Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1923-01-11
CHARLOTTE FOR
NEW RAIL ROAD
Speakers From Various Counties
Tell OF Necessity of Proposed
Railroad At Charlotte Meeting
Thursday.
charlotte Observer)

in the proposed extension of a rail-
road from Taylorsville to the Wilkes
boros, linking up the coal fields and
the north western North Carolina
counties with Charlotte and the ports
of the state, large group of officers
and leaders of various commercial
and civic organizations of Charlotte
at a meeting held in the Chamber
IF Commerce building of Charlotte,
last night adopted resolutions and
named a committee of representa-
tive citizens to push forward the
movement
The meeti3g was ere of the N .st
enthusiastic that has been held there
in some time, and speaker after
speaker arose and expressed himself
in favor of the proposition. Col, 7.
l.. kirkpatrick, president of the
Chamber of Commerce, started the
ball rolling by his introduction of
Judge T. B. Finley, Of the superior
court. After various other Interested
speakers had been heard and i mum
Der of Charlotte's most prominent
business and industrial meh had eX-
pressed themselves favorab y a reso-
luton was introduced by Icriot
Clarkson, seconded by D. B. Smith,
and unanimously carried.
The resolution follows: That we
favor by state aid and state cooper
alton, the extension of the railroad
from Taylorsville to the Wilkesboros
and thence by the most practical
route to Maymead, or Butler, Tenn. !;
also connecting this line with Lenoir,
thus linking the greater part of the
state with the coal fields and the
west"
Following the adoption of this res,
olution, Colonel Kirkpatrick urged
that those interested in the matter
have committees of prominent men
and women from every section of
the state appear before the general
assembly, at Raleigh, u4sing that leg
islation be passed providing for the
construction of the road.
Charlotte Committee Named
AS a committee from Charlotte,
with Hariot Clarkson as chairman
and Col. Kirkpatrick as ex-officio
chairman, the following were named: ::
Mrs. w. 7. Shore, President of the
women's club; John II. Arden, vice
president of the Merchants and
Farmer National Bank; H. M. Wade
presidens of the Wade Manufacture
ing Company; j. NJ. CLARK, represent
ing the kiwanis Club; Clarence O..
Kuester, secretary of the Chamber
of Commerce James A. Lockhart,
state commander Of the American
Legion; O. J. Thies, of the real estate
board; E. C. Griffith, president of the
Charlotte real estate board; Lane
Etheridge, Of the Charlotte Automo-
tive Trade association; Frank Ii.
Kennedy, president of the civitan club
R. nj. Pound, president Of The Char
lotte Merchants association; j. n.
Clausland, prominent business man
president of the Citizens Saving and
Loan company; w. S. Creighton,
secretary of the Charlotte shippers
and Manufacturers association; Jul
ian H. Little, president of the Inde-
pendence Trust company, and D. B.
Smith, of the Charlotte bar.
AS commander-in-chief- of the en-
tire forces in the state, Judge Finley
proposed that Col. Kirkpatrick be
named.
An intensive campaign was pro-
posed, in which those interested in
the matter plan to put the proposition
before the people of the state and
have representative citizens appear
beforethe general assembly, lombard
ing the various Representatives and
legislators with requests that legis-
lation providing for the road be
passed.
Speakers representing the PROPOSE
tion were Judge Finley, who pre-
sented the entire matter courly and
concisely; j. H. Burke, of Taylors-
vile, who spoke of the human inter
est side of the proposition in an in
teresting manner; ex-Congressman,
R. N. Hackett, professor Horace Sisk
of the Wilkesboro schools; DR.. w. L..
Diiley of Caldwell county, and Frank
B. Hendron, of Wilkesboro.
Interested Charlotte citizens who
expressed themselves favorably re-
garding, the proposal were: Judge
w. F. Harding, Captain W. B. Stone,
DR.. R. z. Linney, R. M. Pound, Jul
ian H. Little, D. B. Smith, J. M.
Clark, o. ]. Thies, Jesse w. Garrett,
and Colonel Benehan Cameron, of
Stagville.
Produce is Wasted
Judge Finley stated that although
the proposition has been discussed
for 25 or 80 years, the barrier sepa-
rating the northwestern counties
from the remainder of the state has
never been penetrated.
"All of the produce and resources
of that section are being allowed tc
.. CONTINUED on page seven) >.