The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-04-23
THAT SELMA CONNECTION.
The People of Eastern Carolina Greatly
InC0nVenienced.

On Monday in Wake Superior Court,
the case of the Corporation Commission
vs.. the Atlantic Coast Line will come u,
for hearing. 1t Is upon an appeal from
the Commission ordering the Atlantic
Coast Line TO restore the Selma connec-
tion-kept up for twenty years until last
fall. Hon. F. A. Woodland, attorney for
the Corporation Commission has "a good
one on Hon James II. Pou, attorney for
the Atlantic Coast Line, in connection
with the suit Mr.. Wcodard and Mr.. fou
had been to Washington, Plymouth and
other points in Eastern North CAROLINE
taking dispositions in the case and were
anxious to reach Raleigh on Friday night
So they took the "ShoOfy" train from
Richmond TO Smithficld at Rocky Mount,
exp acting to reach Raleigh at 1870 o..
Friday night. Bot that train was late.
As it pulled into Selma, the Southern train
was standing at the water tank The At
lantic Coast Line train conductor said to
Mr.. Woodland, Mt. Pou and the other pas
SengerS IF you will run you may catch
it" and it was sight for men and angels
to see Mr.. Woodland and Mr.. Pou sprint
ing up the track for the water tank, but
they couldn't run as well as when Mr.
Woodland was captain of The Black Creek
Swift Foot Baseball Club and Mr. Pou was
captaic of the Slnithfield Hard-Hitter
baseball team, and just before they reach
Cd the water tank, the Southern train
PULLED out for Raleigh, leaving these dis
tinguished lawyers out OF breath on the
railroad track Inasmuch as Mr.. Woodland
is fighting to secure The rCstora ton OF the
decent day time connection at Selma, he
could relieve his feelings by any language
that a Methodist steward * permitted to
use at midnight. But, as Mr.. Pou Is
counsel for the Atlantic Coast Line is
maintaining that his railroad is furnishing
good enough Selma connections, he
couldn't saw nary word and he stood
there III sileI &C. and he know, new to be
silent in seven languages when 1t seems
wise not to pc louuaclous.
Tired and painting, these two lawyers
logged Jher baggage and bundles Of de-
positions back to the hotel ana spent the
night in Selma, reaching Raleigh yester-
cay morning about nine O'Clock. Mr..
Woodland thinks-and properly-that the
incident is ore more OF the 5000 thousand
other good al guments Tor restoring the
afternoon connection at Selma And Mr.
Pou tEinks-well he was extremely anX-
:ous 10 get home Friday night, but if he
talks it would be sure to hurt his client
case!
In this connection the following from
yesterdays Wilson Times shows the sell
tlment Of the people of Eastern North
Carolina:
Next week before the Supreme Court
in Raleigh Will be heard, the notable
Selma connection case, when 1t Will be
decided whether the Railroad Commits
sion aas a right to compel the Atlantic
Coast Line to make the connection at
Selma for travel from the eastern part
Of the State and west Of Raleigh. With
ont entering into"the merits of the case
as 10 whether ne Coast Line or the South
ern should make the connection, the I'M
portance of the connection for the ben
eft of the travelling public Is doubly man
;tes-.
while the connection was being made
Ifarties from almost ann point in the-easj,
even from Washington and points on the
coast could leave in the morning and
reach Raleigh, Durham and Greensboro the
same evening Now the travellers from
these places consume two days and one
night, with all the discomfort of a slow
going freight, and wait of an hour and
a half in a sometimes cold room at Sci
ma and the necessity then Of being up all
night unless they take a sleeper for this
short Journey with the arrival at their
destination at an unoartlly hour of the
night. Just think for one moment OF the
Cisc0nfort young ladies attending the
Raleigh. Selma and Greensboro schools
aIe subject to- Even those from Wilson
must artist before day IN the winter and
aftcl eating a cold Breakfast leave on
the O'Clock Shoofy for Goldsboro and
then catch the southern there for RAJ
eigh and Greensboro. Il they live in the
country they must come to Wilson anG
spend the night, and If they take the
night tain from Wilson at $50 they mus:
wait over at Selma and take a slow go
ing freight staying up all night, reaching
Greensboro at an uneaThy hour in the
mor,up-.
..Thosp east of Wilson have not even
these privileges of the early morning
shoofly as this train only runs from
Rocky Mount.
We can't understand why the South
cln ard Coast Line do not come TO some
agreement a. to this connection, without
the necessity of law suit over the mat
ter. Public utilities should consider the
needs of the public and the public should
not be made TO suffer because they hap
pen to have disagreement over the man
ner in which they shall show each other
he DTOp2T cOurtCSieS.