The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-12-09
TIME is OF THE ESSENCE

1t is greatly regretted that the ex
ercises attending the inauguration OF
Dr. Poteat as President of Wake
Forest College We're to an extent
marred by the failure of the SeaboarG
Air Line Railroad to carry the crowt
from Raleigh to Wake Forest as it haC
advertised to do. The inaugural exer.
cises were fixed at two o'clock and il
WAS understood that the visitors from
Raleigh were to be taken out on q
special train, leaving Raleigh at l.: sc
o'clock and reaching Wake Forest
only seventeen miles. away. in ample
time for the exercises. In response
to the advertisement of the road &
thousand or more people gathered al
the Union station and waited fol
over an hour before their train was
dispatched. only reaching Wake For
est at half after three in the after
noon Relying upon the assurance
of the railroad. the morning exercises
at the college were shortened in ex-
as a result of the delay neither Gov
ernor Glenn, President Denny. OF
Washington and Lee University. DR..
Venable of the University of North
Carolina. nor DIR. Smith. of Davidson,
had time TO deliver the addresses
which they had come to make upon
notable occasion, having opportunity
to do scarcely more than show them
selves and speak hurried word of
congratulation. The cause of the de-
lay was said to be some other train
which was off its schedule. but the
matter was the more inexcusable be-
cause of the short distance to Wake
Forest and the presence in Raleigh
of ample engines and cars belonging
to the Seaboard with which to handle
the crowd.
1t has almost come in North Caro-
sion that the railroads should fail to
perform their promises. In this re-
spect they sin without exception. On
the occasion of the Presidents visit.
there were thousands of people who
bought their tickets on a definite
time for the Presidents speech who
never reached the city until sometime
after he had left it. There should be
some way of enforcing a contract of
travel as we'll as of other things-and
time should be, in fact, as 1T is IN
theory. of the essence. The thousand
people who waited at the Union depot
had paid their money on definite
executory agreement: that for GER
tain considerat ton. for a certain known
purpose. the Seaboard would deliver
them at a certain place. by a certain
time. The passengers performed their
part of the contract by the purchase
of their tickets: the railroad. although
it had assumed the obligation and held
out definite performance as an induce
ment to the contract. not only failed
to perform it in terms but. when an
unforeseen and trivial delay of less
important train interviewed, seemed to
make no effort to do even the best In
it's power.
We do not mean to unduly crftclse
any railroad for the delays which
are more or less necessary on single
track lines But we do say that IN
the matter of passenger traffic and,
particularly. when people are induced
to travel on certain trains for certain
purposes, the duty of the railroad IS
not-as the road would seem to con-
slider itEmerely to deliver the goods
at the other end regardless of time.
If that be their attitude. they should
so advertise: Special train from
Hopeville to Despair; will leave
sometime arrive-perhaps.