The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-11-26
R. W. Vincent in Charlotte Observer.

tor the Koadbed Indicate lhat
This Move is Contemplated.
R. W. Vincent in Charlotte Observer.
Will the Carolina. Clinchfeld
& Ohio Railroad make Whining
ton the outlet for the vast coal
fields which that railroad taps, or
will Savannah be selected as the
seaboard terminal? That is a
question that is agitating the
minds of Wilmington business
people generally, and is interest
ing everybody along the line Of
the Carolina Central Railroad.
Rumor has been rife with the
plans of this new system. 1t has
been reported with equal persis-
tence that Charleston and Savan-
nah would be the terminal, and
the fact that surveys have
been made and options secured
that will carry the line to Spar
tanburg, lends color to these re-
ports. On the other hand is the
fact that Wilmington would make
a shorter haul to the sea by at
least a hundred miles than either
Charleston or Savannah, and the
further fact that the Seaboard
Air Line is making some notable
improvements between Bostic,
the connecting point with the
C. C.&O. Railroad, and Whining
ton, and these improvements
tend to show that the Seaboard is
expecting more and heavier bust
ness from some source-very
likely the coal business that the
c., C.. & O. will furnish to some
seaport.
Nobody in authority seems
ready to say that this is what
the improvements along the line
Of the Carolina Central mean.
Not that they stand in the atti-
tude of observing secrecy or
clo2king a mystery, but they pro-
fess to be in complete ignorance
as to what the Carolina, Clinch-
field & Ohio people mean to do
for a terminal. | questioned a
dozen people in Wilmington
whom l thought ought to know
something about this very inter-
esting situation. The best-pcst-
ed Seaboard man there made no
secret of the improvements un-
der way and contemplated in the
Seaboard's terminal property, but
he declared that they are justifi-
ed by the increase in the freight
business. The Observer has al
ready noted the fact that the
Seaboard authorities had appro-
priated $20O,0O for these termi-
nal improvements, and it is here
noted that work has already be-
gun. The improvements en-
brace two new freight ware
houses, located on the water
front, a new freight depot, which
has been sadly needed for years,
and a coal pier, including the
necessary amount for dredging
the harbor fronting the water
terminals. These account for the
expenditure Of the 100000, but
further than this the Seaboard
man knew nothing. No big coal
piers, such as would be needed
to handle the business that the
c., C. & O. would carry there,
had been provided for and he
could not say whether they were
contemplated. A leading bank
er said, however, that a promi-
nent Seaboard official told him
that the company expected to
spend over $4,000 at Whining
ton very soon. If, by that, he
meant $400, 900 in addition to the
terminal improvements now IN
der way, then it seems that Goa
docks may be embraced in the
roads plans of activity.
No one else knew anything.
The objection to Wilmington az
a terminal that might arise from
lack of water on the bar or il
the channel will be overcome be
fore the people of that section
are through, Cor they are deter
mined to have a 30-foot can
mel from Wilmington to the Sc;
and they are in earnest about it
| Not only the Congressman fror
the sixth district, but the entir
State delegation are interested i
this project, because they realiz
what it means to the whol
State to have the States onl
gateway amply able to take car
of all the commerce of the worl
that can be induced to flow tn;
way. The present plan is
. have Congress make a sufficie1
appropriation each session to col
= tinue the work of dredging tt
channel-which has been goin
on for some tine without cess
ton until the 30-foot depth is q
tained. With deep water Wi
mington's future prosperity
assured even if the c., C. &
takes it's eggs to another marke
So much for the seaboard tern
nal.
Sherlock Holmes would prob
bly, find more evidnce in Il
trackage improvements to jus
fly the belief that there is "soln
thing in the air" than in the te
] minal improvements. | 70
from Hamlet to Wilmington