The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1906-03-22
Seaboard Air Line Behind the Scheme.


There has been good deal of conlu-
sion in the mind of the reading public
concerning the "mix-up" of railway
surveys and general development in
the Wise county and adjacent coal ter
ritory, says the Bluefeld Telegraph
The South and Western railroad, fol.
lowing practically the old Charleston,
Cincinnati and Chicago survey from
Johnson City, Tenn, to st. Paul on
the Norfolk and Western, is the Geo.
l.. Carter enterprise, behind which has
been the Seaboard Air Line.
Immediately following this chapter
and survey there appeared rival char
ter and survey known as the South and
Eastern, headed by Mr.. McHarg, the
millionaire head" of the Toms Greek
Coal and Coke Co.
The object of the latter was to knock
Mr.. Garter out of his right of way and
charter and build the road to the sea
coast, just as Mr.. Garter proposed to do.
Mr.. Carter and his South and West
ern, after hard fought battle in the
courts, won. He had more money and
q longer head than his rivals guessed.
The fact that Mr.. Garter was the or
ganizer of the Toms Creek Coal and
Coke Co. several years ago contributed
to the confusion in the minds of a great
many.
For some time Mr.. Garter has had no
connection whatever with the Toms
Greek property. 1t was upon this rock
that he and McHarg split some years
ago and parted company. Since that
time, instead of being "buddies," as
formerly, they have been antagonistic,
This will probably explain very clearly
the South and Western and the South
and Eastern proposition.
Then there was already in existence
and operation the Virginia and South
western railroad, short line extending
from Appalachia to Bristol, blended
very closely with the similarity" of
names.
Matters, however, have become deci-
dedly simplified since the South and
Eastern scheme has dropped out and
its voice is no longer heard in the land.
The Southern system seems to have
swallowed the whole business with the
exception of the Garter South and
Western, or Seaboard Air Line.
The Virginia and Southwestern has
within the last year become distinctly
Southern in all its appointments and
equipments. All the way from Appa-
lachia to Bristol Southern agents and
operators are in evidence. The road
has had Southern civil engineers and
marked improvements have been made
in its passenger and freight service,
Next in order come the new short lines
known as the Black Mountain railroad
and the Interstate, both under con-
struction, and the routes of which are
not understood by many who live at
and near Norton.
The Black Mountain line starts at
Pennington Gap, Lee county, Va, a
point on the Louisville and Nashville
road. 1t goes directly north, touching
the Kentucky state line. Two miles
out from Pennington Gap, on the Black
Mountain "short line," another line
branches off, running almost east to
Appalachia, at which point it connects
with the Interstate, now building into
Norton from Appalachia. This branch
touches what is known as the Crab.Or-
chard- Black Mountain Roaring Fork
coal beds. The Southern is rushing
its survey for line from Rogersville,
up Holston river to Moccasin Gap, near
Gate City. Here it connects with the
Virginia and Southwestern. It's a
clear case that the whole business now
belongs to the Southern railroad and it
has plain sailing now to the coal fields
as far east as Norton.
The Black Mountain line and Inter.
state are but feeders, which accounts
for the turmoil two miles north of
Pennington Gap, on the line headed
direct for Black Mountain, and which
makes sort of semi-circle, landing at
Appalachia. This line is'about twenty
miles long. The branch from Penning-
ton Gap to Black Mountain is about
ten miles long.
These branch lines will bring coal to
Appalachia from Black Mountain and
the Grab Orchard sections, where it
will be taken up by the Virginia and
Southwestern to Moccasin Gap, thence
due south to Rogersville over the new
line of the Southern, connecting with
the Southern main line few miles east
of Morristown.
Summing up, the situation is about
this: The Southern will cover the coal
territory west of Norton and the Garter
-Seaboard-line will get the coal easI
of Norton.
No more high prices for fresh meats