The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-17
THRO' TO NORFOLK
Trains Soon to Be Run
From Washington.
Bonds For The New Graded School
Building. Progress at Washington
and Outlook For the Near
Future.
By I'll. b. HARDY.

Washington, N. c., March 16.-It is
very gratifying after an absence for
! some time from place to return and
have the citizens of that place say, as
/ they shake your hand, Il am grad to
i see rou back in our town. | know OF
1 no place in the State where this can
occur with more genuine, honest
meaning and genial hospitality than IN
/ this good old town of Washington.
note considerable evidences OF
/ improvement and growth since my
/ last trip here in the way of new resi-
dences and business houses, the new
electric light plant the addition to
! the Hotel Louise of several new roms,
! kept by mine clever host, A. a.
! Springs, and the Pamlico, just diago-
nally across the street. The hotel ae-
Communications now of Washington are
! not surpassed by any town of its size
/ in the State, and yet there is room here
/ for still more improvements, especial
/ ly on both sides of the main business
/ streets of the town. Within the last
! twelve months there have been erect-
/ ed some handsome two-story brick
/ buildings on this street that would do
| credit to any town, and yet there are
standing right beside these new build-
] ings old frame structures that are not
only objects of comment by visitors,
/ i
not be. 1t appears to me that the
owners Of this property, with a view
| of better investments, cheaper insur-
ance, and the good of the town would
/ not be long in replacing these frame
| buildings With brick ones TO corre-
| spond with their neighbors Mr.. Blu
| chanan has started the ball rolling in
| this direction by breaking ground for
/ a new two-story brick store on this
street
Owing. TO the long spell of disagree
able weather farming and trucking
operations are very backward, but
1with the recent good weather, | am
/ told by farmers, that a great deal OF
work has been done around Washing
ton within the last week. The out
look from crops in this section is that
the acreage i'll cotton will be reduced
/ % per cent, tobacco will be increased
| about 10 and corn about Is per cent,
as compared with last year. 1t is gem
| orally believed that a large crop of
Irish potatoes will be made all over
! the county and with favorable weather
| for the next sixty or ninety days the
| usual fine crop of all kinds of truck
will be gathered and shipped from the
many fine truck farms in proximity to
! Washington.
/ Arrangements are being made to be-
| gin work soon on the new graded
school building The town owns a fine
/ site in the western portion and has
/ voted $25, 600 bonds to erect a build
| ing, and | am informed will soon vote
/ for $4,000 more If the issue carries
this will give $40, 900 spent in build
| ings, furniture and library 1t will be
| remembered that a few weeks ago the
old building and library was burned
/ the loss being estimated at 10000,
with $1,000 insurance.
/ HI -, e..
| county will vote on the question soon
of whether or not to issue $4,000 in
| bonds for the purpose of remodelling
and charging the court house.
Washington now has the best rail-
road and steamboat facilities 1t has
T ever had. The Coast Line has two
trains a day from Washington to Par
melee Junction, leaving Washington at
5 a. m. and 1:45 p. m, arriving 6 p.
m, and about ] p. m. The Old Do
minion Steamship Company run two
| steamers down the Pamlico River and
| Sound. The Albemarle leaves Wash
| ington for Belhaven direct at 4 p. m.
every day and arrives in Washington
every morning The Hatteras leaves
every Monday, Wednesday and Friday
at p. M, also plying the PamlT0o>
River and Sound. She stops at Bay
side, South Creek, Aurora and Make
lyville. both going and returning The
steamer Myers, also of the Old Do
| minion plies the Tar River between
Washington and Greenville, leaving
Washington at about a. m. arriving
at Greenville about II a. M, leaving
there at 1890 p. m, arriving ia Wash
ington from about 3 $50 to D. I'm.
The Norfolk q Southern are widen
ing the road from here to Plymouth
from a narrow gauge to standard gauge
They have also completed the link
from plymouth to Mackey's Ferry and
only have about eight miles to finish
widening to Washington; and soon
through trains will be run from Wash
ington to Norfolk with Pullman cars
attached. At Mackey's Ferry cars will
be conveyed across the sound, about
Twelve miles, on barges to Edenton,
and though as yet no schedule has
been made, it is rumored that trains
will leave here for Norfolk twice
day--morning and evening; so from
the above it is very readily seen how
convenient Washington is in touch
with the outside world
Owing to cold weather the supply Of
nsh has been scarce, but with pros
poets OF warmer weather there is on
reason why Washington should not be
able soon to keep up her usual repu-
tation as first class fish. market.
AS the train rolled out from the
new, neat station building of the Coast
Line, taking me away from Washing
ton, the desire is that it will not be
long before ] can return and mingle
again with these clever people and |
good friends of the Old Reliable.
Extending Road to Ellington.
Especial to News and Observer