Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1923-03-15
Pay Tribute to Author
of the Great Mountain
Railroad Measure
Wilkes Commercial Club Gives T. c.
Bowie Grand Ovation-Proelaim.
ed Leader of People" and "ths
Giant of the Mountains"
From Carter's Weekly.

| AOhi NI<iLIcI . Wtehly.
When Tam C. Bowie, Ashe county
legislator and champion of the people
OF the '1ost provinces" and the noun
tain citizenship in general arrived in
the city at 1880 Tuesday afternoon
he was greeted at the station by Pres
ident j. G. Hackett of the Wilkes
Commercial Club and about 1000 cit
liens. and he was accorded one of the
biggest demonstrations ever received
| by any North Carolinian in this sec
ton of the state. The immense crowd
gathered to pay tribute TO the giant
OF the mountains for his great VIC
tory IN the session of the General
Assembly which has just ended-the
passage of the Bowie railroad bill.
Sometime prior to the arrival OF
the train citizens began to gather at
the station, and when Mr.. Bowie ar
rived the station yard was thronged
with mass of people and many were
standing in the street and on the side.
walk. BOwie's name was heralded in
to the air and never has any man
been welcomed with greater enthusi-
asm than he. From the train Mr.. Bow
lie was escorted to the Orpheum thea
ter the city's new play house, where
there was speaking, and where again
high tribute was paid one of North
Cardinals brightest sons. President
Hackett presided over the meeting,
and after stating that the assembly
had met with only one purpose, that
of showing appreciation for the noble
achievement of Mr.. Bowie, he called
upon Ex-Congressman R. N. Hackett
to introduce the legislator. Mr. Hack
EFT paid glowing tribute to the
mountain legislator and asked that
every citizen in the county give the
locating commission his most earnest
and zealoFss sid. That Mr.. Bowie was
greatly touched by the great demon
stration and continued ovation was
very easy to discern. He said that
when 81 see this demonstration l do
not regret one thing that have done.
This great mountain section will be
open for we have $10,0OO,OOO in cold
cash for the construction of a trunk
line railroad from the middle west,
which is a key to the development
of all of North Carolina" P. E Brown
ex-sheriff of the county praised Mr..
Bowie's achievement in highest terms
referred to him as 'the leader of our
people" and the liant of this noun
tain section" Following the meeting
Mr.. Bowie in company with his pri-
vate stenographer, Miss Maud Colva
left for his Ashe county home.
The constructio of trunk line
of railroad from North Wilkesboro
to some point in Tennessee would give
a direct and the most feasible outlet
from the middle west and the Appa-
lachian coal fields, thus saving manu-
facturers of the state approximately
500 on each car Of coal delivered at
Winston-Salem or Greensboro The
Bowie Railroad Bill, which provides
for the construction of the branch
line and trunk railroad is one that
will benefit the entire state, and es-
pecially eastern and central North
Carolina.
Factories and stores closed in or
der to pay merited tribute to Mr..
Bowie who, even though he is now
resident of Ashe county, is son Of
Wilkes.