The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-04-05
HERE YESTERDAY
Mr.. Barr and Committee From Cham
Der of Commerce Were in Session
Several Hours Yesterday Afternoon
All OF the Demands Thoroughly
Discussed-The Most Important
Demands Are Better Freight FaciI-
tiles and Better Passenger Service.

Mr.. J. NJ. Barr. president, and Mr..
e. f. Cost, traffic manager and sec
ond vice president of the Seaboard
Air Line, were in Wilmington yester-
day and held a conference with the
traffic committee of the Chamber of
Commerce, composed OF Messrs j. A.
ley, relative to the service maintain
ed by the Seaboard.
The meeting between the Seaboard
officials and the committee was held
in the merchants room in the Sea-
board building on Front street. The
conference lasted about three hours
and every phase of the situation was
discussed.
Several weeks ago Mr.. Taylor, as
president Of the Chamber Of Com
merce, made the following demands
upon the Seaboard and there were
the demands made yesterday:
Il. That all stations between Will
mington and Hamlet which were
open twelve months previous to No
vember the 18th, 1903, be continued
as heretofore.
2. That the schedules for the
through freight service from Will
m1ngtOn to Hamlet, and vice verse, be
maintained by the employment Of en-
glnes of sufficient power to perform
the service, and that close freight con-
nection and prompt transfer be made
at Hamlet.
'3. That better and adequate ter
minal service be provided at Will
mlngton, in the way Of better and
more si6etracks, and more efficient
yard engines.
"a. That a daily passenger train
leaving Wilmington at an early hour
In the morning and returning to Will
mington at a late hour in the evening,
be established. The schedules to be
adjusted so as to make connection at
Hamlet.
with the Atlantic Coast Line for
union passenger depot at the latter's
Front street terminal.
&c. That the Wilmington agency
| be clothed with freight division pow
ers.'
AS before stated each of these de-
mands were discussed in an exhaus-
| tive manner. AS a result OF the con-
| ference President Barr promised to
give the citizens of Wilmington, and
! those residing along the Carolina Cen
! trail, entire satisfaction as to all de-
mands made upon that road.
This means much to Wilmington; (;
! to the section of country through
| which the Carolina Central runs, and
| also to the Seaboard Air Line rail-
road.
| OF the demands made upon the
| Seaboard, there were none which
| were unreasonable and the citizens
/ have always felt that if the officials
| or the Seaboard could discuss the
/, matter thoroughly with committee
| of Wilmington citizens and learn the
! exact status of affairs, that the relief
asked would be granted.
| The Seaboard service has been bad
| for a long time, but during the past
| year it has been extremelr- bad.
| When Mr.. Barr was elected president
| of the road, which was only few
| months ago, the matter of improving
| conditions at Wilmington and giving
| better facilities, both as to passengc
| and freight service were taken UP
| with him and resulted in the confer
ence which took place yesterday and
| the promise of Mr.. Barr that he
| would give the citizens entire salts
| faction as to the demands submitted
to him.
| Upon reading the demands careful
| ly it can be easily seen OF what i'm
| portance they are. The first demand
is that all flag stations between VIII
| nlingtOn and Hamlet which were ar
| bitrarily discontinued, be re-establish-
| ed. This at a glance would not seem
| TO mean much, but upon investigation
1t is found that by disseminating sta
tions hundreds of farmers suffer and
many merchants who have opened
stores at the small stations are driver
out OF business.
The second and third demands ar
| somewhat similar, both ask for bette
| freight service. as to trains and ais
that the sidetracks be kept in bette
, | condition One OF the most importan
| demands and one that would be o
J the greatest importance to the whole
| sale merchants of Wilmington, is tn
| establishing Of a passenger train leav
: | ing Wilmington early in the mornin
| and returning late in the afternoon
IF q person wishes to go to Lumber
| ton on business il requires three day
| TO make the trip. II an early morn
ing train was put on the travehn
] men could go out in the morning
/ | transact their business and return o
]. | he afternoon train. thus in one da
= doing what IL previously took tf
2 greater part of three days to do.
bI The Seahnard does a large freigl
i l business here, but their busine
l. would be far larger if the prop'
= facilities were furnished The poil
IS cannot be established in regard
n the Carolina Central division of Il
30 Seaboard that IT is branch line al