The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-09
ON To DURHAM.
Mr.. Fuller Details Plans
of New Electric Go.
Tells Wherein the Granting of Fran
chise Asked for by His Com
pany Would Benefit
Raleigh.


system that WI cover the city and
viii welcome also the construction OF
q line to connect Raleigh with Dur
ham BY request, Mr.. T. $. Fuller,
enc of the incCrporafors of the com
pany that is asking a charter from the
city of Raleigh, furnishes the follow
ing Interview CT the plans Of the com
| Iany with which he is conUectcd:
Mr.. Fuiler's Statement.
! There are some propositions which
admit of no argument, and this prop
osit on seems to be one of that class.
because the advantages which ii Of
| ferS to the citizens of Raleigh are so
numerous and SO great that to enum-
crate them would fill a large volume.
But after the courteous request OF
| the editor of the News and Observer
to point out the advantages of new
line, l have tried to select a few from
the large number which seem to me
to be most prominent.
I'm the first place, our plan is brief
| ly this: TO build and operate street
railway and light and power plant;
| both in Raleigh and in Durham, and
to also operate "a line between Dur
! ham and Raleigh. We propose TO give
TO the city a street car service that
any city would be proud of. We pro-
/
where; that will not only operate
where the present system goes. but
| VIII take in pa; Is of the city that have
never been reached by car lines. We
will run a belt line that will take in
the manufacturing districts, which
! can only be redched now by hiring a
street carriage. 1t is our intention to
operate two belt lines and in this
way give double service in the heart
| or busy part of the city, making the
/ stores convenient to every home. OF
| course we do not expect to derive any
profit whatever from the city lines for
| several years. The traffic on the city
| line would not be heavy enough for
/ some me to pay for an expensive
| plant like the one we propose to
| build. We expect the line connecting
the two places to pay the expenses.
and by the proper operation of the
entire system to build up Raleigh to
the point where the city line viii be
profitable. 1t is our intention 90 OPP
crate a local express company be-
tween Durham and Rale gh. TO estab-
lish an amusement park about half
way between and to make the run
from Raleigh to the park in about
half an hour. This park will be open
during the spring, the summer. and
the early fall. 1t Will undoubtedly
develop all Of the country contiguous
to the line between Durham and Raj
eigh, and as Il consequence of that
must necessarily develop the two ter
minals | will give far better ra lWay
service than we have ever had. 1t
will increase trade and encourage pro-
gress by rendering additional and
better facilities. 1t being to the inter
est of the company to improve and
bu Id up Raleigh, we would natural
ly use our best efforts to encourage
new interests to locate here.
THE advantages of this are evil
dent. First: 1t favorably advertises
the city. 1t increases the population.
The company hauls the operatives on
its cars, the operatives buy their
food, clothing, and supplies from the
Raleigh merchants: they can 1--we
cheaply in the suburbs, and will reach
the heart of the city conveniently in
a short while. The company can
furnish the new plants with power
and light, and the increase of popu-
Ia ton and of manufacturing indus
tries means an add ton TO the taxable
property Of the city and an increase
in the amount of taxes collected by
the city, and a decrease in the rate
of the taxes paid by the citizens.
Take the example of other cit es Sin
the State Charlotte. Greensboro and
Durham--everyone has rich and pop
portunity to acquire cheap homes
made accessible to the whole city by
their superior means of transporta-
ton. Can we say the same of Raj
eigh? And why should this he so =?
The answer is easy. Because we have
had no way to get there, and man
could not 1--we in the suburbs unless
he owned a horse.
Raleigh has superior natural ad-
IN tn oft in Ln tnt
the only reason why it has not kept
apace with the improvements of
the other three places is because we
have lacked the progress and agrees
sive spirit that is to be found there
II seems to me that this is the first
step in that Inc. This scheme, so to
speak. starts the ball rolling, and if
our franchise is granted as we ask for
it, we guarantee that III five years
from now Raleigh will not look like
the same place.
Il have Dad several people to ask
me if we really intended to build the
line from Raleigh to Durham. ] say
emphat,cally yes, for this is the main
part If our plan, and if it were moi
! for this we could not consider operat-
ing such an extensive system in the
city.
while our main object in the in
stituton of this enterprise is the gain
We hope to derive from it through the
operation of our plans. there is no Cit
izen or class of citizens of Raleigh
who will not derive benefit from it..
And. as de from the disappointment
tc us which would come from imped-
ina,ntS put in the way of the enter
prise, would not the failure of our
people generally to aid this movement
be liable to be construed by the out
side world as notice that Raleigh does
not desire to grow and extends no in
vita ton &c enterprise and capita? And
vii mot the imposition of erroneous
Will rot the imposition Of erroneous
| o. the policy of our city to put a pen
atty upon progress?
This enterprise mas been nature
~ considered, deliberately entered
upon, and viii be prosecuted to a sue
cessful conclus on, which will re-
dound more to the advantage of our
| beautiful city than any enterprise.
launched in it fifty years. If Raleigh
does not reap the advantages which
have come to other enterprisine com
munities, IL will not be the fault of
my associates and myself, for we
stand ready TO do our part"
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