The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-02-23
LIVELY DO|NGS IN
PIEDMONT REGION
Section of Rich Country That Is
Not Yet Very Generally
Known.

IHere Ia no section or country either
within or outside OF America which at
present has a greater promise In ma
terial development than the Southern
States.
Columns. pages and perhaps book
or two could be written on the re-
sources of the Southland: on It's for
ests. Its coal and mineral mines. it's
water-powers, it's soil, it's foods. it's eli
mate, etc, but in this short article We
wish to call attention only to one little
spot OF all this vast territory from
Missouri TO Florida and from Virginia
TO Arizona. II is known AZ the Pied
mont Belt. SO named from the Latin
words. pes pedis, foot and mons,
months. mountain. the section lying at
ghany Mountains. And in speaking Of
this section we wish to emphasize only
one feature. and that is this, it's won
derful electrical development
AT this foot of the mountains there
are many powerful and wonderful wa
terfalls. one alone of which, OH the
Yadkin River. i'm North Carolina, is
said to be equal in potential energy to
Niagara. When il is considered that
the moving OF the exceedingly bounti-
full crops in the. Piedmont section al
ways comes at the time when coal is
seen at once why from every little
hamlet goes up the cry of car shortage.
1t has been estimated that the cost
Of eauipping the railroads to carry the
commerce of America would be from
five to eight billion dollars This means
heavy tax on iron and coal and tim
Der. as we'll as on the labor resources
OF the country, and it would then be
only question of time until further
extensions were needed. With these
facts in view, do not the waterways
of the country become most interesting.
oi ola
and power wire can 20 in any direc-
ton and over any obstacle which rivers
and railroads are not always acces-
sible?
Eut avent the electrical development
OF which we speak: Is it not interest
ing TO know that in this Piedmont belt
Ia being built the greatest interurban
railway lines in the world? Only one
IN Germany approaches il In length.
True. one section of this long now
inS-built line is called the Piedmont
Northern and another the Interurban.
ana still another tho w. y. Coler or
North Carolina Public Service, but they
viii all eventually and soon become
one great road extending from Rich
mond to Atlanta. distance of over 500
miles. and while not the same In own
ership IT Is still as serviccable and
community developing as though OWL
ed by one individual company
Already portion OF this line has
been built. Beginning at Anderson. S.
g, city within calling distance of the
Georgia line, the steel rails stretch
southwark by the way of Bolton to
GREENWOOD, and northeast to Spartan
burG and through Gastonia TO Char
lotte. The line between Gastonia and
Spartanhurg is now being graded, while
arrangements are being made to build
further north from Charlotts The
hustling cities of Concord. Salisbury.
spencer. Lexington. High Point, and
Greensboro lie 100 close and convenient
J. serviceable 10 Charlotte markets for
the terminus to remain in the Hornet
city. The W. y. Coler people are now
grading line from High Point TO
Thomasville. the contract calling for
rolling cars by January ]. 1914 Greens
boro is crying for, even Offering money
Tor, an extension of this road there
Toward the east, in Durham and
Raleigh, people are wanting the line
TO turn toward the right so as to
accommodate them, while Danville.
Lynchburs and Richmond not only
want but will certainly some time in
the future have the advantage of this
great suburban line.
II is only when one comes 10 think
OF the country through which this line
VIII run that its great Importance
looms up largest in the Piedmonts de-
velopment. a glance at the map 10
locate IT'S starting point at Anderson,
5. c., will show that its beginning is
within a stones throw of the prolific
peach orchards of Georgia. the luscious
produces of which are known 10 the
delight OF all fruit lovers In Amer
lea. Next it traverses the section
where cottontields and waterfalls COM
bine 10 make that most wonderful
democratic fabric. cotton. which clothes
greater part of the world than all
other materials combined. From the
red peaches and white cotton the line
strikes narrow belt OF North Caro-
lima famous apple-growing country
and then crosses quite through the
middle of the yellow tobacco fields OF
North Carolina. where thrives Nh in
dustry so great in Its growing and
manufacture that the man who re-
Gently introduced a bill in the Legis-
lature against the manufacture and
sale of cigarettes actually voted
er, did not receive a single vote.
And who can tell just where this line
will eventually go? In Germany, if
electric lines are projected little too
far. they are likely to run up against
Russia or Switzerland or France, but
in America, only water will stop it's
extension, and there one gets aboard
ship. And ii may be within our own
generation that railroads will only haul
freight and interurban lines passen-
gers.
We have not spoken Of the horse
power development OF these falls for
the reason that in a previous article
last fall many figures regarding such
were given.
coon WORK nOEr