The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-24
A Magnificent System
Embracing NJ re
Than 8 900
Miles.
(I'he Boston Traveler.)


There were FIVE Souths. One is dead.
Then there are the political South, the
Agricultural South the Manufacturing
South, the Railroad South. Each South
is as interesting as it is unique, among
the different sections of this country.
Each is full of changing suggestions.
What is more interesting-one cannot
change in any of its conditions without
affecting each of the others each of the
others singly and all the others as Il
general whole.
Moreover, one cannot resist the
logical conclusion from these reilec-
tions that the Railroad South of today
may not be intelligently considered ex-
cept in relation to the Political South,
the Agricultural South and the Man
ufacturing South. AS the railroad cor
poration adjusts itself to these three
other active principles, so may it look
forward to greater good or greater evil.
Having acquainted myself somewhat
with the various policies at work in the
Seaboard Air Line management, / have
discovered that this, management has
conspicuously kept aloof from the polite
cal concern of the States through which
the system operates 1t has kept not only
on speaking terms, but cordially in touch
with the people in its territory; and one
of tie surest ways to receive considera-
ton from its management is to come
bringing proposition to build UP some
thing, put something together Its poll
CIV is above all constructiye-fro big to
little things, be it a town building pro
iect, a factory, health resort or a
mountain inn.
In other words, the people of Virginia,
North Carolina, South Carolina and
Georgia woke up one morning and were
startled by the discovery that there was
a corporation among them with a soul.
These people had become embittered by
what they claimed to be the prac-
tice Of "absenteeism' in railroad pol
icies. There were those who felt,
according to their further contention,
that they were paying money to corpora
tions, the bulk of which thereafter was
Withheld from return to the legitimate
channels of trade among them. / have
heard it said much in the South that it
was to a large degree from this misun-
derstanding, at least between the rail
roads an dthe people that hostile feelings
were so crystalized as to give impetuS
if not formation to what has been known
as the third party in the South. But
when the people murmured and then
came together into such an organized
party, railroad political department
was at once cunningly created and put
to work i'll some quarters, and Legisla-
lures were handled by means Of brides
or paid attorneys to the further Yexation
of the people.
As the result of my observations, be-
lieye that the fact that the problem of
the proper relation Of the railroads to
the politics, to the agricultural and man
ufacturing interests Of the people was at
the outset vigorously and sagaeiousIy
and humanely grasped, had much to do
with the independent existence today or
the Seaboard Air Line 1t may not be
too much to say that had not tho Sea-
board Air Line inaugHrated in the Soutn
the novel policy Of sharing interests with
the people, it probably would not have
withstood the turbhence and disaster
of the last four years. There were. for
sooth, only 900 miles OF it; but this 900
miles was the long RED heart Of the
watermelon. with the Piedmont slope Of
the Blue Ridge Mountains on one side
and the Atlantic ocean on the other In
between, We're unlimited water power
from the rivers of the mounafns. from
Lynchburg to Chattanooga Midway be-
tween Norfolk and Portsmouth and At
Ianta these mountains are connected
withthe deep sea terminals BY the road
crossing the main line from Rutherford
ton TO Wilmington, and Savannah was
among the near possibilities.
HEART OF THE COTTON BELT.
The president of the Seaboard Air
Line, Mr.. John Shelton Wilkins IF
Richmond, Va, speaking OF this feature,
said:
Drawing line from Lynchburg. Va,
southwestward along the foothills of
the Blue Ridge Mountains, stretching
past Rutherfordton, Charlotte and
Rome, Ga, to Gadsden, thence south
westwardly through Eufaula, Ala, to
ALBANY, Ca, thence northward on
straight line from Albany to Norfolk,