The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-03-19
Railroads in North CarOlira.

PINEyIILE, n. o., March IA was
promised in foregoing letter to tell
YOUR readers something Of the taking and
tearing up of railroad in this State
several years ago. We'll as the legend
goes, a little town wanted to connect
itself with trunk line Is miles away,
procured a charter and aoated bonds to
Get the road in shape for rolling stock,
etc. A Baltimore syndicate bought the
entire lot of bonds, but there was some
thing lacking. So far there had not any
provision been made for cars, sidetracks,
and depots, and the short road appealed
to the big road to add all appurtenances
and operate the road itself, which was
accordingly done. Matters went on
smoothly for several months when the
townspeople concluded the main line was
making too much money out OF the little
"feeder" and asked control Of it, which
had been stipulated in the charter, and
the trunk line quietly yielded.
In a short while the little road people
found out they had a huge elephant on
hand, and again applied to the big road
operators to take charge Of the road.
But in a little time the 'spur" people
again thought there was millions in 1t"
and a second time demanded control of
the road. Being chagrined with dealing
with such wishy -washy people, the willy
guily managers of the big system one
night a little after midnight drilled q
long train of platform cars, put aboard
400 or 800 able bodied hands and quietly
slipped down to the little hamlet whose
citizens were sleeping and mayhap cream
ing, tore up the side track, loadeo tne
rails, appropriated the depot and office
fixtures, when an ex-judge being aroused
and ascertaining what was up sent q
messenger post haste to the railroad
bridge five miles away to fire j. apd hold
the train which was being laden with
rails until he could get an injunction.
The bridge burner arrived in time and
fired the structure, but when the maraud-
| ing train came up there were timDers
enough left to make temporary bridge
over which the long train passed safely
and in less than one hour was on the
switch of the trunk line and in few
hours more all was siqe-tfasked 9a. ylr'
ginia soil. The next day another Baltimore
man, who had made advances to the spur
line. hearing of the coup, fastened down
and saved part of his claims by Selling the
residue of the rails. There was no In
junction and in fact the case never
reached the courts. Tradition hath il
that until this day the little town OF NJ
is completely isolated from the busy Worlc
around so far as being connected WITH
bands of steel is concerned, but nonethe
less is perfectly satisfied with the fnt
macadam roads intersecting the county
) This State is far -anead of her slstel
State of South Carolina in rock roads. II
; this county of Mecklenburg alone there
are 40 miles of macadamized roadway
; and As of them iG the little township o
Charlotte. Durham, Raleigh, Winston
Salem, and other tovs have these radiat
ing highways, and they claim their trad
is annually increasing. Besides, RAILROAD
building is going ahead, and there ar
several railroad construction camps II
,, the State, Which, ere the lapse of man,
moons, will be prosperous little towns OF
lines tapping the great trunk lines, lou
of five of Which traverse the atate:
One of the longest and last to give "
the narrow guage system was the Cheste
g. Lenoir, running through Chester an
York counties, S. c., and four countle
Of North Carolina Only two weeks az
a large force of hands changed this roa
;. in a few days to the broad gauge, when
destinedto become one of the great feeoel
q from tue Northwest. 1t is miles frol
:. Chester to LenGir, and there is an aYeFas
of one cotton mill 10 every three MILE
Y There are 800 laborers pushing this roa
J. to Montezuma, little mining town l
North Carolina, and it will be extende
n to Johnson City and the coal fields
). East Tennessee. >,
Speaking of railroads, let it be adde
IS that the Yadkin Valley line, runnln
V nearly parallel with the river ofthe SAN
name through several counties, is "a mary
j of American rairoading. Until a week
If two ago tLere he'd not been wreck
" any note on this road in Il years:
: 8 O. JOERhEh.