The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1905-05-25
THE AIN. 6. RAILROAD.
Why was . Read psyine s,s.ooc
Leased Fer $4,000 Per vsss-Mr.
wocsea Wants 20 kne~s-An isssr>
essinc hissery 10 the Reso--st's Net
Receipts Are Increasing ~ the Rats
OF $4,000 . Yesr-ts 10 Rented Fer
tess Than Halt tss Value.
kias,on. y. G.. May %. 1901

kias,on. n C. May %. 1903
To the Caucasian:
Living on the line Of the Atlantis
North Carolina railroad and fami
liar with its history. purpose 60 give
brief sketch Of it's management.
The road was completed io Colds
boro in the spring of 1858. The peo
pie of New Bern. on the 18th of Apri
gave big dinner and trains came
from every road In the State and
brought a large crowd. DR. Hawks
and III. W. Miller delivered addresses
New Bern has ever been noted fo'
her hospitality. but on this occasion
she simply surpassed herseif
The original stockholders Of tbs
road never expect In their day 10 esei
receive any dividends. but the none,
they gave they considered as a dona
ton, which they were willing 60 make
for the prosperity Of the State. My
father, Council Wooten. was one oi
the original directors appointed b,
Governors Bragg and Ellis. The roas
hardly paid expenses. and have heart
him say that he and Mr.. l.. {. Des
mond, q director from Leno!r County
gave their note To the bank for $3s,
900 TO get money To run the road.
The men of that day were patrioti'
and they were willing To teopardiz'
their property for the State.
president. and was a very competent
one. He was president until aftel
he war. In March, 1862. the yankee.
captured New Bern and the trains raj
40 further than Kinston. so about two
thirds of the road was In possession
Of the Yankees.
Mr.. 4. II. Stony. a republican o
New Bern, was the first president af
ter the war, and was a good officer A
that time, all the road could do. wa
to exist. Nobody thought Of a divi
lend. Colonel Humphrey was presi
lent a short time under Governor
Brogden. When Governor Vance wa
elected in 1876, he made Major Johi
Hughes of New Bern president. II
1879, when Vance was elected Sena
TOR, Jarvis succeeded as Governor AM
Colonel Whitford was made President
was a director during Jarvis who'll
administration of six years.
During Whitford's administration
about 1881, the road was leased q
". J. Best In consideration for thu
lease of the road Mr.. Best propose:
o build an air line from Goldsbort
% Salisbury, and connect with th'
CUyo h.
proposed read would have gon'
through a fine country that had no roat
and would have been Of untold valu'
O the State. Governor Jarvis wa
in favor Of leasing the road TO Bes
md get this new road built and thu
ievelop the State. II was a nobi,
md patriotic idea Of Governor Jar
Wis, and he was actuated by the pur
est motives. | had no faith In Mr.
9est's ability to build the road. 70
[ looked upon him as an adventurer
md that he simply wanted TO get con
troll of the Atlantic & North Carolini
railroad to get what he could out o
t. being appointed by Goyerno
Jarvis, / would have been glad 4
.arry out his policy, but ! could no
10 So believing as did that Mr.. Bes
| would net be able to build the project
| I'd railroad, so | voted against tn
ease and subsequent events proves
| shat | was right, for in a year Bes
gave up the road and surrendered tn
lease.
| The road was in a dilapidated cond
ton, no improvements having beel
made, so Colonel Whitford had t
| al ha hn Eu 4
| put the road in condition To do bus
| ness. Pending the consideration O
| the lease. the directors met at More
| head City. and Governor Jarvis wa
| present, but he made no effort TO In
iuence any director and induce hir
| TO vote for the lease. He left eac
| man to exercise his best judgment q
ne saw proper. Some governors woul
| have threatened those who were thu
| thwarting his policy. but Governo
Jarvis did no such thing. He Is NJ
| Bile. patriotic and a great man.
| When Governor Scales was electe
Governor in 1884, he made Washingto
Bryan president His policy was to In
| prove the read. He mortgaged tn
road for three hundred and fifty thou,
| and dollars TO buy iron to replace tn
old iron. At the time / thought thi
| was an unwise step. for the old iro
would. have answered for sever;
years.
In 1888 when Governor Fowle wa
elected, he made w. s. Chadwick. {
Beaufort. president His policy wa
| to practice the most rigid econom.
make no permanent improvements. II
accumulated money and declared
dividend-the first in the history (
the road. He was heralded as Oh
great Napoleon Of railroading. II
managed the property well. SO far q
economy was concerned. The truth i
there never has been a day In th
history OF the road when IL was In
condition to declare a dividend, II
the earnings ought to have been a.
piled to permanent improvements IN
equipping the road.
Messrs. Hancock and Patrick, Go
ernor Russelis appointees. pursue
the same policy that Chadwick di
and declared a dividend, for III the
had not. there would have gone up
4 howl, that the Fusionists were incor
peteut.
In 1899, James A. BRYAN was mad
president. and continued president Il
five years. He reversed the policy
Chadwick and said the earnings shou
be put uDon the road. He was rigl
In this. but the trouble was he d
not make judicious use OF the none
I -.