The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-05-26
HAMLET A LEADING
RAILROAD CENTRE
Population Has Grown From
$50 TO / 900 in a Year.
SEABOARD ROAD'SCENT IRE
------.------
Whispered That it May Move Rail-
road Shops to Hamlet.
SEABOARD ROAD CENTRE
IMPROVEMENTS MARK TOWNS PROGRESS
Al Tn,rprising Citizen Donates Site and 81 600
TO. School Building. Water Works to
be Put In. Enterprises That
Prosper
(staff Correspondence.)

Hamlet, N. c., May 25.-The Carolina
Central Railroad was completed from Will
mington to the point in Richmond county
ago. The terminus of this much of the
road formed the nucleus of the town. In
1876 the road was continued on via Mon
roe to Charlotte. During the same year
the Raleigh and Augusta AR Line which
was begun during the Civil War was
completed to Hamlet.
During these years the town was really
nothing but a hamlet if indeed it could
boast of even such title. 1t was merely
q point at which one railroad tapped
another, with few, if any, residences
around
In 1887 the Georgia, Carolina and North
ern was built from Monroe to Atlanta
and, on account of the increased travel
which passed through it, Hamlet began to
grow some.
Prior to this time, in 1884, the r. and
A. road was continued on towards Ben
nettsville and met the Atlantic Coast
Line at Gibson Station. Subsequently in
1888 the Palmetto road was built from
Hamlet to Cheraw, S. c., and tapped the
Atlantic Coast Line at that point.
All these roads were part of the Sea-
board Air Line system and at this time
the main line of the system extended
from Portsmouth to Atlanta
But in 1900 the management of the Sea-
board Air Line underwent a change. A
road was built from Richmond, Va, tC
Ridgeway Junction (noW known as Nor.
lina'). The Palmetto road already bull
TO Cheraw was completed to Columbia
S. C. Other roads were Incorporated com
pletng a line to Tampa, Fla. and the
consolidation of the Greater Seaboart
Air Line" (or "Seaboard Air Line Rail.
way') was complete. All the world knows
how injunctions were issued and these de.
velopments were fought in court by ennis
saries of hostile road; but, under the
guidance of the strong hand of that brill
liant young Southerner. John Skeltor
Williams. in whose giant brain the whole
scheme was born, the enemies were BAT.
fled and one of the greatest trunk lines
in the South was established.
! am not writing a history of the Sea.
board Air Line. but mention these stages
because the development of this roa(
marks the growth of Hamlet and is the
cause of it's existence.
The most rapid growth of the town has
been during the past two years increas
ing in population from one hundred ant
fifty to over one thousand souls.
The first impetus given to the town wa
the establishment in 1895 of the famous
railroad eating house under the effcien
management of those great caterers
Messrs Gresham and Jamson.
An immense cotton compress was es
tablished in 1890, and, with the exception
OF a few stores doing a small business
no other enterprise marked the growtl
of the town up to the Transporting of re
cent events.
The completion of this mammoth rail
road system has made Hamlet one of tn,
greatest railroad centeTs on the line Sine
then a large brick round house will
thirty stalls the whole costing fifteen o
twenty thousand dollars has been erect
cd. Between fifteen and twenty miles o
side tracks with freight car capacity 0
two thousand five hundred cars, have beer
built and the land has been graded of
for more tracks. A large, handsome, new