The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-03-17
Especial to The Messenger)

Especial to The Messenger)
Winston-Saiem y. c.. March 15.-The
building OF the wEnseon-Salem south
bound railway from winston-Salem to
q connection OF the Atlantic Coast Ldne,
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 Il dozen cities and towns along
the dine of the proposed road, set forth
their claims and offered assistance, II
became evident that there is no longer
any doubt cf success of the project. In
a nutshell, there is back Of the scheme
a wonderful plan booking forward bo
the construction OF the Panama canal.
The plan embraces the connecting or
the Norfolk and Western, the great coal
hauling road, with both the Seaboard
and Atlantic Coast Line systems, and
the entrance into Charleston, 9. c. a.
CITY south of Cape Hatteras by con-
Meeting with the two great systems
mentioned 1t means the delivery to
them of their entire supply OF coal for
their southern points over the south
bound railway, and it means the con-
struction of a great coaling station at
Charleston, where all vessels bound for
Pacific points, through tha Panama
canal, can coal south of the dreaded
Cape Hatteras. Yet the Norfolk and
| plan. It fs evident however that Char
| lesion Is only % miles further from the
coal fields than Norfolk, that IT Hes
south of Hatteras and that the Norfolk
and Western is the coal hauling road.
Colonel F. II. Fries today in his
| speech before the mass meeting declar-
| ed that the men behind 0lim assured
| him it was an independent line to be
built to take advantage Of the situation,
| and that 1t was on his part the full
| fillment of his original plan when he
| started the work of building the Roam
oke and Southern.
But lit makes no difference as to who
is behind the plan, 1T Is evident that
| the construction of the road would
open up a country and AFFORD connec-
tions for the people along it's lines that
| would make it the great deliverer as
freight hauling road. 1t will afford
connection here with the Norfolk and
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.
Three things seem evident: First
the hackers require half million dol
lars to be put UP by the communities
| along the line OF the road. Second: the
communities along the three routes be-
ing considered are tumbling over one
another in their offers of assistance.
| and, third, that Colonel F. II. Fries.
the man at the head, who has already
created so much for the development
of the resources Of the south, president
of the wachovia Loan and Trust Conn
pany, the largest financial institution
of this state, president of a half dozen
big cotton mills and director OF others.
and the man whose creative genius put
Wdnston-Salem in touch with the coal
fields. has said re va: do. his levA best
to build 1T, and this means that the
road VIII be built
The mass meeting here today was
, aeeId for the purpose OF getting an ex-
PRECISION of people along the thres
, routes being considered and TO get In
formation concerning the resources oi
the different sections. The three routes
| proposed are as follows:
One from winston-Saiem, VIA Higt
Point, down the Moharrse river and
along the left bank Of the Pee Dee riveI
to Rockingham and Hamlet. thencs
! connecting with the Atlantic Coast Hnt
al ellison for Charleston. Another
route via Lexington and Wadesboro
! connecting wsth the Atlantic Coast Lkna
I at the aatter point for Charleston.
third route via Lexington, Mt Pleas
ant. Monroe jefferson. s. c.. Melee
= 5. c., connecting with tho Atlarsf