Henderson daily dispatch., 1939-08-31
BY RkLrH PIERSON.

Since 1882, during one hundred
and seven y, dr5 OK progress, the Sea-
board Railway has been serving the
State of Iloru Carolina. Way back
on March 3, 1882, the Portsmouth
and Roanoke Raul. cad Company was
Incorporates. III Virginia and on jan
uary 9, 1888, IL Ncrth Carolina tor
the purpose OF constructing rail-
road from Pc, .l1yth, Va, to the
north side T.. t..u nOa..UNC river, near
Weldon, N. c.
The State CT North Carolina has
seen the Seaboard advance from It's
four foot elg1t and One-half-lnch
gauge line, lis >..nAy little cars ana
wood burning -agnes, and tracks
consisting OIL longitudinal wooden
stringers covered with two and
half-lnch by o:.c-half-inch scrap
iron. to one OF the ioremast railroads
in the United States.
Great Seaboard trains, the Robert
E. Lee, the Cotton States and South
ern States Specials and New York
Florida limited go through North
Carolina.
North Carolina is an integral part
of the Seaboard; is one of the six
great states it serves and the Sea-
board is proud OF the good will and
friendly feeling which we h.Ve to-
wards this pioneer line.
For the historically minded, it is
interesting to note that the fran
chises and the property Of the We'll
don Toll Bridge Company, which had
been incorporated by a special act
of the legislature of North Carolina
in 1881, amended by a special act OF
1885, to construct and operate a
wagon toll road over the Roanoke
river near Weldon, were merged in
to the Portsmouth s. Roanoke Rail-
road Company, by a special act Of
the North Carolina legislature ratl-
fled January II, 1841. By this merger
the Portsmouth & Roanoke Railroad
Company, was enabled to construct
its line over the Roanoke river into
Weldon on December l, 1886. So we
see that North Carolina was the
Seaboard's first rail goal, and it has
been indehbly linked with the State
ever since that early day.
From the close of construction to
January 6, 1874, the SAL line from
Portsmouth, Va, to Weldon, 79 miles
was operated by the Portsmouth &
Roanoke under It's own management.
Over 106 parent companies form the
family tree of the Seaboard and the
oldest is the 79-mile line.
, North CarollnianS have always
been proud Of the great variety and
0f h0 Ct14n'c Tho
Old North State has resort attrac-
tions which appeal to the young and
old, the pleasure seeker, the vaca-
tionist, the invalid
Industrially, the State is famous
as well; its educational resources,
such as Duke university ARE second
to none The Seaboard, through its
advertising and publicity, is always
featuring these advantages and has
been most successful in bringing un-
told thousands to North Carolina for
one of the reacons outlined above.
In order best to serve the State,
the Seaboard has also reduced pas
senger fares to the lowest in its his
tory, but still increasing travel
values by its great trains The rail-
way lids d1SO vi dWIl 1GdNllJ QDOIl
the State for its employees, many
North Carolinians being among its
executives.
Authorities credit the railroads
with being the most important fac
tors in the early and later develop
ment of states. When the ribbons of
steel were first planted in North
Carolina, steam saw mills then came
in, making the lumber industry a
pioneer business. Then the cotton,
tobacco and other industries follow
ed
Following the Civil War, the re-
habilitation of the railroads was one
of the first objects to which the
State directed its attention. No phase
of its economic life had suffered
more, but, regardless, the Seaboard
and other lines did not know the
meaning Of the word quit and bat
tied on and on to restore their pro-
perties to the nth degree More than