The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-01-26
LINE IS ASSURED
Business Men Pledge Support
to Steamship Line
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Project Enthusiastically Received
and Resolution Adopted
Moral Support Will Be Given and Pat
ronagc Pledged - Some Trouble
Being Experienced I'm Getting a Suit
able Wharf-Mr. Williams Expects
to Bring First Vessel Here Within
Next Ten Days.

to Bring First Vessel Here Within
Next Ten Days.
That Wilmington will have a steam
ship line between here and Baltimore
is now an assured fact although all
the details have not been agreed Upon
and it cannot be told definitely JUST
when the first steamer will make her
trip here. Mr.. Williams is now wait
ing to make arrangements for a
wharf and also to come to an under
standing with the two railroad vs.
TENS relative to handling freight
brought here for interior points.
Mr.. Mason l.. Weems Williams.
general mara r of the Baltimore and
Carolina steamship company, a
been in Wilmington for the past two
days. He is a young man but has had
experience IN connection with steam
ship lines and haS capital sufficient to
back UP such a proposition as he may
desire to tackle.
A special meeting Of the chamber
of commerce was held yesterday af-
ternoon, having been called to discuss
the matter of getting the Wilmington
Baltimore steamship line established
There were in attendance Messrs. J.
Allen Taylor, B.. j. Jacobs, II. e..
4Smallbones, John S. McEachern, Mar
tin S. Willard, l.. 3. Rogers, Roger
Moore, James Kyle, P. Pearsall, II. x.
Nash, William H.. Brown, Samuel
Bear, Jan IS !. ,MGtt5, B. F. Hall. +.
E. Hasha.en, y. A. Anillhe, J. A. Ar
ringdale, j. anE. Metts, Walker Tay-
ior, B. F. Keith, j. H. Waters, An
,crum 4Ord. j. A. Springer, J.. S.
Punches, r. II. Pickett and represen-
tatives of The press
President Taylor called the meeting
to order and stated that the object of
the meeting was to- lay before
the business men the proposition of
Mr.. Williams to establish a steam
ship line between Wilmington and
Baltimore and get an expression from
them in regard to the mat
ter. He said it was recognized by
MIR. Williams that this port had
great possibilities and the speaker
thought the proposition to get a line
established w ithout> ar outlay of any
money should be received with much
favor. No terminal, he stated, had
been secured but his belief was that
this fact alone would not block the
line. All the members could do, he
said, would be to express to Mr.. Will
liamS their moral support, and agree
to %patronize the line and use their eff
forts in getting satisfactory arrange
ments made with the railroad systems
leading into Wilmington. Mr.. lay
lor said it was not the policy Of rail
roads to make a super rate in mat
tiers of this kind, but if the business
was brought here they would make a
rate to suit the conditions. 1t was
his belief that if the line was brought
here and traffic offered that the Sea
board Air Line or Atlantic Coast Line
would not fight the rate.
He showed that the Atlantic Coast
Line or the S%eaboard Air Line would
make just as much if the goods were
handled from this port as if they were
shipped via Norfolk. When shipped
by Norfolk the lines running to that
port have an agreement with the rail-
roads by which the rate is pro-rated
whereas from this port it would be
the local rate from Wilmington to the
place where the goods are consigned
There was no one. he said, familiar
with local conditions who was not
aware that Wilmington did not enjoy
the freight rates that she should. He
was of the opinion that the rates
would eventually come and that the
project of the Seaboard Air Line to
run a line to Southport would mean
that Wilmington would be made a
gateway.
Mr.. Taylor called upon Mr.. Williams
to address the meeting, but he said
Mr.. Taylor had made a clear state
ment of the facts and there was moth
ing he could add to his remarks.
Mr.. ]. A. Arringdale said that at the
present time Wilmington did but a
small lumber business with Baltimore
and he believed it entirely due to the
lack of facilities. He said he knew
Mr.. Williams we'll and that he had
what was needed to make the line a
success. experience and money.
Short talks were made by a number
of the leading business men present
pledging patronage and all predicting
that the line would be a great sue
cess.
Captain James I. Metts said it was a
great calamity when the BaltinrOrs
line that formerly ran here was dis
continued and he believed it would
only take a short time to build up a
large business with Baltimore. He
said a port of the Importance of Viii
mington should have more than one
steamship line.
The following resolution, introduce
ed by Mr.. Sam Bear and unanimously
adopted, showed how the chamber Of
commerce received the proposition:
THAT the chamber OF commerce
extends to the Baltimore Steamship
project every encouragement in the
way of patronage and the chamber
confidently expects the transportation