The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-04-07

When claims were put forward re-
Gently that Wilmington was emitted
TO share in the benefits likely t o aecTle
TO the South Atlantic ports in coase-
quence of the building Of what Il
known as the South-Bound Railroad.
We took occasion to acknowledge Il
neigbors right TO recognition n 10
welcome her assistance in the further
ance Of IN enterprise which We col
sidered TO be Of great mutual concern
TO all Of this section Of the country,
1t IS with much regret therefore that
we learn from q dispatch which We
printed yesterday that the business in
terests of Wilmington are seeking %
monopoliZe the commercial advantages
TO be bestowed oy the South-Bound
enterprise. and that Southport has
Joined hands with Wilmington. and 4.
vigorous fight will be made TO wrast
the South-Bound road from Charles
tom AS a means to accomplish tbs
end, We are informed that "a detern4in
ed effort will be made to induce the
promoters of the Winston and South
Bolnd Railroad TO connect either with
the SeaDoard Air Line at Hamlet, or
with the Atlantic Coast Line at San.
AoAu- IL Ills ou5SSStlOu . GU
the Wilmington people are coniiden
Southport will become the great coal
ing station winch it is desired TO see
established on the South Atlantic.
We would have preferred TO So"
Charleston and Wilmington working
together in the utmost good fellowship
for the success of this great enterprise,
but if rivalry between them is 10 b.
established at this early stage OF the
undertaking, there can be 10 GouCt
that energetic efforts should be made
by the authorities and the business
interests of this city to meet aggression
with aggression. The superior advan-
tage OF. Charleston over Wilmington
for the purposes of establishing q
great cOaling station on the South At
lantlc coast are too numerous and 100
obvious TO need to be rehearsed in de-
tail at this time. The avowed intan-
ton OF the builders of the South Bound
Road is to make this port the terminus
of their proposed line, and they vii,
scarcely be easily turned aside from
that project. 1t is needless to say, |
however, that a vigorous campaign Cn
the part of Wilmington might accom-
plish something to u serious COM
mercial hurt unless prompt and suEi-
cient effort is made here to protect orr
interests. Not only should the advan-I
taSes of this port be adequately cyl
planned to and constantly kept before
the promoters of the proposed road, |
but those gentlemen should be left in
no manner of doubt that their enter
prise will receive here any support
which they may reasonably demand
Tor it.
The benefits which will result from
the competition of a direct line from
the South Atlantic to the coal fields OF |
Virginia, West Virginia and TENNESSEE
are enormous and far-reaching. Fall
ure to secure to Charleston her inst
share of them would result in an irre-i
parable loss. If Wilmington seriously
proposes to "wrest the South-BouEd
from Charleston we should lose no
time in protecting u own interests
and IN prosecuting a vigorous fight
against those who seek to help them
selves at u expense. The conflict
which appears to impend is not of our
seeking, but if forced upon us wei
should omit no effort which promises
to bring it to a successful ISSUE
News and Courier.