Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1922-12-28
RAILROAD URGED
FORLOST PROVINCE
Ask Committe to Recommend Action
to General Assembly-R. N. Hack
ett i. Speaker-Road Through the
Northwes. Would Save Freight Of
500 en- Car, it 10 Claimed.
(Charlotte Obseryer.)

Urging that Colonel Benehan Cam
eron and A. j. Draper recommend
that the general assembly take such
steps as is necessary to provide for
the linking of the so-called 'Lost
Provinces" with the rest of North
Carolina by railroad, a motion made
by Heriot Clarkson at meeting last
night at the Chamber of Commerce
and seconded by DR.. John @. Myers
a native of Wilkes county, was unan-
imously adopted.
Colonel Cameron and Mr.. Draper
are members of the committee ap-
pointed by Governor Morrison, upon
Recommendation of the last General
assembly, TO investigate the needs |,
for and potential benefits of rail- |
road, connecting Avery, Watauga
Ashe and Allegheny Counties with
the rest Of the state.
Former Congressman r. N. Hack !
ett, of North Wilkesboro was the
principal speaker at the meeting and
Mr.. Hackett outlined the steps that
had been taken thus far, speaking
familiarly and impartially of the va
Gus routes into the counties and
outlining the steps that have been
taken.
What They Want
Speaker after speaker arose and
declared that the "citizens CT the
four counties are tired of being re-
ferred to as belonging to the 'Lost
Provinces" stating emphatically that
they are native born Tar Heels and
desire to be known as such.
"We are not in favor of the gen
eral assembly showing any favors
to a few counties of the state but,
if it is found that this will be step
that will benefit the entire state, we
wish railroad into that section,"
as many as five speakers asserted. (.
"This road will benefit the entire
state, both by providing shorter
and more direct route to the coal
fields and by giving the citizens Of
thosa counties a gateway into their
state" the speakers further de-
clared. +
Route a Secondary Matter
As to the route they avered that
it did not matter. Any route that
was found by a\state engineer to be
feasible and to be the best route
would be entirely sati; factory to
them. "The problem is lot one Of a
route. We don't Want u road that
will be Of purely personal benefit TO
any one person. or to the citizens Of
the four counties" th>y stated, But
what the citizens Of the section are
solidly in favor of is such action "
will provide an outlet to these fciD
counties, giving them tie advantage
of the market they deserve, aNd riv-
ing the state the benz fits o, III
trade and a shorter, direct routc ~.
the coal fields. 1t is not q auo4.!o.,
of direction but one of action
After the address of Mr.. HacEott
in which lie confined himself en.,I )
to the facts in the case, the dis
tances, grades, conditions Of the
country, the problems that the con-
structors of the road would meet
and some Of the advantages of suci
road, former Sheriff Presley E
Brown of WilkesbQfo; w. J. Shu
ford and H. w. Link of Hickory
Frank ID. Grist, representative Of
Caldwell county, Mark Squires, sen
ator from Caldwell county, and DR.
L. B. Moss, of Henderson Count,
made short addresses.
Agree Upon Route.
At the close of the meeting Mr.
Hackett and former Sheriff Brow
presented a proposition to the othe
representatives upon which they al
agreed, providing for a route connec
ing Hickory with Grandin, Elk rive
and the Yadkin river branch of tn
Southern Railroad and extending t
Boone, from which point it coul
be connected with the Carolina rail
road leading north and the lines a
Butler, and Appalachia, Tenn. lead
ing west.
This line, it is stated, will requir
but 50 miles of grading and construe
ton and will provide Lenoir, Wilkes
boro, Boone, Jefferson and Hickor
with lines leading in all four diret
tions. The Chamber of Commerc
and the board of Commissioners ar
to examine the propositions thorough
ly and report to the general assen
bly,.
Other members Of the committe
appointed by Governor Morrison a,
Major w. G. Heath of Monroe; T.
Bowie, of Jefferson and C. D. Brat
: ham of New Bern. The committe
whs named by the governor to inve
tigate the proposition and repo
upon the advisability of the state
selling it's stock in the North Car
lima railroad to defray the expens,
Of building the proposed road.
Among the statements made at Il
meeting were the estimates that SUI
route would shorten the haulir
distance Of coal into the cities