The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-11-20
ARE ALL COMPLETE
About Twelve Miles Of il Ready For
the Track to be Laid.
SURVEYORS TO BE HERE NAFtW DAYS
f rom Snow Hill the Road viii be Extended in
Almost a Direct Line 10 a Deep Water
Harbor and Also From a North
or, Pill Tonrooto,
ern Rail Connection.

Little has been said about K in the
newspapers. but for several months a
new railroad has been crawling toward
Raleigh.
II is a road that means much for this
city, but more for eastern North Carolina
It will take our in almost a
straight line TO the sea. and Will gather
fisheries, farms and forests OF the eastern
counties.
Already twelve miles of the road have
been graded and civil engineers are on
their way here with the survey. Work
will not cease until the trains are run
ming.
1t is of the Great Eastern Railway that
| speak. More than a year ago the gen
eral route was determined upon and
plans for construction OF the line were
made. During the past summer work be-
gan. 1t started at Snow Hill in Greene
county and the surveyors and graders
worked toward Fremont. That point has
long been reached by the surveyors. and
the graders are almost there. The sur
veyors started from there Monday ana are
!" OA lIlCil way oiCiSh ht ~ q .
will follow them, followed in turn by the
track layers from Snow Hill.
The distance from Snow Hill to Ere
mont is Is miles; from Fremont to Raj
eigh is 40 miles, making 5S miles in all
to be built. If you will look at your map
you will find that a straight rule laid
down on it from Raleigh to Snow Hill
will pass through the towns or
Kenly, Archer Lodge, Eureka and Bull
Head. You will also find that the road
passes through the most fertile parts
of three counties.
But why does this road go to Snow
Hill? Is that to be a permanent termi-
nus?
Not at all. It's stop there will be tenn
porary, if indeed it stops at all after
its completion to Raleigh. Take your
map again. Trace a direct line from
Snow Hill to GEeenville; thence Town Tar
River to Washington. and from there to
Pantego, on the Norfolk and Southern
Railroad, at the head of Pungo Sound:
thence through Hyde county, south OF
Mattamuskeet Lake, to Engelhard. There
you strike deep water and a fine harbor.
The connection with the Norfolk and
Southern is, however, the main point,
for the owners Of that line are the build
ers of the new road. The Vanderbilt
System owns the Norfolk and Southern
and it is the Vanderbilt System that is
building the new road.
The plan was at first to extend the
Norfolk and Southern from Edenton to
Newbern, by way of Washington-a dis
lance Of so miles. At Newbern connec-
ton was to be made with the Wilmington
| and Newborn Railroad, a branch of the
Atlantic Coast Line, which is eighty
l oioht mi1ac 1opo Tbepca tho limo was
to run to Georgetown. S. c., a distance
of about ore hundred and twenty-five
miles. From Georgetown an extension
was to be run to Columbia and another
branch to Charleston.
This was not a new proposition, but il
is the first time the Vanderbilt System
has been connected with the building OF
a line from Norfolk to Columbia. About
| six years ago some Philadelphia parties
| obtained = charter for such a line. The
| line, or parts of it, was surveyed and
| some money was spent in the venture,
but it never amounted to anything.
Now it has failed again, partially on
| account Of the marshy nature of the cOun-
try through which the proposed line was
to run. and the expense Of bridging the
| many water courses. Also it was found
that by connecting with the Coast Line
at Fremont and the Southern and Sea-
| board at Raleigh, its new road would
have a more than equal show for the
business passing over these lines and
seeking a deep water terminus Be
sides the intervening country is now the
seat of a great timber industry and part
of it is a fine farming section.
1t can be seen at a glance that this
new line is full of promise and possibility
for Raleigh. Once it makes connection
with the Norfolk and Southern another
direct line TO the North and East will
have been established, for at Norfalk
connection will be made with Philadelphia
ana New York, via the New York, Phila-
delphia and Norfolk.
The competitors of the Vanderbilt Sys-
TEN in Eastern North Carolina fully re-
alize the Importance of this deal, and
they are Fastening with all possible speed
with branch lines to Snow Hill. that they
may divert eastern-going traffic to their
roads.
The Coast Lines branch road, which
is being built by Henry Clark Bridgers
from Tarboro to Snow Hill, is about one
third completed and work on it is being
rushed with all possible speed.
At the last meeting of the directors
of the Atlantic and North Carolina Rail-
road a vote was taken in favor Of build
ing a branch line from LAGRANGE TO Snow
Hill. Both the State and private inter
est, except the Tucker stock, voted for
the proposition and the route has been
surveyed.
Snow Hill seems therefore destined, in
the near future. to become a great rail-
road centre, and Raleigh is to have a
third great competing system.
Verify the future seems TO have great
things in store for Us.
A big crowd of Democrats thronged the
rooms of the Democratic Club at New
York last night TO say goodbye to Rich