The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-16
This Road viii Be Built. "
(special to News and observer.


Winston Salem, N. c., March 15.-
The building of the Winston-Salem
Southbound Railway from Winston
salem to a connection of the Atlantic
Coast Line straight for Charleston, S.
c., seems now assured. AT a largely
attended mass meeting at the Elks'
Auditorium in this city today, where
delegations from dozen cities and
towns along the line Of the proposed
road set forth their claims and offered
assistance, it became evident that
there is no longer any doubt of the
success of the project.
In nutshell there is back of the
scheme a wonderful plan looking for
ward to the construction of the Pam
anna Canal. The plan embraces the
connecting of the Norfolk & Western,
the great coal-hauling road, with both
the Seaboard and Atlantic Coast Line
systems, and the entrance into Char
leseton, S. c., a city south of Cape
Hatteras.
BY connecting with the two great
systems mentioned it means the de-
livery to them of their entire supply
of coal for their Southern points over
the Southbound Railway, and it
means the construction of great coal
ing station at Charleston, whore all
vessels bound for Pacific points
through the Panama Canal can coal
south of the dreaded Cape Hatteras.
Yet the Norfolk and Western denies
any connection with the plan 1T is
evident, however, that Charleston is
onl ytwenty-three miles further from
the coal fields shan Norfolk; that it
hes South Of Hatteras, and that the
Norfolk & Western sthe coal-hauling
road
Col F. H. Fries today in his speech
before the mass melting declared that
the men behind him assured him it
was an independent line to be built
to take advantage of the situation ana
that it was on his part the fulfillment
Of his original phan when he started
the work of building the Roanoke &
Southern. But it makes no differences
as to who is behind the plan. it is in
evidence that the construction of the
road will open up country and af-
ford connections for the people along
its lines that will make it a great de-
liverer as freight hauling road
1t will aord connection here with
the Norfolk q Western and Southern
for all points to the cities Of the North
and West and connections near the
South Carolina line with the Norfolk
and Western and Seaboard Air Line
for all points South and southwest
Qhree things seem evident:
1. The hackers require a half mill
lion dollars to be put up by the COM
| mittees along the line of the road.
2. The communities along the three
routes being considered are tumbing
| over one another in their offers of as-
sistance and
3. That Col. r. H. Fries. the man at
the head. who has already created SO
much for the development of the re-
sources of the South, president Of the
Wachovia Loan and Trust Company
the largest financial institution of this
State, president of half dozen big
cotton mills and director OF others. and
the man whose creative genius put
Winston-Salem in touch with the coal
fields, has said he will do his level
best to build it and this means that
the road will be built
The mass meeting here today was
held for the purpose Of getting al
expression of people along the three
routes being considered and to get in-
formation concerning the resources Of
the different sections. The three
.outes proposed are as follows:
One from Wnston-Salem. via Hioh
Point down the UWharrie river and
along the left bank of the Pee Dee
river to Rockingham and Hamlet
thence connecting with the Atlantic
Coast Line at Gibson for Charleston
Another route via Lexington and
Wadesboro, connecting with the At
lantic Coast Line at the latter poin4
for Charleston. Al third route Via
Lexington Mount Pleasant. Monroe
Jefferson, S. c.. McBee. S. c., connect
ing with the A. G. i. near Sumter for
Charleston.
There IS still another route bidding
for the road by Salisbury Concord
and Monroe.
Delegations from all Of the points
In this State and from several South
Carolina points were present at the
Continued on Page Three.)