The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-10-13

material prosperity.
LAS | understand it, it is improve
ment, particularly along those lines.
that your organization holds i'll such
ldeep concern: and this meeting is
| one of a series which YOU intend
holding for the purpose of stirring
| our energies and stimulating our ell
| forts for the improvement OF the CITY,
1--WE have had no boom like some
| IF orr sister cities; we are making no
spectacular or sensational progress:
| but we are making, ana nave mace
IN the recent past, steady and sub
| stantiaI growth. We see II III our
streets. in our buildings We see an
increase each year in our industries
! Not what we hope to have in the near
future not what we ought 10 nave
still solid and substantial growth.
am the last year our two most ur-
gent needs have been supplleq. we
/ no longer hear complaint OIL oul iiotci'
| for we have n good one. we no
| longer hear complaints of our theatre
or want of a theatre. for we nave
| q frst-class opera house. amply Sulll-
| cient. a.,
"Within the last year or two the
State has realized that this is tne
| pleasantest city within its borders 70
visit: and during the summer seasoll
we have had excursions almost eve
week. and many times oftener. Win
a little effort upon our part anu WIN
the construction of a pavilion OF pup
lie comfort, where excurslonlstS lnlSHl
rest. check their bundles, ana make
their rendezvous, the number or Vlsl-
tors to our city and the consequent
advantages by way of advertisement
and acquaintance would be Wohuer-
fully increased ~
1--WE have also in the last year or
two suffered one distinct loss we
have lost the political conventions.4We
will not regain them until we prepare
an adequate hall in which to hold
them. The Academy of Music serves
it's purpose we'll. 1t is good opera
house, amply sufficient for that pur-
pose, but it is wholly Inadequate as
a political convention hall. We may
as we'll realize the fact that Ralelgh
will see no more great political con-
ventions until it provides a suitable
auditorium
This auditorium is one of the i'm
provements / consider Raleigh must
have. Failing to provide this. she
loses q valuable means of profit and
Improvement / have thought that
the city ought to build such an audi
torium and thus avoid the. annoyance
of raising private subscriptions and
the embarrassment of private controi
of the property.
eff a building, capable of seating
four thousand people, containing a
department of public comfort a con-
fectionery and cigar stand, and per-
haps a restaurant. We're built on Nash
Square, Immediately in front of the
depot, by the city, enough revenue
would be derived from it to more
than keep it in repair and pay janitor
service. 1t would double the number
of excursions, and get back the polltl-
cal conventions. II the site is obJec-
tionable. we need have no contro-
versy over that. but this city loses
great opportunities every month II
delays the erection of an adequate
auditorium.
1.-The growth of the city demands
the immediate extension of the street
car line 1t has not been extended in
years and is not serving an adequate
number of inhabitants of the city. It's
Immediate extension it seems to me,
is a matter worthy of our serious
consideration. If our street car COM
pany does not see it's way clear to
make the extension, we should offer
a franchise to another company,
which will give us adequate service,
and give it quickly.
eff you think about it. the further
growth of the city is absolutely de-
pendent upon street car facilities. The
city cannot grow on thewest, because Of
the grounds of the State Hospital, the
penitentiary, Pullen's Park, the A.
and NJ. College, the Fair Grounds, and
the Cameron estate. These properties
effectually block the growth of the
city westward. On the south the flats
of Walnut Creek, the city farm and
dumping ground, make growth in. that
direction impracticable. 1t is only to-
ward the north that 1t seems pracu-
cable for the city to grow. and that
territory is not reached by the street
car line.
with an extension of the street
car line north and west ample room
will be afforded for the growth Of the
residence portion of the city. 1t seems
to me that the time has come when
we must have better street car facll1-
ties. If the present company can
give it. so much the better. If it can
not give it, the city must seek such
facilities from other sources.
NOTABLY is the residence portion
of the city crowded. but the room
available for manufacturing sites is
circumscribed. 1t is difficult to find
a location for new industry Wlthln
or very near the city limits, and on
the line of the railroad This can be
remedied with comparative ease, and
an abundant area of inexpensive lana
made available for manufacturing
sites.
1--WE need a belt line railroad. ex-
tending from the southern track near
the BledSoe Grove, around the eastern
side of the city until it reaches the
line of the Raleigh and Pami1co,
distance of perhaps two or two and q
half miles. This should be available
to all of the four roads entering the
city, and a manufacturing site located
on either side of this belt line would
have the advantage of all four of the
roads. This done. and the flats of
Walnut Creek dr2ined-an easy prop
osition-and we will have on the
eastern and northeastern borders of
our city the most available district
for manufacturing purposes possessed
by any city in the State. 1t will trans
form an unsightly region into one OF
thrift and industry.
eve should say to investors that
they may locate their mills upon this
belt line. and that we will never am
dertake to force them into the city
or include them in the city limits
against their will.
I'm my opinion, Mr.. Pres1den, 1t
will be not a difficult Job for united
effort to secure these four objects OF
which I have spoken. Let the city
build an auditorium. Let the Electric
Company extend its lines, or grant a
franchise to some other Electric Com
pany which will give the necessary