Newspapers / Carteret County News-Times (Morehead … / June 6, 1958, edition 1 / Page 12
Part of Carteret County News-Times (Morehead City, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Annivertory Tomorrow r. Passenger Train Made First : Run to Morehead in 1858 I By F. C. SALISBURY 1"'< Railroads and politics were en gaging the attention and interest :?> of the people of the state in the L early part of the spring of 18S8. Announcement had been made j |( that the last rail of the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad, un der construction for over two years, had been laid, completing the entire rail system from Golds boro to Morehead City. Chief interest in state politics was the race for governor, being conducted between two democratic candidates, John W. Ellis and Duncan McRae, along with an "also ran" Republican, John Pool. > Kills won the election, serving <'?' for two years? 1859- '61. Previous to the completion of the road from Morehead City to New Bern, the link from New Bern to Goldsboro had been opened i> pi and some traffic had run over ?l ,i this section. Celebration at New Bern '? To celebrate the completion of ' this first section of the new road, the citizens of New Bern staged one of the most eventful celebra tions ever held in the state up to that time. Announcements were carried in the various state papers, stating that free transportation would be furnished over all rail roads of the state for persons wish ing to attend a three days' cele bration that was to start April 29, 185i. An estimated 10,000 persons attended this affair. No such celebration took place In Morehead City when the first passenger train made the entire run from Goldsboro to Morehead City oa June 7, 1858. There was hardly a town, as yet, at the end of the line, for it was only in the fall of 1857 that the town site had been opened up and the sale of lots took place. Ob to Morehead There is little mention to be found in state papers of this event. From the Weekly Union, published in New Bern under date of June 12, 1958, appears the following no tice: On Monday the 7th, according to previous announcements, a pas senger train from Goldsboro to Morehead City was run down to that city to accommodate those wha wished to visit Beaufort end listen to a discussion which came off that day between candidates for governor John W. Ellis and Duncan McRae. "At 4:30 a.m. the train, cont posed of two passenger cars, filled to their utmost capacity with poli tician*, pleasure seekers and not a few of the fair sex from Golds boro, Kinston and New Bern, left the depot for Morehead City, ar riving shortly after noon." "Arriving at New Bern, the train remained long enough to allow the passengers to get breakfast. A large number of citizens hoarded the train at this station. Arriving at Morehead City where a short stop was made in the center of the town, the train continued to the terminal wharf, where await ing boats transferred the passen gers over to Beaufort." One can readily picture the scene as the train approached the new town, with a roar described as a "fiery monster", sparks drift ing from out the large stack of the wood-burning locomotive, set tin* fire to the woods along the line. Cinders drifted through the open windows to the discomfort of the passengers. Speed of is From its speed of IS miles an hour, with locomotive bell ring ing and the shrill blasts of the whistle, the train came to a halt amid the hurrahing of a group lined up along both sides of the track! They stood in the deep sand that was later to become the main street of the new town. Among those who probably were on hand to welcome the arrival c I the train were G. P. Evans, in charge a f construction work, and contractors Edward Stanley and C. B. Wood. As the population of the town did not reach ICS until two years after. It is doubtful If there were* many who could be called citizens in the group of hundreds of workmen who helped to form a welcoming committee. It is reasonable to presume that John M. Morehead was one of the passengers on this initial run, to travel over a railroad that had engaged his political efforts for several yean as well as his finan cial means to bring the road to completion. Probably among the group were the three Arendell brothers, Wil liam, Thomas and Bridgers Jr. who had sold their holdings of 600 ?cre? of the Shepard Point prop erty (given them by their grand father William Fisher) to John M. Morehead. These acres com prised the site of Morehead City. Bridgers Jr., served ai a loco motive engineer of this road for several years following the civil war, meeting his death in a boiler explosion. Dr. M. F. Arendell, then living in Beaufort, and an active politi cian, with other citizens from Beaufort, were no doubt on hand to greet the candidates and not ibiei. la the 1850's a revival of the ia ?M of distributing to tha states Conductor Allen H. Coward gets help In his book work on the last run of the A&NC passenger train from three-year-old Leroy Arnold of Kinston, who was the youngest person to pay respects to the train and the last to get off at the end of the run. (Photo copy by F. C. Salisbury) the public lands, created division in the Democratic party. In 1858, Duncan McRae, a Democrat, ran as an independent for governor on the distribution issue. He was bad ly defeated by John W. Ellis. John Pool, Republican Candidate for governor waged a close contest against Ellis, losing by a small margin. Politics seems to have been of greater importance than a cele bration noting this first passenger run over the entire line. There was little of interest to be seen about the new town of Morchead City as the train came to a halt at a point that later became the site for the station. Under construction was the Ma con House at the corner of 9th and Arendell Streets. Farther along the street. Silas Webb was having a small brick house built, also the Slate house at the corner of 8th street was under construc tion. Crude wooden structures lined the tracks for the housing of the 600 workmen engaged in grading and track laying. Many Obstacles Both the town and railroad, con ceived and developed in the mind of John M. Morchead, had a long hard struggle for existence. If an enterprise ever had more hard knocks, more setbacks, more ad versities than the A&NC, it would be hard to find. In the 100 years since the tracks were laid and traffic over the line was started, it met and somehow overcame, one stumbling block after another. First it was the Civil War; then it was the recon struction period; then it passed from one operator to another, but each in turn threw up his hands. The downward trend was halted in 1939 when H. P. Edwards and E. R. Buchan leased the road from the state, making it an at tractive proposition In connection with the established port. The road was purchased recently by the Southern Railroad system. With the exception of three years, 1862-65, when the line from New Bern eastward was held by Federal forces, passenger service was maintained over the line for 92 years. In the days when it was the only means for reaching the seaside attractions of Carteret County, daily trains and special excursions brought thousands to the seashore during the summer season. 'Mullet Line' Over its daily express service went vast shipments of the seafood from ocean and sound. The road became known as "The Mullet Line." Eight years have passed since the passenger run was discontin ued?March 31, 1950. From news clippings covering this last pas senger run, the following interest ing story is taken: "When the modern diesel en gine roared out Friday morning at Goldsboro and the nine cars of the train pulled out of the station, there were two riders besides this reporter. Conductor Allen H. Co ward, a veteran of 45 years on the run, punched tickets for Mrs. D. 11. Rowe of Morehead City and Douglas Burkette of the US Navy. "Mrs. Rowe, the wife of the ex press agent at Morehead City and a resident there for 26 years, said she had made 'quite a few trips on the train and felt like home hereafter.' "Hospital Mate Burkette was in transit from Philadelphia for ser vice with the Marine Corps at Cherry Point Air Station. It was his second trip on the Mullet Line. "It was at Kinston that the most devout pilgrims stepped aboard the train for a round trip. There were Mr. and Mrs. James M. Lamb, son, Mac Jr., Mrs. F. S. Whitaker, Mrs. Mary Leffew, Mrs. G. Cox, Mrs. Milan Muiinich and young Joanna Muzinich. "On the return trip leaving Morehead City were four part time pilgrims. Dr. David Dees of Bayboro brought four young kins men with him for the trip to New Bern. The train bad a special sig nificance for Dr. Decs. It was the reason for his being a resident of Pamlico County. "The doctor's father was on the Coadacter Alton H. Coward la Mi "?nice" making *p hi* final report covering the run ol the last passengor train from More head City to Goldshoro. (Photo copy hy F. C. Salisbary) G&W SEVEN STAR $950 urm G*W SEVEN SLUt ******* ?o moor !Sj?jRgil ISTtAKiflT WHI! STRAIGHT WHISI ? MOMMA* t It wis this type of wood-burning locomotive with attached car* that palled the first passenger train over the new line from Goldsboro to Morebead City, June 7, 1858. Described as a "fiery monster", as it sped along at the rate of IS miles an hoar, the embers setting fire to the woods and ties. (Photo copy by F. C. Salisbury) first run in 1858 On arrival at the New Bern terminal George Dees' attention was attracted by real estate men with a barrel of black dirt. Their cry, the doctor said, 'You don't have to add compost to this soil.' And so the Dees fam ily was settled in Pamlico County. "At Dover, Meriweather Lewis of Kinston, former surveyor of the j line brought his young son, Mcri- 1 wether Jr., and his nephew, Harry Cain Jr., aboard for their first train ride. When Kinston was reached again, the original eight sentimental travelers got off, but 13 took their place. Eight of those went to the end of the line. "The last passenger to get off the last train was 3-year-old Leroy Arnold Jr., in the arms of his banker father. The youngster's preoccupation on his first train ride was to have Conductor Co ward and others draw airplanes for him. "The last train made all of its regular stops? at LaGrange, Kin ston, Dover, Cove City, New Bern, Havelock and Newport. It halted at some of the flag stops ? Miller's, Best's, Fields, Falling, Creek, Par rott's, Hine's Junction, Caswell Wells-Oates, Tuscarora, Hyman's, Clark's James City, Thurman, Riverdale, Croatan, Green Chapel, Wild wood, Edgewater and Camp Glenn. Among the numerous passenger conductors who served the railroad through the years, A. H. Coward holds the honor o( being the con ductor an the last run from More head City to Goldsboro, along with his crew of H. A. Lewis, engineer; W. H. Peterson, fireman; R. S. Avery, baggage master and C. E. Harrington, brakeman. The train was made up of nine cara, two for passengers, white and colored; a postal car, three express cars, two for mail storage; and a heater car. All were drawn by a diescl locomotive. The first conductors to serve over the new road were Denard Hancock and C. D. Jones on the passenger trains and Will B. Lane, See TRAINS, Page (, Section 2 DRESSED AND DELIVERED Just Call ? Phone 6-4020 It's Economical to Serve Delicious, Easy to Prepare Seafood. Have Some Todayl OTTIS' FISH MARKET 8th and Evan* St*. Morehead City GEO*Gt sMS: STORE HOURS 8 A.M. to ? P.M. Close Wednesday 1 P.M. Open FHdayi 'Ul 7 P.M. Corner 14th and Arendell Street YOU ALL COME' Post Graduate Study? ? i QUANTITY RIGHTS RESERVED ? PRICES EFFECTIVE JUNE 5-6-7 . . . It'* really an education to (hop Piggly Wiggly! From Piggly Wiggly's amazing variety of delicious foods you'll get dozens of menu ideas on every shopping visit. You'll learn, too, that shopping at Piggly Wgigly regularly will bring you real, honest-to-goodness savings. So whether you're a brand new graduate^ juit learning to cook; a newly wed (just learning to cook), or what they call "young matron" (any place between 22 and 79!), shop Piggly Wigglyt It's an education! Cedar Farm Sliced For Parties and Picnics Get Rath's Black Hawk Lunch Meats From Our Full Variety Cedar Farm Sliced BACON - 49? Welchade Grape Drink Can* 891 AlrfUte Distilled VINEGAR S? 491 Swift's Premium Corned Beef c?n 45^ Scott Paper TOWELS 2 RolU 39 i HONEYCUTT SMOKED TENDERIZED -Ju" Porti?J 53? M ^ J HAMS A <t \ y/f Portion WtP Lb* Torchy Tom ? At advertised in Life Barbeque Apron $1 Briquet Charcoal 10 Lb. Bag 55' Snow Crop Lemonade 2 Cans 23 [TOMATOES csr?-c-*^ Florida Now Red US No. 1 ( POTATOES 4 ? . 2.9 < 2 Pkgs. 33' 27* 2 for 29c .ocal Fresh Picked String BEANS 2
Carteret County News-Times (Morehead City, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
June 6, 1958, edition 1
12
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75