The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-01-01


position to ignore the interests Of cur
merchants has prevented the naturai
increase Of its business with the
growth Of the city.
While 1t may be said that this COM
pany has net had q decrease in fits
receipts there has net been the in
crease that the rapid growth Of the
business of the pert and the level
epment Of the contributing section
would warrant and which has been
secured by its competing line.
The truth is the Seaboard Air Line
has sacrificed the port Of Whining
ten, its business men and the con-
tigueus territory to b up-buiiding
Of its through lines As feeders to
cities to the north Of US For in
stance, the Atlantic Coast Line "a
hauled cotton to this port from the
southwest which the Seaboard refused
to take-whether it had not the roll
ing stock or for what eason we. know
not. For the past few years it has
sought no new business from this
side tracked town"
We said above that a railroad
importance as the Seaboard has done
either did not want her trade or It's
officials did not have the brains to
know how to secure II. AS to the lat
ter we quote a little by-play in the
discussion of the matter in the meet
ing Of the chamber of commerce on
Tuesday by men who are probably
we'll acquainted with the ability 90
of the railroad officials:
MI. Taylor said the facts
should be laid before the new
management and if redress was
not given, to then carry the mat
ter before the corporation COM
mission, which could compel the
road to give adequate service.
The speaker said the corporation
commission could require better
trains; that they could require
the railroad yards in this city to
be put in the proper condition
and that they could compel the
S. A. L. to give good service.
Here Mr.. VIM. Calder inter-
rupted the speaker and wished
to know if it were possible for
the corporation commission to
instill brains into the heads of
the officials of the S. A. l.. h
question brought forth the sug-
gestion that although the COM
mission might not be able to in
still brains into the heads of the
officials, they could get what
brains the officials aid have in
better working order"
Whichever horns OF the dilemma
the chief officials of the road wish
to take, we desire to call their at
tention to the fact that the state cor
poration commission has Jurisdiction.
If the company knows how to give
Wilmington proper service and went
do it the commission will make it 90
so. If it does not know how, the
commission will show it.
The truth is the Seaboard Air Line
system has sacrificed it's old friends,
the people who gave it life and sus-
tenance for years, and but for whom
it would not now be in existence, for
the purpose of becoming a great and
through line Con paper) from the
north to the south and west. 1t is
draining the pockets Of its old friends |
in an endeavor to build up a system
to enrich others.
Now let's look at h passenger |
service this system gives to the most |
populous and most important city Of
our state. Branching out to the |
north, south and west. II gives VIII
mington one passenger train a day.
As to through ravel that is not so
important, as the other system gives
convenient schedules to all points of
the compass. But take up the matter
of local travel on the Carolina Cen
trail. We quote Mr.. C. c.. Covington,
of our leading wholesale
grocers who has occasion to visit
points along the various roads lead
ing out of our city. AS to the hor-
rible schedule on the Carolina Central
he says:
The Dad should be given
such freight as they provide
facilities for the handling. If
the facilities provide for the
handling of local traffic, then
give lllSHl local CIdI1C, ana
cut the balance out. If this
plan was adopted, MI. Coving-
ton said, instead Of the mer-
chandise going to the railroad.
the railroad would be send
ing solicitors to the merchants
to get their business. Mr.. Cow
ington spoke OF what extremely
poor passenger facilities the S. A.
L. afforded to Wilmington and
gave an Illustration of how much
better the service was out of
Charlotte. A business man can
leave Charlotte in the morning,
come as far as Clarkton, trans
act his business, and return to
Charlotte the same day. Take
h service out of Wilmington
and suppose the point to be
reached is Lumberton. One Is
compelled to leave here at 3:15
in the afternoon, reaching Lum-
berton too late in the evening to