The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-10-16
RECENT EVENTS PROVE IT
Raleigh is Geographically the Ideal
Location For Shops.
THE MANAGEMENT PROMISED TO REBUILD
This Was Done When the Consol dation Was
Perfected. The People Of Raleigh Now
Look to See That Promise
Perflrmed.

The presence OF Mr.. N. D. Maher, Gen
eral Superintendent of the Seaboard Air
Line railway in the city, investigating
the cause of the recent wreck will no
doubt convince him of the necessity OF
having shops at Raleigh ample to do any
repair work and construct new parts, if
not to make engines and cars.
Raleigh is the centre of the Northern
and central division of the Seaboard Air
Line system. 1t is the best place for the
location of shops for these divisions:
Richmond and Norlina, Raleigh and Gas
ton, Raleigh and Augusta, Carolina Cen
trail, the g., C. and N, Cor a portion of
it and the new portion of the road from
Hamlet to Columbia.
The need of such shops in the last
month in Raleigh has been emphasized.
The need has been pressing. With large
shops here and full complement OF ca
pable men, the road would easily have
repaired the damage of the first wreck
and might have put the engines and cars
in such shape as to have prevented the
other wrecks.
Last month delegation from the
Chamber of Commerce and the Business
Mems Association waited on Mr. j. M.
Barr vice. president and general manager
of the Seaboard system for two purposes:
l. To request a revocation of the order
requiring engineers to run through to
Hamlet. Before that order. engineers
and train crews changed at Raleigh. Mr..
Barr made no promise, but since that
time the order requested by the Chamber
of Commerce and Business Mems Associa-
tion has been issued.
2. To urge the fulfillment of the
pledge to rebuild the railroad shops in
Raleigh. This request was backed by
argument showing that it would be to the
financial interest of the Seaboard to re-
build the shops in Raleigh and have a
large force of machnists and other me-
chanics in Raleigh as "aforetime,' Mr..
Barr made no statement indicating what
he would do, saying, however, that he
would be glad to do for Raleigh what
the interests of the Seaboard required.
Recent events serve to emphasize the ar
gument made by the committee of the
Chamber of Commerce and Business
Mems Association in favor of re building
the shops in Raleigh.
During the trying times before the
Seaboard perfected it's consolidation ar
rangements the people OF Raleigh stood
almost solidly behind the management of
the Seaboard and gave them all possible
aid and comfort in their effort to make
q great independent system. Mr.. st.
John, e-president and General Man
ager of the Seaboard system was in Raj
eigh on the 18th day of January, 1900, ana
the News and Observer of January 18th,
had an interview with him from which
this extract is taken:
1--WE propose to continue the shops
here he continued CAS- soon as con-
solidation is perfected and conditions
will warrant it, we will put roofs on the
walls of the former shops and resume
work in them. These walls were not in
jured at all by the fire.
The management Of the road is par
tial to Raleigh-fond of the city and it's
people. We have always received only
the kindest treatment at their hands, and
We are anxious to do all we can for the
city. And when consolidation becomes an
actual fact we hope to be able to do
much.
Among other things we have in mind
is the removal of the compress from it's
present site, to our new cotton platform
outside the city limits. The cotton plat
form now around the compress will also
be taken away and on the ground it
now occupies will be established a large
freight station
AT the banquet in Raleigh on June 2nd
1900, President Williams virtually gave
to Raleigh credit for making possible the
Greater Seaboard Air Line. The deci-
sion of Judge Purnell, to which he allud-
ed, was the decision of the people of
Raleigh. Mr.. Williams said:
1T gives me pleasure to be with you
today and to express to the people of
Raleigh our thanks for the prominent
part they have taken in making possible
the victory we celebrate today. The
greatest crisis. perhaps, in our plans oc-
CURED in this city, in December, 1899
But here we found an upright and just
judge who saved the system from disn-
tegration and destruction"
Mr.. E. st John said at the banquet:
Among other improvements that we
will make in Raleigh will be the removal
OF the cotton platform and the erection
OF large warehouse on that square
We hope to do much more for you. we
are with you in heart and soul.
After the banquet Mr.. st. John said to
the press: s.Yes, we will build the big
warehouse-and at an early date-as
soon, in fact, as the directors make their
annual appropriation for improvements
THE SHOPS WILL BE RE-
BUILT. The walls of the old shops are
still intact and will be rooted over and
the shops reftted up
The rails for the electric car system IN
Durham have arrived preparatory TO
building the street railroad system. Ac-
tive work will begin next week and the
construction will be pushed rapidly. 1t
will be first-class, up-to-date system
The forty-sixth annual session of the