The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-03-03
tn CONNECT RALEIGH
WITH WASHINGTON
Active Efforts viii be Made
to Build the Proposed
Railroad.
HAS A LIBERAL CHAR
Cities, Towns and Townships May Vote
Subscription to Second Mort
gage Bonds.
A A LIBERAL CHAR
SOME WAYS INDEPENDENT LINE WILL AID
Interview With a Pub!ic-Spirited Ci,iz, IN Who
Points Out the Many Benefits That
Would BE- Derived From Build
ing the Railroad.
ing the Railroad.

On to Washington. That is now the
watchword. On to Washington via Viii
son and G~reenville. The charter has been
granted to the Raleigh and Eastern
North Carolina Railroad, and it is a very
liberal one.
was talking last night with a leading
citizen of Raleigh about the outlook for
the new road, it's benefits, etc, and he
said:
Now that the General Assembly Of
North Carolina has granted a very liner
al charter to the Raleigh and Eastern
North Carolina Railroad, through its in
corporators, Capt. j. J. Thomas. presi-
lent of the Commercial and Farmers
Bank; G. r. Barbee, cotton factor and
broker, and Capt. j. M. Turner. lately
Superintendent Of the Seaboard Air ]. ine
and a man OF large AMI different railroad
experience, looking over this charter
very carefully ana The natural route of
this road, there is no good reason why
this very important and feasible line
should not be built and at once. putting
Wilson, Raleigh and Durham, Greensboro
and other middle sections Of our State
nearer to tide water by about 100 miles
than by any other existing line now in
operation.
at would appear to the writer that no
better time than the present could pos
sibly be, for all the people along this
proposed line to get together and put
their shoulders to the wheel, give this
independent line ali the assistance pos
sible and in their power. I say independ-
ent line because the charter states plain
ly that SO long as the subscribers to the
second mortgage bonds of the railroad
company are held by the counties, cities
or towns this road cannot be sold, leased
or merged with any other corporation,
but must be run on a separate and dis
tinct line. Would not this to some extent
eliminate the freight determinations as
alleged by the various commercial bodies
so far as Raleigh, Wilson and other
points along it's line are concerned, as
against several of the Virginia cities. be-
ing granted by the trunk lines, the South
Atlantic port rates from all the western
and middle States? Certainly this could
be effected by the Interstate Commerce
Commission putting Washington or Bel
haven on a parity with Norfolk, Lynch
burg, Roanoke, Va. Charleston, S. c.,
SdNduldu. Id., anu OIUeT cOdSIWlSo ana
interior cities, the mileage averaging
we'll for the North Carolina t~idewater
points as against others mentioned above.
This will give our State with it's 200 miles
of Atlantic ocean outlet at least one dis
tributing Or gateway point in it's Dor
ders which does not seem to be unreas-
enable or unjust for the trunk transport
tation lines of our State to allow. At the
same time each one of them has a much
larger track mileage in this than any
other States they traverse, and our citi-
zens have to pay a tribute to the Vir-
ginia cities, while it would not materially
effect the trunk lines, except that the
return haul from Washington or Bel
haven would be shorter into the interior
for a distance of about 125 miles than
from Norfolk, and naturally a CORE
spending less rate.
"Referring to letter from Rocky Mount
in Sundays paper, taking a passenger
two days and eight hours to go from
Fairfield to Raleigh, a distance of about
210 miles, at an expense Of a t-least sever
dollars fare, two and a half days board
five dollars, time two dollars per day
five dollars, making seventeen dollars
The proposed line would be about IL
miles to the center of Hyde county. fare
about five dollars and not over six hour:
ride to Raleigh, of course it is needles:
to say the benefits that would accrue t.
the citizens of that county in the way O.
passage, also in freight, it would not the1
be necessary to raise corn and cotton ant
ship it to Virginia, this could and would
be used within the borders of our State
but the great production Of vegetables
could be fostered when transportation
facilities are 36pUn3tp + jC elaine,
this county could raise as much produc
as is raised near New Bern, Norfolk AM
Wilmington altogether. What is said o
Hyde county can be said of other coun
ties and cities along this road, in tn
same proportion as to the present trans
porting facilities. As an example. mos
all, if not all the cotton grown in the ex
IRENE eastern part of our State north o
Neuse River goes to Norfolk, when it i
a fact, that Raleigh and other cite
nearby having cotton factories pay in
rariably IA per cent. per pound NOR
than Norfolk, and with the proposed ney
short line the rates would be very littl
different, giving the producers consider
able more money for their cotton tina
they are getting now. Being the shortes
line from Wilson, G%reenville and Wash
ington to Durham, Greensboro and Win
aton-Salem, rate on tobacco must be less
on account of distance, also by using on
total continuous mileage, instead of 4
at present two local rates.
Since 1880 the productions Of tho On
tire United States has increased 2.2O De
cont. and the Southern States $40 De
cent, and the railroad mileage is abor
p pei cent. hence it would appear thu
the transporting facilities have not he,
pace with the producing power. at le2s
in the Southern States, and particular