The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-08-12
LEN0IR TO TENNESSEE
A Description Given of the Three
Proposed Routes.
THE CONNECTIONS THAT WILL Be MADE
With Lines West and North. What Extension
Means. Heavy Freight Traffic. $780,
600 Voted For the Railroad
by Wataugua Co.


eIn terminus OF the Carolina and North
western Railway, this article will en-
deavor to describe the three practical
routes OF the proposed extension OF this
railroad to the Tennessee State line, one
of which routes the road is pretty certain
to select. The first route, beginning at
Lenoir. runs through the upper valley of
the Yadkin river. crosses the Blue Ridge
az Cofey's Gap and runs thence to the val
river into Tennessee. The second route,
beginning at Lenoir, runs up Johns River
to Coffey's Gap, crossing the Blue Ridge
at that point and thence down Barnes
Fork off Watauga River into Tennessee.
The third line beginning at Lenoir passes
up Wilson's Creek and crosses the Blue
Ridge near Montozuma, Mitchell County,
and runs thence 10 Tennessee, either
down tie Toe River or by way Of the
Cranbury Iron Mines, and thence down
Doe River to Johnson City, Tennessee
Each CT these routes are entirely practi-
cal and will have possibly less than two
per cent. grade.
WESTERN CONNECTION,
After crossing into the state OF Ten
ncssee che Carolina and Northwestern
Rnircad VIII ,.hen connect west and
north with the Southern Norfolk and
Western, Virginia and Southwestern, and
the Louisville and Nashville railroads.
ITS connection with the latter
read will give travellers from the Allan
tic coast the shortest and most direct
line to Cincinnati. Chicago and ether
points North.
WHAT EXTENSION MEANS.
The Virginia and Southwestern Rail-
road Company owns and operates eX-
tensive ccal, coke and iron properties in
Southwest Virginia and Tennessee. The
Carolina and Northwestern Railway gives
an outlet to the products Of this great
coal. coke and iron producing Company,
which has Invested more than sixteen
million dollars in ccal and iron properties
in the Bristol district in Tennessee.
HEAVY FREIGHT TRAFFIC.
TIE extension OF the Carolina and
Northwestern Railway Through the Blue
Ridge will make connection with West
ern and Northern roads and will open
uD a heavy traffic westward in
transporting the magnetic iron
ores into the Southwest Virginia iron
district. where it is needed to mix with
the red fossil ores which are so exten-
sively mined in that section. II is dihi-
cult for an outsider to appreciate the
great value of the extension of this road
through Western North Carolina.
The vein CT magnetic iron ore men
tionsd above extends in a nonoheasterly
direction entirely across the counties OF
Mitchell, Watauga and Ashe. In the lat
ter county the Pennsylvania Steel Com
pany has purchased extensive deposits OF
this fine magnetic ore.
The development of mineral deposits
in this section of the State Is still in its
infantcy and deposits Of copper, silver
and gold have been discovered recently In
Watauga county.
A firm of capitalists from Milwaukee
has lately invested largely in the Elk
Kncb Copper Mine district; also IN
Watauga county, and is now working
large force in developing their holdings.
Deposits of copper have also been found
on the Watauga River and Meat Camp
Creek. in the same county
There will be nearly one million acres
Of virgin forests, never heretofore touch
cd by the wocdmans AK, Immediately
tributary to and adjacent to the line OF
this road The next and last article OF
this series will endeavor to show the i'm
mense benefit the building Of the exten-
sica OF the Carolina and Northwestern
Railroad will be to the people in the
counties through which 1t will pass, and
the development of every industry possi-
BILE of that beautiful and God favored
section OF this grand cid Commonwealth.
SIXTY THOUSAND DOLLARS VOTED.
Approaching the importance OF rail-
road facilities the people Of Watauga
county on August End inst, voted to tax
themselves sixty thousand dollars for
the purpose Of subscribing that amcant
for bends OF the Carolina and North
western Railway Company, provided the
Company would build their proposed ex-
tension through Watauga County and
cross the Blue Ridge at CoHey's Gap.
The sixty thousand dollars being availa-
BILE only when the road Is completed en-
tirely through the county
RICHARD BATTLE
MARYLAND Democrats are claiming that