Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-05-31
UP THE NARROW GAUGE.


material for a story of the trip; but
incidentally for recreation and pleas
ure, representative of The ENoUI-
RER went over all but few miles of the
Carolina and North Western last Sat-
urday. 1t was the first time this par
ticular representative had made the
trip in a half dozen years or more,
and during the day he saw a great
deal of which he had previously bad
but an imperfect idea.
As matter of fact, the Carolina
and North. Western is an interesting
line of railroad. From Yorkvilie to
Gastonia the features presented are
generally quite commonplace, espe.
cially to the people of this immedi-
ate section. About the only thing that
is calculated to attract especial atten-
ton is the building of the "new" cot
ton mill at Glover. Work is now un-
der full headway and progressing rap
idly. 1t is in the form of an addition
to the old mill, practically doubling
the capacity of the latter, and furnish
ing a guarantee of the increased i'm
portance of the town.
On up to Gastonia there have been
very few changes. in the landscape.
The country looksjust about the same
as it has looked for years. There are
the same cotton and corn crops along
the sides of the railroad but maybe a
little more wheat than for sometime
past. There is. also a considerable
amount of timber; much more than is
to be seen along the railroad further
south. However, one does not begin
to grow really interested until he
reaches Gastonia. UP to that point he
has been pretty lonesome on the train.
There are only two or three passengers
besides himself. At Gastonia, howev-
er, quite a crowd comes aboard, and
fills most of the seats. From the rail-
road the town looks about like any
other town but it quickly develops
that the wonderful growth and pro-
gress of the place is the principal topic
of conversation among the new pas
sengers. One of them was heard to
say: "It is the post progressive town
in the state, and it is growing faster
than any other town in either North
or South Carolina. They already
have five or six cotton mills here, and
understand they are preparing to let
contracts for three more in week or
two. Yes, sir it beats anything in
the way of progress I ever saw"
Members of the party to whom the
speaker addressed his remarks, each
had something to say along the same
line, and it was quite clear that the
progressive little city is at no loss for
friends to trumpet its rapid strides.
Dallas is a small old town of slow
growth. There is cotton mill there,
and in the immediate vicinity of the
depot there seems to be plenty of in
dustrial activity. On up to Lincoln
ton there is no special incident to at
tract attention, except the station of
Hardin's, near which there is a cotton
mill run by water power. 1t is located
on the South Fork of Catawba river.
At Lincolnton there is a close con-
nection with the Seaboard Air Line
train. going toward Shelby. Most of
the passengers who had taken the
Carolina and North Western at Cas-
tonia got off here, and few new pas
sengers got on to 60 further up the
road i; some stopping off at Maiden,
Newton, Conover and Hickory, all
towns.
The most noticeable feature Of the
landscape on approaching Newton, is
the famous wheat fields of Catawba
county. Fields of wheat extend back
as far as the eye can reach on either
side of the railroad, and most of it looks
as if it is good for at least 10 or 15
bushels to the acre, or perhaps more.
1t is at Newton that the Carolina
and North Western first strikes the