Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1913-10-02

| 'NO" ~uN W. ACNCL uuu WIG PiCuo
ure ofshowing him our country.
Now, Colonel, what is al alleg-
I'd railroad? Please define. Col.
} s. Mann, our able manager OF
the penitentlury, does not bear
you out in his description Of the
Watauga 4 Yadkin River Rail.
road. None OF us has ever har-
med Col. Warner in the leas ,
and we appeal to the so be r
thought OF the just men OF North
Carolina. This territory lying
west and north of the Blue Ridge
and the State line, about 100
miles long and from 35 to so
miles wide. containing from Co..
600 to $4,000 souls, including
three entire counties and about
half of another, and perhaps the
largest territory east OF the Mis-.
sissippi River that has no rail,
road or water transportation. 1t
has the finest soil, finest climate,
grows almost spontaneously all
the rich, nutritious grasses, is ca.
pable OF producing almost all
kinds of vegetables and fruits IN
almost unlimited quantities, to
gether with all the cereals and, in
fact, everything except cotton
and tobacco that is generally
raised in the State. The market
for our produce lies to the South
and East, our haul Is an average
of 35 miles to North Carolina
railroad points. our produce
reaches the railroad burdened
with a freight charge OF about
$1,000 q ton, alter which we en-.
counter the same exorbitant
freight rates that are so Justly
complained of in the State. These
conditions put us out OF the mar
ket and we cannot compete with
New York, Vermont or Maine,
and they even ship cabbage and
potatoes from Denmark and uOl
land to the eastern part OF North
Carolina at much less rate O
freight than we can from h {
, mountains So 1T is with incom
ing freight. II one of our merch
{ ants buys a carload OF fertilizer
=, cotton seed meal hardware OF
) any other commodity, he pay'
the railroad freight rates to oul
, nearest station, and then he ha
, to pay 5000 to haye that car
load of merchandise brought in
, to this territory.
q These conditions are intolera
, ble and although our country i
9 rich, our people are not prosper
GUS and cannot prosper, ant
, when we consider the fact tina
{ these two railroads, the EIkin I
, AIlpghany, and the Watauga
e Yadkin River, so miles apart, tr.
= ing now to climb this great bar
t rier, the slopes OF the mountains
i the completion OF which woul'
q consuInmate the effort Of ou
/. people for 3Oyears, and when tn
9 further fact appears that thes
n railroads will soon make valua
D ble connections-the Alleghan
d with the Norf3lk 4 Western, an
!. the Watauga & Yadkin Rive
n with the Virginia 4 South-We'
= tern-two great coal haulin
:. railroads, opening up.two grea
y gateways into our State, havin
Is a tendency to equalize the unjus
}. freight rates complained OF, "
8 are surprised that these grea
G schemes have not been made
L. before now, a great State policy
r at the same time doing jusfit
of to this territory, and. enrirhin
n the state also 10y the improv
Is ments that would spring up a
4 oyer this county.
n This country has been apil
" termed the great 'Hygienic His
n n. way" to which multiplied thor
<. sands annually resort for healt
ID and temporary residence. A pro-
Of ,nent man from the CITY of Cha