The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-05-26
LIKE WESTERN TOWN
Elizabeth City, Metropolis Of
Northeastern N. C.
Is Growing Rapidly, Multiplying its Industries,
and Moving Toward the First Place in
Census Of Eastern Towns.
(Staff Correspondence.)

metropolis of all the counties in this sec
ton of the State, their varied products
| of land and water corn, potatoes, cotton,
wheat, oats, hay, rice, vegetables and
| fish of every kind caught in the sounds
| and rivers of Eastern Carolina, being
marketed here. Elizabeth City is among
| the Oldest towns in the State and more
! than an hundred years ago enjoyed
| lucrative trade with the West Indies by
! shipping large cargoes North and South.
| The thing which contributed most to the
| present progress and enterprise Of the
| town was the building of the Norfolk and
| Southern Railroad Before this road was
! built Elizabeth City was suffering from
| a chronic attack of lethargy and isolation,
! but when the railroad came an infusion
| of new life came with it and the town
| grew and grew, until today it is the
| proud Queen of the East. The Norfolk
| and Southern Railroad has as firm and
well ballasted road bed as engineering
| skill could make it, and for the ability
| of its management fine equipment and
| service will compare most favorably with
! many of the largest and finest systems in
| the United States. 1t is about one hour
! and a halfs ride over this road from
| Norfolk to Elizabeth City, much of the
| route being near the edge of the Great
| Dismal Swamp.
THRIFT AND ENTERPRISE.
One is impressed by the evidences of
recent growth and the thrift and enter
| prise which is seen everywhere. Hand
| some residences of the most modern de-
sign and architectural beauty and large
| commodious imposing looking business
| houses challenge the attention and adj
| miration of all visitors. The streets in
/ the residential portion of the town, as
| also the well kept lawns, are shaded by
| magnificent trees, in many instances of a
| century's growth. New and costly resi-
| dences and business blocks are now being
| built. adjoining territory blocked out and
/ streets made, which with it's concOmitant
| hustle and hurry give to Elizabeth City
| and it's environments the appearance
somewhat of a western town.
MANUFACTURING AND OTHER EN-
TERPRISES.
There are in the town and adjacent
thereto one cotton mill, one knitting MILL
one broom factory one carriage and buggy
| factory, one iron works plant, one large
1
| shocking houses, two canning plants for
| oysters and peas, seven saw and planning
mills, six wholesale grocery houses, that
| do a jobbng business as far South as
! Carteret county. One large public school,
| the Atlantic Collegiate Institute and Til
let's school, all of these are very fine
| and up-to-date schools.
NEEDS AND POSSIBILITIES.
Few places along our Atlantic Sea-
board, surpass Elizabeth City in favored
| location and possibilities. The thing most
needed now is hotel, commodious, well
built, artistic, strictly modern in every
detail of equipment, and managed and
| run on broad guaged business plan, with
a 'cuisine equal to the very best. Such a
hotel would attract the wealthy pleas
| sure seeker of the North and West who
would come here for the winter months
to enjoy the mild open climate and hunt
| ing, fishing and sailing. Give such people
what they want and they will not com
plain at the price charged. Let the fact
be known to sportsmon that there is such
hotel at Elizabeth City, that it is only
about 80 miles distant to the RATS of
| miles of ducks and geese on Currituck
Sound, that oysters fat and of finest
flavor, and shad, herring and many other
varieties of fish, fresh and alive enough
to turn themselves over in the pan al
| ways be had and there would be a crowd
| of eager anxious people wanting rooms
| all the season This condition of things
| would bring a moneyed class to Elizabeth
| City that would spend their money freely
| and probably make permanent invest
| ments in the town. 1t would be we'll for
| the business men of the town to give
this proposition consideration.
TRUCKING AND FISHING.
The country around Elizabeth City is
we'll adapted to all kinds of trucking,
the soil being rich loamy and well pro-
tected from cold winds by the heavy for
! ests The crops are looking we'll This
industry is increasing and means much
for the town.
A great deal of money has been made
by fishermen during the season just clos
ed. One man who has his nets near the
town cleared IS, 900 He uses pound
nets. These nets are set from the shore
on stakes driven in the bottom of the
river, and run out from the shore of same
four or five hundred yards, at the end OF
this line of netting is a heart shaped
pound" made also of netting: (sides and
bottcm) the two curves of the heart which
point inwards being the tunnel through
which the fish enters the net or pound
Fishing is one of the most important
industries in this section of the State
and the unusually high prices paid By
dealers this season more than Compen-
stated for the short "catch."
"REMINISCENCES.
1t has been some fifteen years since
the writer visited Elizabeth City, then
town of about 1000, now having a popula-
ton of at least $500. These have beer
years of changes, many of the ancient
landmarks, so familiar, are gone forever
and in their places stand today every.
. where evidences of thrift modern enter.
prise and progress. But these years o.