The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-02-02
EXCELLENTLY EQUIPPED
ALREADY THERE is TALK Op
EXTENDING THE LINE.
ALARGE PARTY TAKEN FOR A TRIAL RUN
Orders For Passenger Coaches Placed to be
Ready For Summer Traffic. Building
and Industrial Notes From the
Town by the Pilot.
Town by the Pilot.

Mt. Airy. \. c., Feb. 1.-(Speciall-
On invitation of Mr.. Walter IL. Iuns.
Vice President, Il party of Mt. AIRY S
leading business men made the initial trip
over Mt. Airy's new railroad today, gong
as far as Petigos Mills in Patrick county,
Va. After enjoying few hours skating
over the smooth crystal ice fnat covers
the lake at the latter place, the gentle
men returned to the city, incidentally
inspecting the roadbed and culvertS, and
pronouncing the same to be as substan-
TALLY built as any narrow gauge railroad
On the State. The surfacing and ballast
ing is so we'll done that there is scarce
~ a suggestion of the road being other
than an old established line. 1t is laid
with 56-pound rails and is, together with
the substantial bridges, sufficiently heavy
for operating standard gauge road. The
only regrets expressed We're that 1T
should not have been a feet 49, inch
gauge instead of feet, the latter width
being the same gauge as the Danvllle
and Western, whose western terminus
is at Stuart, Patrick county, Va.
The road is we'll equipped, having two
locomotives, 81 fat cars and 10 box cars.
An order is now placed for several pas
senger coaches. 1t is expected that a
regular schedule will be put in force for
through travel to the Pinnacles of the
Dan by March LIST. Our people have
heretofore labored under the impression
that the building of this railroad meant
merely a lumberman's enterprise to bring
the vast quantities Of lumber that are
being manufactured along the Dan river.
which of itself is Il gigantic volume of
business to handle. The gentlemen of
the party accompanying Mr.. Tunis today,
observing the substantial character of the
roadway and equipment, We're unanimous
ly convinced that this Is the beginning
of the opening up of a permanent rail-
way that will result in the development
of this section of North Carolina and
southwestern Virginia into a commercial
road. There is no reason why the Mt.
Airy and Eastern with the increasing de
mand could not be speedily and profitably
extended either north or east. In MAX
inc such connection it would pass through
a territory Astounding in unlimited re-
sources and presently without railroad
facilities. Patrick. Floyd and Henry
counties. Va, is the section through
which this road is likely to pass. A
glance at the map will show without eX-
PLANTATION the ultimate outlet of our city
to eastern connections. The section
through which the road passes abounds
in beautiful scenery, the famous Pima
cles of the Dan tower their lofty peaks
inst above and overlooking the Mount
Airy and Eastern that winds along the
course of the river DAN
Already arrangements are beng made
for the handling of summer traffic, and
people from Winston-Salem, Greensboro,
Raleigh and other nearby towns will find
this the most attractive mountain resort
second to none in the Land of the Sky,
which has hitherto been inaccessible ex-
cept by wagon roads.
Among the townspeople accompany
ing Mr.. Tunis were j. W. Prather, of
Prather & Default; George d. Faucette
of the First National Bank; Thomas and
Frank Woodruff of the Mt. Airy Gran
5te Co: J. D. Smith and w. G. Sydnor
of the Bankers Insurance Co.; S. Porter
Graves and George w. Sparger, attorney
at-law. and G. A. Quincy, of the Blue
Ridge Inn.
ON arriving at Mt. Airy ON the return
"trip. the road was formally dedicated to