The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-02-14

with No. 80, the Atlantic Coast Lines
train from Richmond to Jacksonville,
which in turn connected with train No.
1876 of the Southern Railway at Selma,
the greater portion of the section OF the
country reached by the said branch roads
was for years furnished the nearest and
cheapest route of travel to Raleigh and
other Southern Railway points. The
greater part of the travel between this
Atlantic Coast Line territory and South
ern Railway points was by this route. 1t
is admitted in the correspondence of the
Atlantic Coast Line in this matter that
this was the most important connection,
being the principal outlet for passengers
In route from eastern Carolina territory
TO Raleigh and other Southern Railway
points. There seems to have been no
complaint about the failure of these rail
road companies to keep this schedule and
make this connection until about the
year 1900. The Atlantic Coast Line Com
pany informs the Commission that tbs
mater has been frequent source OF cor
respondence between this company and
the Southern Railway Company since
1900; that during this time frequent COM
plants have been made to this coinpany
by the Southern Railway Company Of its
failure to make schedule time at Selm.;
and the Atlantic Coast Line furnished
the Commission with copies OF daily re-
ports OF the arrival of train No. 50 at
Selma from August 1st, 1903, to December
10th, 1903, showing an average daily de-
lay In the arriving of this train at that
point of thirty-four minutes From these
reports 1t appears that train No. 3e was
more than thirty minutes late on arriv-
ing At Selma sixteen times In the month
Of O,tober, and twenty-eight times dur
ing the period from October 26 to Deem
Der 10, 1903, so that this schedule was
practically broken by the Atlantic Coast
Lines failure to keep it. On October H.,
1908, the Southern Railway changed its
schedule on train No. 135 so as to leave
Goldsboro at 1:25 instead OF 2:05 D. NJ
Selma at 2:25 p. m, instead OF p. A.
Raleigh at 1925 p. IN. instead Of 3:52 p.
m, and arrive at Greensboro at $50 p.
n, as it formerly did, and thus the con
nection which is admitted by the Atlantic
Coast Line Company to have been the
principal outlet for passengers in route
from eastern Carolina territory TO Raj
eigh and other Southern Railway points
was broken.
''The reason given by the Southern
Railway for changing its schedule at
Goldsboro and Selma, which it nal kept
for about ten years, was that it was ne
cessary to have more time between SelI
man and Greensboro, at which last named
place train No. 135 was scheduled to make
close connection with through Southern
Railway trains for the South and West.
That in order TO make this CONNECTION
they had to run at too fast a speed and
then often failed. This connection Of the
Southern Railway with its through trains
is a most important one for all points on
the Southern Railway between Goldsboro
and Greensboro, and also from the eastern
part of the State. Deducting three min
utes for each stop between Selma and
Greensboro, this last schedule would re-
quire the Southern Railway to make
thirty-eight miles an hour in order 20 ar
rive at Greensboro on schedule time.
1.-The reason assigned by the Atlantic
Coast Line for it's failure to keep its
schedule in arriving at Selma on No. 50
was that this is a through passenger
train carrying mail and express from New
York to Jacksonville, and that in some
instances the Northern connections failed
to deliver the train at Richmond on SEIZED
ule time, and that there was usually
added to this train one or more extra eX-