Newspapers / The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.) / Aug. 19, 1941, edition 1 / Page 11
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Watch The Label On Your Paper. A? It Carrie* The Date Your Subscription Expires THE ENTERPRISE Advertisers Will Fine". Our Col umns A 'Latchkey To Over-1,600 Homes Of Martin County VOLUME XLTV?NUMBER 66 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, iuyust ll), I'/ll. ESTABLISHED 1899 History Of Railroading In This Section Of The State Branch Line Built To Williamston In 1883 From Tarboro Railrouil Extended to Plym outh in 188*) by Albemarle And Raleigh Company ? By TUOS. F. DARDEN Vice President of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company TheTuslory of railroading Is real ly a history of the development of the country, and the history of the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad is a history of the development not only of Eastern North Carolina, but of the whole Southeastern section of our country. It may not be amiss, therefore, to outline some of the ec onomic background leading up to the building of this road There had been only slight ad vancement in the economic devel opment of North Carolina from the end of the Colonial period up until the year 1835, conditions being some what similar to those in Virginia. The influential portion of the pop ulation lived m the eastern section and dominated the policy of the en tire State. North Carolina is pre eminently an agricultural State Timber has also played an important Prior to the Civil' War turpentine production was un important indus try and Wilmington at one time was the largest naval stores depot in the world. The question of internal improve ments and the need for transporta tion early occupied the attention of the public but very little progress was made. In 1829 the Cape Fear River was included .in the list of rivers which were to-receive Feder al appropriations. For sixteen years it received an annual appropriation of $20,000.00 and in 1847 a depth of thirteen feet_at high water was at tained. It now has a depth of thirty two feet. Public opinion from the time of the earliest discussion of railroad building in North Carolina had been divided into two hostile camps, the eastern section contending for the building of a road north and south, while the western portion favored an east-west line. E. B. Dudley, later Governor of the State, opposed the east-west line and was of the opin ion that such a line would divide the State into two parts, one part be ing transferred to Virginia and the other to South Carolina. It was evi dent to most of those interested that the primaiy market within the State must be Wilmington. As population spread into the back country wwm ington still held its place as the most important trade center of the dis trict. It secured much of its trade from Fayetteville, the focus for the wagon trade of the surrounding country as well as for the river pole boats. Fayetteville had an extensive system of plank roads in the country and thus carried on trade with the country lying west, extending even into Tennessee and southwest Vir ginia, the old canvas-top wagon be ing the vehicle which served to bring produce to the head of navi gation. Cargoes were unloaded at Fayetteville, shipped to Wilmington and re-shipped from there by means of boat through the Cape Fear riv er. Before the railroad era much of the produce, especially naval stores, n small \ found its way in small vessels to the coast cities of New England. The ton nage of the port at that time ex- ! ceeded that of Richmond, although | the city was not more than a quar ter the size of Richmond. As soon as it was found that rail roads were practicable a movement ' was put on foot to secure them. The ! idea of building a railroad north from Wilmington seems to have orig inated with Mr. P K. Dickinson, a prominent citizen of Wilmington, who had seen a short line iiv opera ?ion in New England. He returned to Wilmington and began the agita- I tion for a railroad. As a result the Wilmington & Raleigh Railroad com pany was incorporated on January 3rd, 1834, it being the intention at that time to join the principal sea port with the capital, but the people of Raleigh Avtnrftl not subscribe to j the undertaking. It was decided, therefore to build the road into the > Roanoke River country, and in De cember, 1835, the charter was amended and the destination chang ed so as to connect with the Virginia lines at Weldon. At the same time permission was granted to purchase, own and possess steamboats to ply from Wilmington to Charleston and elsewhere. The building of a railroad from Wilmington To Weldon, Iffl miles, was a tremendous undertaking for the citizens of Wilmington, which at that time had a population of about 3,000 including a number of Negro slaves. When twenty public-spirited men assembled at the home of Gov ernor Dudley and made their sub scriptions to the road the sum sub scribed was larger than the entife taxable property of the town Gov ernor Dudleys subscription of $26, 000.00 was the largest.. The first meeting of the stockholders was held on March 14, 1830, in the Courthouse at Wilmington. Governor E. B Dud ley was elected Preside nt and Gen MARTIN COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Contrary to the general rule existing in public offices throughout the land, Uic personnel or the Martin County's Board or Commissioners is marked l>> the absence ot law vers Recognized mainlv as an agricultural eountv, old Martin turned to the land for its leadership in tour out of five eases, the acting giving the -'thill loval subjects a well balanced and able governing bod v. While their everv act has not, as is to he expected, of course, met with general approval, the facts mining out ol the administration point to a conscientious and successful leadership. Martin County today, certainly as a result of its able leadership past anil present, is recognized as on the leading units in Hi, State's Dolitical svstem While it claims no single big advancement, the county has gone lar m battling for all its people and when viewed as a whole, it has made a delinile nrorrevs in all its fields of public endeavor Holding top ranks in the fields id agriculture and business, the commissioners, reading leit to right. ( \ Koberson. It \ llaislip Joshua I Coltrain C l> Carstarphen anil K. L Perry, are handling well the duties iin|M>sed inoui them by their offices ol public trust Mr. Perry is chairman ol the i! roil it Peanut Prices Are Pegged At $89A Ton Rv the Government While the 1941 tobacco marketing season is holding the farmer's atten tion just now, it is encouraging to include in the farm picture even at this time a recent report from the United States Department of Agri culture announcing a new price guarantee to peanut farmers The prices, ranging about $25 a ?ton Irtgher than the 1940 quotations, were announced as follows U S. 1, Class A* Virginias, $94 per ton; 3-A peanuts at $09 per ton. The first classification includes the very best, ami the seoond classification will in clude a large portion of the crop pro duced in this area. Advised of the new price schedule recently, Harry T. Westcott. market ing specialist of the State Depart ment of Agriculture", said that "no oral Alex MacKae was elected sup erintendent. On account of the many difficul ties to overcome, while work was begun in October, 1836, very little was accomplished until the spring <?f 1837. Although parts of the road were in use from 1838. the main line extending from Wilmington to Wel don, 151 miles, was opened for Op eration on March 9th, 18411, just one hundred and one years ago. It then had the distinction of being the long est railroad in the world. Its equip merit consisted of twelve locomo tives, l ight passenger cars, four mail cars and fifty freight cars. The lo comotives were built in England, in Philadelphia, and in Richmond. The track consisted of flat pieces of iron announcement has been made as to j what type of buying program will bo adopted." Westcott did point out that under the proposed program producers can sell quota peanuts to the designated buying association. It is generally understood that the now government program will tend to operate along the same lines as that employed by the Peanut (bow ers' Cooperative, leaving tin- inde pendent market to establish its own prices at or above the "pegged" price. Westcott explained that peanut growers already have voted to limit the production of their 1041 crop, adding that "acreage allotments have been made and production in excess of allotments will be sold through producer-association foi 'diversion mm oil attached to wooden string pieces and it was not until 1848 that the first iron rails were purchased in Eng land and placed in the track. This work of placing iron Trails in the track was completed. 111 ttifiUEiftiys. A great celebration was held in Wilmington upon the completion of the load, with guests from the north ern part of the State, from Virginia aiul Smith?Carolina Harlirt an- w a spread at the depot at which 550 peopje were served, bells were rung, 101 guns were fired, one for each anile of line, for this was the first tim< a (rami ol cars was eVei pull ed 161 miles continuously on a rail road. Toasts were, offered, letters of congratulation read, and in the af ternoon the ceremony of mingling the w aters of the Roanoke. T.u and Ni'iiM' with those of the Cap-? Fear wai celebrated At this time the road was also op Xi0444-^~a?ItOf steamboat i?fcorn Wilmington to Charleston, which made daily connections with trains at Wilmington. This rail water line proved to be popular because it furli i: lied the most'direct route between the South and Fast and greatly shortened the time required for the trip. Train service in those da> . was moiv leisurely ami personal than 'now , as evidenced by the Story that it was tlie custom.of certain officials of the railroad on occasion, to meet the South-bound passengers on their arrival at Wilmington and l>? pre sent to every lady a bouquet of j flowers/.Jeiihy land is said to have 1 Iks n ohc .of thojlfvThus favored by the Secretary and Treasuer, Mr ; James S. (.livcHr-ln-the case of |>as sengers who remained a few days in Wilmingtow. this invliminam court csy was likely to he follow el by a series of foTmal calls by pi ftiuuent i it i/* ns ot Uie town. Thi' Petersburg Railroad, charter <d in 1830 and Completed in 1033, land the Richmond and Petersburg j Railroad, chartered in 1830 and com 1 ph ted in 1838, formed the 'connect j nig railroads to the North. Man\ of the earlier railroad were jvotiuuuiiil'y or sectional entei prises [and had tluu beginnings in the 11 net:lr b.r trade sunrom.n v ami advantage between cities "and tions dating back to Colonial limes Tl.e seaport cilie,. bad lain bui.lt' upon tlu trade of tin* rich agricul tural lands along the coast and in land waterways that had fust been put into cultivation. The f< itility of liii ?so lands was being deph h d and 'the Piedmont sections to the west and across the niouulaiii.., tin- i ich ! valleys uf llu> rivet . ('lowing tlu? Linll, Were alliacting, an cvn ^t. > \ "'H nutnhcr of s. tth i It u . v ,1 ,1 to the life ul the coastal eiti? that they sliull.l'tl Si'Ctltr- ttfl1 ti ad*,' of~fhe ; new sections. Transportation u a , ..t ??> 11 ? ?tin*' controlling factor in the situation. The history of the roads in North Carolina .Hid Virginia is closely par ;i He-led hy frht.it ol the muds con ducted about the same time in S'-. ' h '..Carolina- ind ticorgiu. Trade (??? 'Oipeiitio.it between Wilmington, Noil :7 (''ami m.t, C liar I- : IdTTi SOulTT v.o nd. S.;i\ innah, ideorgia. K ?? -i ib I < 'oj- tile epn: t ruction ? 1 ? 11;i W'dti .i.:,'.to'n y Manchester, la !? i U.ii' \n i th. Wihiungfon, Col uinbta y \ gust a tl.U -Nut thc&stern ol South V,.: lino the Cheraw & Duiing to i1 tjie Atlantic StGuIt. and other 11ties iio\\ a par' of the Atlan tic Coast lane System that-'-' ' we-fo ini ii'd td r;.'? r **'"? I'TliV fi.it!" c< >ii:i 11 r\ llopol 1 u.l'.ci ' i! I . ? 1?(plllg t.he I'.t. id ?( 'c't i' '.i \< vtl Carolina .hi' i fu i, ri isli i tig it.wi'iii tiafispt'itj tien facilities ' was reali/ed at an ' e i \ dab'. ai.td in 1 Mail ? I Ui'U a (itancli TTTie wa. i?iffsfi ueTeit~b\ the \V 1 ii 11.? ,y \\ . !:|, .i i (; n ! [?> ..id C< aripaii - 11oni K"CUv Mount \ C to rarbom \ C I .|t tail... .1 111T.II rude In K. ia itaj. \ ' I Ui 1. iIi.- Wi lli am don \ I'm bom K,i 1'i.ul Company was o|'gaiu/ed l"i; the pi; i j ? . ol ton. ? n u t.i ",e. a" Inn1 I r< an Tarlxiro to ?Wijb in.r ion, \ (? ;i d' lance ot thir ty i'he iii'il. . Th* tr.ioelu -e of this : -?I s i pa 11 \ , eniiv < \ - I In the Sea ? t mi d \ llaI ;ii Kadmad Company, winch u.i i111? ? ?rpoi iTed in DeCetti* l??r. Ia Tin Company practically coiopl ted ti line between Tarboto Hid Will lain Ion which hat! been p ,n .ally eoii o i iicled by the WTllianu . '.?ii y I'arb "lo Railroad Company. Toe Ii aim ol- lia; Seabortl <j Hal eigh. ll.uli.' i i t' ii:}-au> was-a^Uing.-.'.' ? d p) i'i.? \!i>. marie A. Raleigh Kail (O'ltt imied on page four) The Knlrrprisc On tin Pi inline and !'ubh-hmu; of 111i^ finr 'f ntmrri'i l.ditinn. \\ r ;iUo rvtrnii lirM \vihIii"? In (In* \\ illiaiiislon ToIkh* r? Maikrl. Il \\a-< our |d<\tMir?- and |iri>dr*;r nl do ill*; lln rn^ia\in^ for 1111 ^ rddton. Norfolk Engraving Co. \OICI Ol K \ V. A Millionaire's DRINK FOR A NICKEL YOU L I K E / IT , IT L I "K" E S YOU Taylor Beverage Company TARBORO, N. C. PHONE 140 Wholesale Distributers For Martin and Adjoining Counties Dish ilmtors For Goldseal ? Snowdrift and Bob White FLOURS "OUR FLOURS ARE trade roosters** We liuve a very large stnek^nd hi* arc increasing it every neck. We ure adequately equipped to supply I In* merchants of this section with merchandise ami groceries. You'll find un ready to nerve the merchant* and huninenn firms of eastern (laroliua. Mr. Mer chant, if you haven't visited our place of business, we extend you WE TAKE PLEASURE IN JOINING THE OTHER MERCHANTS \NI> RUSINESS MEN OF WILLIAMSTON IN WELCOMING THE TOBACCO GROWERS TcToUR TOWN Martin' Elliott Co. WILLI AMSTON, NORTH CAROLINA.
The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 19, 1941, edition 1
11
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