The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-09-07

SONAAAh AOA0O q AON
intended for Mr.. Ohio Wilson or his
mother, but was sent before Mr.. Viii.
son or his mother ever thought of it,
or intended for any person I could get
who would keep q first class table. The
management was left entirely to me
and my recollection is that / never
mentioned the matter to Col. Andrews
until the trade was contaminated
through Mr.. Ohio Wilson for his
mother.
''The land upon which the Round
Knob property was located belonged to
John Malone, Col. Crockford and my
self. This party owed a debt of about
So. 900 to R h. Brown, of Mcdowell
county. lam the only one of the parties
now living, and was alone responsible
for the debt. For the hotel itself 1 paid
6 5000, Col. Andrews So 600, Col. An
drews' interest being about one quarter
Of the hotel, with about ten acres Of
land adjoining. Before the receipt of
your le tier I had no idea that any man
in North Carolina seriously considered
that my owning a piece of property
Jointly with Col. Andrews and held
jointly by US since 1881, and now
rented by a widow, which being in ad
dition to a summer resort was q dinner
station for the passenger trains of the
Southern Railway, would ever in any
way be so construed as to make me in
any form under obligations to the
Southern Railway. Finding, however,
by your letter that there were parties
who believed, or pretended to believe,
that this was indirectly a violation of
the act, 1 promptly, under the advice
of friends, to avoid even the appear
ance of evil decided my individual in
terests in the property to r. H. Brown
for his claim OF about So 900, about the
value at the present depreciation of
the property. This was done agreeably
to section 1, of the act, to avoid any
criticism by even the captious as to my
conduct as Railroad Commissioner,
feeling no ~uneasiness that your fairness
as a judge should be so biased as to de-
eide that with the showing made you
could with any pTetension of justice
me from the Office now held by
the unanimous support of the legisla
ture of North Carolina; for this u1pre-
cedented compliment, I have never
before had an opportunity to return
thanks.
"As to the charges about my son 1
will say that he is no minor, as charged,
but is q years old, and is one of the
Oldest employees on the division upon
which he is stationed. About seven
years ago the agent at Morganton re
signed. My son was his chief clerk,
and in the very line of promotion. V.
E McBee, General Superintendent Of
the Seaboard Air Line, was at that
time Superintendent of that division;
he had previously promised by son, as
was told, that he would promote him
at the first opportunity. Mr.. McBee
kept his promise. Ihave no recollec
tion of it, but it is more than probable
that I spoke to Capt McBee in his be
half. Il would have been a most I'm
natural father who would have done
otherwise.
l believe this covers the entire bill of
charges. But there ere other matters
of rumor, not in your letter, but cslcu
lated TO prejudice your mind. I con
slider it but simple justice to state the
facts as to each one. 1t is charged tRat
when the SeabOard system was endeev
oring TO give the people cheap rates, 1
interfered. The following is a copy Of
orders in the case. See report OF the
Commissioners to the Governor, page
213: 1t appears from press reports
Gbae reduced rates have been again CT
dered 10 &c put IN effect from certain
points outside Of this State 70 certain
points within, clearly causing a dis
crimiDaticn In violation Of the long
and short haul clause Of the act Great
ing the commission. Justice to the
local business Of the State requires US
TO take prompt action. It is therefore
ordered by the Commission that ell
roads doing business in the State OF
North Carolina shall reduce their local
tariffs Of passenger and freight in the
same proportion as has been done by
them on their through business
1T was my opinion then that cur
own folks should have aE least as good
treatment as outsiders l drew The
order and would do so again under
similar circumstances. IL is also
charged On the streets that the Sea.
hrard ezstam Was unfairly Dealt with