Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1910-12-15
watauga's Railroad Prospects.

Watauga's Railroad Prospects.
Mr. EDITOR:-Since writing you
q few days ago relative to the
railroad which is being construct
ell from Elizebethton, Tennessee,
aud which lie leading in this direc-
tion. have q little futher inior-
nation which l will give you. |
am reliably informed that the
parties who are constructing this
road are using rails OF the same
weight as those used on the Caro-.
lima, Clinchfield and Ohio Rail
road; that none except first class
crosstirs are used, and that the
best grade that is possible is be-
ing made up the Laurel Fork,
and that the. grade from the
mouth of Laurel Fork at Hamp-.
ton to it's source, near the Great
Falls of Elk is good; that the
source OF Laurel Fork Is consid-
erably higher than Elk Creek
which is not far away, and that
the grade from this point could
he made on n level 10 II point
somewhere between the Great
Falls and the Eor1 OF Elk at the
turnpike.
i There is no excitement what
ever in this part oil the country
over therailroad prospect, as tits
we'll known that there, is a vast
quantity of valuable timber be.
tween. Hampton, Tennessee, and
the North Carolina State line;
and it is said by some people that
this road is intended as a lumber
road, hut if this is the intention
of the parties it looks reasonable
that they would have construc.
ted q narr0w.guage road, and
would only use smull engines .as
8 all the lumber to be manufac.
i tured will have down grade, ant
one small engine will haul all the
lumIer that a considerable. bant
mil will turn out, and 1.-THE ROAD
il being built to I've abandoned at
ter the lnmher operation ceases
it would hardly be worth while tt
60 to 80 great an expense.
oil If this road is q permanent on
it liz evidently the object Of ih'
partirs to make this aronpetinf
line With Carolina, Clinchfeld IN,
Ohio Railroad, and it will run ~
Elk to the Grandfather Noun
tain and intersect with som
other road on the East side o
+" the Blue Ridge, either at Edge
@ moht. or Wilk esboro. BY run
n,ng the line up. Elk Creek thpr
would b. but few gorges to cor
: tent with, and hut few, il any
= tunnels to go through. So
now appears that if Wataug
: has a railroad at any time in tn
near future this will be the lin
that will be built. If the roa,
should follow the course of El
g. to it's source itcan be RIM dow
~ Linville, down Watauga Rivel
u or it can run on the North-eas
side OF Grandfather iMountai
and through Coffey's Gap, or
: can lie run along with the Blu
Ridge and through Cooks Gap
,R What the real object is in col
structing this road rs apuzzlee e,
ga cept to those who are immpdiat,
ly concerned; but there is Oh
=, fact that cannot be contradicte
" and that is this, that a stsl
~ dard gauge railroad for u di
tanre OF about twelve miles fo
~ ~ ming a part of the missing lin
: link between terminal points ,
railroads OH either side OF t h
Blue Ridge is now in the cour
M Of construction. Watauga cou
ty lies between these termin
points, and by following b
ns = course OF Elk Greek to the Gran
to father mountain almost astral
,ou line can be maintained to col
tch plete this much OF the missir
,ud ll;,,k and ti,io will nako 4 h