The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917, 1914-06-09

The DMkes OF Durham and their
associates have In operation an cleo
trio railroad In North Carolina and
South Carolina that in many of lis
features Is a strikingly unique inno-
vation In the railroad world. 1t is
not only carrier Of passenger traf-
nc, on familiar interurban lines, but
Is built, acquipped and apurtenanced
Tor heavy freight traffic, and will, in
deed, make freight handling as i'm
portant a part OF its business as It is
OF any standard steam road. Heavy
electric engines. able to pull 1000
tons. or train Of 30 to 40 loaded
cars. have been installed and are at
work. and although tho lines sn oper-
alton are only portion Of the full
system to be built. the operations arc
on very robust commercial scale
now. and give definite Indication of
the important factor the line will be
In the transportation field of the Pied
mont section.
Ultimately the system will be about
32O miles long. and will extend from
Durham. N. e., to Greenwood, s. G.
At present 1t Is operated in two sec
tions under the name OF the Pied
mont Northern lines. One section
Of! % 1-2 miles, extending from Char
lottet to Gastonia, is at present called
the Piedmont Traction company: the
9th sr, from Spartanburg to Green
wood, 8. c.. a length of 93.5 miles.
with branch from BeIton TO Ander
son Of 10.5 miles. This section is
called the Greenville. Spartanburg Il
Anderson railway. After July I both
pnInna nioo vrllr ro1paltdo<~
ate under South Carolina charter
with the name OF the Piedmont &
Northern railway.
Spartanburg is "a miles. From Char
lotte to Durham is 148 miles While
no definite plans for the construction
OF the Notwithstanding gap anu
the Durham extension have been in
nounced, the maps put out by the
company indicate these as projected
lines. and their early completion is
manifestly inevitable. They are need
ed to unity the system. There is no
talk OF further extensions beyond
these lines, and, in fact, the line be-
tween Durham and Greenwood makes
a very compact unit Of itself. 1t con-
meets with all the railroads of the
South Atlantic coast. and serves the
section OF greatest southern Industrial
development. W.
!Up to the present time the con-
struction expenditures hive been
financed by the company, and no
bonds have been issued With the
incorporation OF the new company.
with a capital stock of $4,000, ,000,
arrangements for funding the enter
prise Will be made. There have been
spent in construction. terminals aid
Equipment some $4,000, ,000.a II will
probably require on towards an add.-
ttonal $10,o60,000 to build the.remain-
Ing 200 odd miles to complete the
SYSTEM, and $2.0o0.000 for the equip
ment' or these extensions. =.
The road is due to the enterprise OF
J. B. Duke, who also is responsible FOR
the Southern Power company, with
its network OF tFans;ili5sion Hines anu
numerous hydro-electric Developments
In the Piedmont section. A company
was organized with $15.0n0.000 cap
ital and while the Duke, and asso-
;iates were always heavily interested
and took the initiative in financing
the enterprise, the cooperation of the
people elong the line was desired and
was freely and literally given. There
are stockholders In every town on the
road in both North and South Caro-
lima. and even people outside OF
America voluntarily took stock on
hearing about the enterprise. The
officers, Of the company are: J. B.
Duke. president. New York: w. 2.
Lee, vice president; e. Thomason
treasurer and general manager: w
lfn an to
dItor: all these OF Charlotte. The d.
'rectors. in addition to the officer,
named. are all local men. the gen
,eral Offices are at Charlotte. 30 that
1 the enterpriseiis given. distinctly: To-
cal coloring. a4frfy j: s.,
&, The first. section of the road, from
Charlotte to .Gastonia. was finished
and opened for traffic July ,3,. 1912
The next section was built from
Greenwood to Belton, and from there
| to Anderson, and. was opened In No
vember. 1919. The line from Bolton
opened for traffic q month later. and
tanburg was opened nm r. few weeks
ago. March 90. 1914.
Standard construction was adopted
1 throughout, and the road was built to
a maximum 1 per cent. grade. Eighty
pound RAILS were laid. and the track
is to be entirely rook-bailasted. All
the treaties and bridges are OF, steel
built TO. Southern railway specifica-
tlons; so that any engine ON the
Southern, Pennsylvania. or other
standard road may run over the line.
III a. strikiug feature OF the enterprise
tisj the system OF terminals provfs.ed
In the larger citiea ON the ilhe ,ex9en-
Fsiye sites have been secured, and In
The Yer;;.t heNa.rt p n Of the city Service
| and convenishGA are the doha ainnit
factors in preparations made f0f han
ding tratiic From & half TO a whole