think
we should go to work as practical busi-
ness men and be ready when money is
seeking investment to present this scheme
in n practical business way. Are we
doing this when we talk about diverting
500, 600 of Asheville street bonds to
building a railroad to Bristol! Arc VIC
talking business when we talk now
about building three or four lines run
ming out from Asbcville? l think not.
If understand the situation it is that
we want first railroad connection
north, say with the Norfolk and Western.
at Bristol or some other point, and that
conservative business men think Ashe-
| would cover herself with glory by secur-
ing this one route now.
My idea is that the first step to take
| is to employ competent engineer and
have an accurate survey OF the route
| made, so that when we arc ready to sub
| NIT the question either to our people to
vote on or to capitalists we will be in I,
position to show proties of the work, csti-
| mates of the cost, maps of the section
| through which we propose to build and
| such other information as we will have
| to forward before we get capitalists in
| tcrcSted.
If the counties have right to make
| an appropriation for this survey they
should do it. If not. an organization
| should be formed and stock subscribed
| sufficient for this purpose, with the
| understanding that the charter and
stock should be turned over to the coun-
| tics upon payment of the assets expended.
| Certainly the people of Buncom bc
county are clear headed enough to see
| that the building of this road must be OF
| incalculable benefit to all portions OF the
| country and that it must necessarily y
bring out the building of one or more
| roads. 1t seems to me that when we
have a survey made as above indicated,
and submit the same to the Norfolk and
Western people, or any other company
that would likely be Interested, and get
from them proposition, that we would
then be in position to submit our in
telligcnt proposition to our people to
| vote on.
If l am not mistaken the engineer ot
the Norfolk and Western railroad in a
letter to Capt. Atkinson a year or SO
ago offered to make this survey upon very
| reasonable terms. p.
THE CITIZEN is informed that the
money for such preliminary survey as
is indicated i'll the foregoing could rcadi
ly be Secured.-ED. CITIZEN.