Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1923-08-23
RAILWAY DISCRIDIINA TION- g.
E., SHALLITBE CONTINUED?
attorney William r. Lovill Writes Article on Local
Railway Tactics Says People are Being Sub
jected to Unfair Treatment at Hands of E. T. Ry


'sof wonderful benefit to our county
and town, we could hardly do without
it and retain our equilibrium in the
commercial world We have likewise
done much for the railroad. No peo-
pie have done more for it from a fl
nancial point of view than our town
of Boone and vicinity. While this will
not be denied undoubtedly; and from
the fact that at least two-thirds of
the freight carried by the East Tenn.
and Western North Carolina Railway
originates on the Linvi1le River Road.
is it not strange that our town and
county in general is very unjustly
disseminated against? That freight
rates are unreasonably high no one
would pretend to deny, yet it costs
money to operate a railroad and they
claim it is necessary to make "ends
meet" SO think it is pretty generally
greed that it makes no difference
THAT the freight rates are-go right
on and pay them and hush up-Now
while this is true doesn't it look like
the people of Boone and Watauga
county are entitled to fair treatment
They never have asked for any special
favors; they never will, but why is
It they are flatly Disseminated a.
"gainst and denied service that their
brethren in adjoining counties enioy
from the hands of the management
OF the splendid railway? Railroads
are public service corporations in
which the public has an interest, and
have the rights of the people been
forgotten? Shall we continue to sleep
on while our rights are being denied
us? Are our people not entitled to the
same consideration as Dog Town, or
Bull ccrape or Pineola? If not; wny
not?
Now let US see if this is true or
false.
At $3.50 a. m. we have a splendid
passenger train leave Boone for JON
son City arriving there at II a. M,
leaving for Boone p. m. arriving
at Boone at about $50 p. m. This
is not Objectionable in any way; in
fact it is a splendid train, rendering
splendid service to the country and
the schedule allows passengers who
wish to return the same day to trans
act any business in Johnson City. At
a. m. local freight train leaves
Boone for Cranberry. This train pulls
a coach for the punishment of pas
sengers as far as Cranberry Now this
train is necessary and is serving a
good purpose, and gets back to Boone
finally the same day. Now, no one can
complain at this, but let's see what
is happening to our more fortunate
neighbors at Dog Town, Bull Scrape
and Pineola. They get all the bene-
fits from the two trains mentioned
also and what else? At a. m. a pas
senger train leaves Johnson City for
Pineola arriving there at about 12 m.
I suppose, and returns the same day
to johnson City, giving Cranberry,
Dog Town and Bull Scrape the ben
fit, injury or convenience Of six pas
senger trains daily, or four regular
passenger trains and "Mariah' thrown
in for good measure. Now is this not
discrimination? If the management
of the system wants to give our peo-
pie a square deal, why don't they
have the passenger train that leaves
johnson City at a. m. go on to
Boone, stay two hours and return
to johnson City, but they say hush
little baby, don't you cry, you'll be an
angel bye and bye" Haven't we Civ
en- you a magnificent. Sunday train
that goes to Boone, stays long enough
to turn on the wye, and leaves for
johnson City," We answer yes, and
it is a train to be wonderfully proud
of, and we are, but why can't we
have better service for those who are
making and have made the railroad
valuable? n
The laws of the State Of North
Carolina have wisely provided rem
edy for this long and continued in
Justice and unless those who are in
control and seem to be Indifferent
and "asleep at the switch" wake UP
to the full realization that the peo.
pie have rights as well as the rail.
.,]roads, this remedy should be invok.
ed. My judgment is the answer will
be-IT WONT PAY-Let us see.
Respectfully,