The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-01-20
THE BOARDS REPORT
The Road Was in Rundown and
Worthless Condition.
THE DIRECTORS BORROWED $4,000
The Old Dlspidated and Dangerous Road Has
Baen Almost Entirely Transformed
Into Comparatively
New One.

The report OF the State Board of Inter-
nal improvements has been made public.
The report is devoted entirely TO a dis
cussion OF the Atlantic and North Carolina
| Railroad. Il is as follows:
The board duly organized by electing
Armistead Jones as president. and E. f.
Lamb as secretary. A demand was made
upon the Governor for the records of the
old Beard of Internal improvements and
this demand was not complied with until
the 18th day of May. 1899 on which day
the Board met in the city of Raleigh and
elected directors unon the part of the
State for the Atlantic and North Carolina
Railroad, and also appointed a proxy TO
represent the, State. Sometime thereaf-
ter the board made careful INSPECTION
of the Atlantic and North Carolina road
and found it's roadbed uneven. INSULT
GENTLY drained, and in general bar order.
There were few cars with automatic
couplers, and such cars as were in c0ndi-
ton to be used sometimes were refused
on that account by the connecting lines,
and the road throughout was in such bad
condition that it required the immediate
expenditure OF large sums to properly con-
duct its business. To meet this necessity
the Board of Directors OF the road au-
thorzed it's president to borrow $4,000,
and to use the net earnings TO sufficient
amount, which was approved of by the
Board OF Internal Improvements.
AS result of this authority the road
has been vastly improved; the road bed
and drainage have been put in order; new
ties have been put in wherever mostly
needed ne" rails have been purchased
and laid on many parts of the line; new
spikes and bolts have been substituted;
mex sidings along the line have been made
at some places, and others extended; tres
tle-ways and cattle-guards have been re-
paired all the road-crossings have been
built aHaYY or repaired the bridges, espe-
cially the long one over Trent river, have
been repaired; warehouses have been re-
biult. end new ones erected along the
line of the road4l The land uoon which
to build whaTves and warehouses at New
bern was purchased at an expense OF
$40, 600. AMI ore Warehouse erected IT a
cost OF 81 coo. and another at cost of
81, 900. Both Of these Warehouses extend
10 the deeD-wat line. as surveyed by
the government at the instance of the
president of the road, and afford ample
storage room for the accommodation of
shippers, and offer inducements to ship
pers to patronize the road, besides paying
handsome sum for storage. The first
named building is about completed and
covers q space OF 240 feet by 20 feet, and
will contain in its second story all the
offices OF the road conveniently arranged.
Large and commodious brick warehouses
are being erected at Goldsboro and Kin
ston: the one at Goldsboro 240 feet by
so feet wide, at an estimated cost of Sc,
5G0 and the other at Kinston 900 feet
long by 40 feet wide at an estimated cost
of S., $500.
The old worthless machine and carpen-
ter shops have been replaced with new
ones, now nearly complete, of greatly in
creased capacity. end supplied with the
best modern machinery. Three large. new
modern engines, seven new passenger
coaches including an elegant parlor car,
twenty-five box-cars and eleven fat-cars,
have been purchased. The old turn-table,
which broke down under the weight of one
of the engines, has been replaced by a
new steel one of a capacity of one hun
dred and ten tons, costing $4,000. A new
boiler or large capacity has been placed
in engine room; one hundred pairs Of ear
wheels and aXles. greatly needed for the
boX-cafs, have been purchased. Automat
ic cOuplers are being rapidly placed on
the cars so that they viii be received by
other lines, and many other improve
ments have been made In fact the old.
dilapidated and dangerous road has been
almost entirely transformed into a coal
paratively new one, greatly to the advan-
tage of the company and it's patrons.
The interest on the bonded debt OF
1926, 900 has been paid and expenditure
necessary to rehabilltate the road all told
amounted TO $3.50, 1890 on the 1st day of
December, 1900. and the consequent in
creased business has enabled the manage
ment of the road to pay all of this sum
except $3S. 631.37.
The fiscal year ends on the 30th Of
June and the present administration OBJ
tanned control of the LIST day of October.
1899, and this report is intended to en-
brace the fourteen months covering the