The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-01-01
Raleigh and Western to Ac-
quire Cumnock Mines.
AND WORK ON VAST SCALE
George MacGfegor Chief Engineer Of the T. 4
W, Tells Of Projects That Will be
Most Far-Reaching in Their
Especial to News and observer)


Greensboro, NJ c., Dec. 31.-This cor
respondent had talk with Mr.. George
C. MacGregor, Chief Engineer of the Raj
eigh and Western Railway. He had just
arrived from New York, where he was
hurriedly called for conference with
those controlling that company and rep
resentatives of one of the largest rail-
way constructing firms in the country.
Mr. MacGregor says that the surveyed
board Air Line at Colon, thirty nine
miles southwest of Raleigh, to Green's
boro, has been finally located and adopt
ed; that of this line eight miles between
Colon and the Cumnock mines are now
in operation and fifteen miles additional
toward Greensboro are graded; that two
iron bridges of 100 feet span each. one for
use at Cumnock, the other at Ramseur,
at both of which points the line crosses
Deep river, have been bought and are
now on the ground ready for erection.
The location of the line has been made
with a view of offering all possible ac-
commodation at the various industries
along the route, while the alignment and
and grades are all favorable for econom-
ical operation.
Mr.. MacGregor admits that while North
he was informed that the railway COM
pany had arranged to acquire the Cum
mock coal mines and open them on large
scale, presumably by sinking a shaft OF
large proportions that will provide for an
output of at least 1900 tons per day
the object being to supply coal to ad-
jacent markets to the extent OF demand
and convert into coke all the surplus.
This plan he states, was adopted only
after thorough canvass of the coal re-
quirements of the section through which
the road will be built and thorough in
vestigation of the probable cost of pro-
ducing the coal on a large scale.
Such of the present products of these
mines as are not shipped to local indus
tries on the Seaboard Air Line, Raleigh
being among the localities that take large
tonnage, go to Greensboro, High Point,
Pomona, Randleman, Ramseur, Winston
and sundry points on the Southern Rail-
way. The demand is far in excess of the
present yield, but with capacity increas-
ed and the Raleigh and Western Railway
completed, it is believed that the entire
output of the mines will be absorbed by
industries on the rails of this company.
In this connection Mr. MacGregor
thinks that his company will prove a
veritable deliverance to this section, ex-
pressing the opinion that with the evo-
luton, of the plans now under contem-
plation, $3.50 coal will not only be pos
sible but practically assured, thus solv-
ing the secret of cheap fuel. 1t is quite
certain. says Mr.. MacGregor, that this
would be possible though no other chan
mel than the Raleigh and Western and
that road should receive the
united support of every enterprise in
consequence, both as a medium of secur-
ing reduction in the cost of coal and COM
petitive transportation.
When asked whether he expected the
Cumnock coal would displace all other
coal now entering this territory, he
pointed to the fact that this coal is now
being shipped to Observation-Disclosures
territory-at profit to the mines and
expressed the opinion that at the price
it can be delivered to every locality that
the Raleigh and Western will directly
reach. he certainly does expect that
this Home Product will monopolize the
coal consumption at all these points, as
no other coal can successfully compete
with it in view of the respective loca-
tion of the mines and the independent
means of transportation. He further ex-
presses the opinion that every industrial
plant adjacent to the line will, in order
to obtain the benefits of cheap fuel and
effect continuance of these conditions
be disposed to give the new line a liberal
proportion of their inbound and outbound
freight of every description, all of which
can be handled by the Raleigh and West
ern and its direct connections to equal
advantage as via existing routes, ire
spective of the origin or destination OF
shipments.
Mr.. MacGregor said that neither the
Southern Railway nor any interests con-
nected Herewith, were interested and
tnat the road would be built by those
VINO not only are disposed but fully able.
TO furnish an outlet entirely independent
OF the Southern Railway, realizing that
such means of ingress and egress is
greatly needed and that the visible profit
tnerefrom is pronounced.
MI. MacGregor admitted that a traffic
survey of the route had been made hv
two different parties. one Mr.. II w. r.
Giover, Tor years General Traffic Mana
ger OF the Seaboard Air Line, under
whose management fully sxty-six per
cent OF the business OF Greensboro was
formerly handled via the old Cape Fear
ana 4adkin Valley Railroad via Sanford,
the other. by an officer of the Seaboard
AIT Line, who was formerly in the SER
VICE of the Southern Railway. and that
of -
the most sanguine expectations of the
pio'eo'ors OF this road and the figures