The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-08-04
"bawl," the Kings Weekly man is an
all round good fellow.
EAST CAROLINA RAILWAY.


The opening up to Farmville of the
East Carolina railway was the most
important happening of the week. In
deed, nothing in a decade has taken
place in these parts fraught with so
much great interest to the people of
Edgecombe and Pitt, Tarboro and
Farmville. Little dreamed this people
five years ago that today Farmville
would enjoy railway connection with
Tarboro and the outside world, and yet
1T is so. On Thursday the first train of
cars went through old 81, the iron horse.
having the proud distinction of hauling
in the first scheduled passenger train.
Among the number going from here
was Tarboro's handsome Mayor, James
Pender, director, secretary and treas
urer OF the road; Farrars, chief execu-
tive; A. M. Farley, director; Capt. r.
A. Watson, Col. John l.. Bridgers, d-
rector; Mrs. John l.. Bridgers and
daughters, Mrs. Fleming and May r.
win Bridges, Capt. John A. Davis,
Henry Clark Bridges, general manager,
and your correspondent A most de-
lightful run was made through a coun-
try rich in resources, the party being
met at FarmvilIe by a large crowd,
composed of some of the best people of
the town. / was hardly prepared to
find SO splendid a roadbed, nor a coun-
try so hilly as the line passes through.
En- route are several little towns that
have sprung into existence within the
past ten months, among these in their
order as you leave Tarboro is Daviston,
seven miles distant, named in honor of
Capt. John A. Davis, at which place is
two stores, wagon factory, saw mill,
grist mill and roller flour mill, all the
product of eight months. Next in inn
portance is the town of Pinetops, eleven
mil as distant of eight stores, saw mill
grist mill and improved cotton gin, the
product of six months. The name was
supplied by Mr.. Bridgers, who owns
some 5000 acres of pine forest there,
and when thinking of suitable name
concluded when he had cut all the tim
Der off there would remain nothing but
pinetops, hence the name
Macclesfield. fourteen miles distant.
product of six months, is the next
town as the journey is continued from
Tarboro. Here Mr.. Bridgers owns con-
siderable landed interest The town
has a pretty depot, seven stores, saw
| mill and brick making plant. Maccles-
| field is nicely laid off, squares being
formed in the streets at the beginning
| of each block, row of silver maple
/ trees being planted around each square
| that VIII later on present a very pleas
| ant effect. The name is in honor of
! the Brdgers family estate in England.
| Nineteen miles distant the air brakes
are applied and we slow up at Reba,
where are 125 people, three stores and
| the headquarters fthe Eureka Lumber
Company, who operate a tram road
leading out twelve miles. The Eureka
| Company make daily shipment of 90
900 feet of lumber. The place was
named after Miss Reba, the youngest
| sister of Mr.Bridgers. At this point
was observed in the forest real old
time tar kiln, the like of which | have
not seen since childhood
/ travelling on three miles, or twenty
| two miles distant from Tarboro we are
| alarmed as the porter shouts aloud
Toddy. Well yes that's only the name
of the next station, where we find $50
people, two stores and the headquarters
of the Roanoke Railroad and Lumber
/ Company, who make a daily shipment
OF 10000 feet of logs to Norfolk The
name somewhat disturbs the Kings
| Weekly man, whom We suspect will yet
take it in, but was only selected for
| brevity and was not meant as any re-
| fiection upon habits of the good people
in those diggings or elsewhere in the
| county of Pitt.
! THE TOWN OF FARMVILLE.
Farmville twenty six miles distant,
is the next stop, being the terminus of
the road. Situated amid the most fer
1 la ho
other than prosperous village, and now
with the added new life of a railway at
her doors, the pretty little town of $50
| population and a dozen or more mer-
camille establishments, prominent
among which are mammoth stores of
| r. l.. Davis & Bros, w. M. Lang, G.. S,
Smith, L. l.. & w. J. Turnage, W. S.
| Leggette, M. p. Horton and r w
Whitehurst, | expect to see the popu-
| lation doubled i'm the next two years
and a number of other industries build
| ed. At Farmville the following de-
nominations each have a house of wor-
ship: Primitive Baptist, Disciples and
Episcopal. The water is good, and Mr..
Bridgers,in speaking of the location, re-
fers to it as the garden spot of the State.
Besides cereal crops, cotton, ETC., in
the surrounding country, tobacco is
grown in abundance, and to help the
industry the management of the East
Carolina has made a rate of 20 cents per
100 pounds on this product to Rocky
Mount, Greenville and Wilson. Farm
vile, while rejoicing 1--WE are a rail-
road ahead of Snow Hill.' will gladly
welcome an extension of the line to
that point
Yesterday an excursion was run from
Farmville to this point, the Tarboro
Board of Trade having presented some
zoo tickets, with coupons attached, ad-
mittlng to the baseball grounds, to a
number of the prominent citizens of
this section. Two hundred and thirty
seven took advantage of this generosity
having been escorted by the following
gentlemen, representing the city of
Tarboro: Mayor James Pender w. A.
Hart, }. *. Newton w. H. McNair. J.
.. oates, ii. ID. Teel, Abe Morris, Henry
Morris and Thad Hussey. Once here
the yWere given the freedom of the
city. The visitors seemed delighted
with the outing. At p. m. they were
treated to hose reel race by the city
IRE department, novel sight to many
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