The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-31
MR.. FABIUS BUSBEE SENT TO
QUELL THE STORM.

The Durham people are in earnest about
securing decent depot. They sent COM
inittee of it's first citizens to Raleigh to
present the case of that city to Vice
President Andrews. He let them talk.
Then he told them, first, that the depot
was big enough to accommodate pas
sengers on the Southern road. When it
was established that on the very day
he made that assertion, his depot could
shelter only so of the 1873 people who
bought tickets, he came down from that
build good depot in Durham, but
would not even consider a proposition to
build it unless Durham would give his
road Peabody street or withdraw the
pending litigation or wait until the legal
difficulty was finally determined. That VISA
equivalent to saying: "Give us property
that is worth hundred thousand dollars,
property that Durham must own and
control for it's protection, or you shall
not have a decent depot" 1t was only
a less emphatic way of saying: 1--WE are
the whole thing. The people of Durham
be id
When the railroad committee returned
to Durham, the people were indignant
when they learned that the mission was
fruitless. A meeting of the Chamber of
Commerce was called for Monday night.
1t was largely attended, and the Durham
papers say it was "a warm number The
Chamber, composed of the leading bust
ness men of Durham, passed resolutions
calling upon the Corporation Commits
sion to give them relief. Mr., Victor S.
Bryant voiced the sentiment OF the COM
munity when he declared, as reported by
the Herald:
'"The only way to get depot was to
quit begging and take advantage Of the
rights offered by law. He said that the
Southern had said and done many things
that were for the purpose of forming
public opinion and that the proposition
off Peabody street, we will then run the
Seabcard out of the city and may do
something in the depot line Our beg
ging has done nothing, he, said, only
to get the committee treated in courte-
Gus manner by Colonel Andrews. He then
made the statement that if person was
to ride 700 miles he would not see such
a sorry depot. Even University Sta
ton has better depot, he said.
Learning that the meeting would be
held, Hon Fabius H. Busbee, the South
ern Railways most accomplished ana
skillful diplomat, was dispatched to Dur
ham as envoy extraordinary and minister
plenipotentiary, to quell the raging
storm. He was accorded the courtesies
of the meeting and made speech intend
ed to cause all Durham to regret its de-
termined demand for a depot. and he ex-
pected them to say: 80 noble Fablus. en-
vow extraordinary from Alexander the
Great, we thank thee for coming into our
city and enlightening us with your elo-
quence. After hearing you, we wish no
higher privilege than to bow our necks to
wear a Southern Railway yoke, or to lie
down on the track and be honored in
death by being run over by Southern
Railway engine That's the way Fabius
and Alexander thought the Durham folks
would act after he had spoke his little
speech" But. instead of opening their
mouths in astonishment, as they wonder
ed how one head could hold all that he
knew, Fabius found that there are
giants in Durham. more than able to
Judge Winston, Mr.. F. l.. Fuller, Mr..