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4 , " THE WILMINGTON MESSENGER FRIDAY JANUARY 1,1904. 3 H A BELL COUPAVY. , .ate red at the Fettoflee at TFU- mlBktn, S. C as Second-Class " Hatter, April 13, 1879. TEIU1S OF 8CSSCHIFTIOX. FOITAGZS PREPAID. H'lia DALLY KES8C5GCII by xaall me rear fOXM)i alx months t&ree nratlu f 1JS0 ane momtfc Mats Srrd la tae cltr 59 ee&ts smsmtfa. aae week 15 emmtrn. f 1450 far tax naataa er f&OO a year THIS IEMI-WBEKLY HCSSEXGEH itw S-aase yapera), ay araar flOf alx toatba 64 eeatt, la FBIDAY, JANUARY 1, 1904. ynuAizxcrros and the BOARD AIR LINE. SEA Wlniagtn stands fourth in the Vat af sstton exporting seaports cf the UalUi SUtes. She has a large naval stares market. She baa more wholesale houses than any city of Its sixo south of Baltimore. These three facts wsuld Indicate that she had a trade ud railroad traffic to the in terior which was wortn competing for "by the railroads leading out from this city. Wilmington has but two rail way ertems connecting her with the interior, the Atlantic Coast Line and the Seaboard Air Line.. The former has done-much for our city aad the adjacent territory in the way of bulldikg up new enterprises and InaraTiafr aid conditions. What can he Bait for the other? The ears of the officials of the Sea-: board Air Line must have been tisgliag Tuesday afternoon about the time te Wilmington Chamber of Commerce was in session, for some pretty plain words were being used by members of the latter regarding the manner in which this city is being ' treated "by the officials of that rail way system. From the statements of ' faets made and the conclusions drawn frosa them by some of our best busi ness mea present, who knew whereof they spoke, we are forced to one of two conclusions that the men at the head ef this railway system either do not want passenger and freight busi ness la and out of Wilmington or are nat competent to manage the com paay ta a way to secure it. As ta the first proposition Does . this system not care for its propor tionate art v of the passenger and freight traffic of Wilmington? From tke snaaner in which the merchants of this city are now and have for several years been treated, one is led to believe that it does not. But this matter is not optional with the com paay. , It is a quasi public corpora- tiosk and it is its duty to afford to aM aatraas the best accommodations possible within its power. That the Se&fteard Air Line is doing this for Wilsalagtsn no one, outside of its officials, will contend. On the con trary, it is giving our city about the worst service, both passenger and ' freight, that can be imagined. . The city of Wilmington is one of the Seaboard's three Atlant'c Sea Doara points, ana snouia oe maae a big shipping point, but instead, it is nataing more than a way station Look At the arrangements for recelv 1ms sjod delivering freight on its yards here., A first class railroad would hare better facilities at any flag sta tioaw The idea of a railroad having to refuse a shipment of four hundred toss at freight because the side track leading to where the desired hipseat is located is in such bad conditio a that the engineer of the shifting engine would not run his 'locomotive over' it. This is a fair example of the condition of the ter minal facilities at this, one of the company's three seaports; and when . we cosae to the matter of shipping! and receiving local freight the con dittos are as bad as to time taken for transportation. Mr. J. A. Taylor, oae our leading wholesale grocers and ooTamlsion merchants, illustrated this point in the following remarks before tlte chamber of commerce on Tuestay: "Freight reached Hamlet in tke proper time, but to points beyond Hamlet the time was said .t . he indefinite. An Instance was given where a shipment was wade from Rockingham and it toak seventeen days to reach here. It was generally admitted that it took any where from one ""t tws weeks to get freight to Rockingham, when it should reacsi there in two or three - days." We know of .;a merchant here who lias a bill of laaing'for freight ship ped from Rockingham in September; the goods have not yet arrived. In stances of this delay in the receipt of freight to and from points beyond Hamlet are of . almost . daily occur rence. The truth is the road is not properly equipped x for handling itsj tossiaess for this city, and it does net take the necessary steps to fcaadle it. The business of the Seaboard Air Xiaa at Wilmington is worth to that road from $300,000 to $400,000 a Teer. The &any, were it to in augurate the same methods as those other roads seeking business, csmld re fcxrrsJy teased this sum. but cf Jiave tho cavalier manner In wnich its chief ' official have , treated the business men of onr city, and the evident dis position t ignore the interests of our merchants has prevented the natural increase of its business with the growth of the city. While it may be said that this com pany has nat had a decrease in Its receipts .there has nat been the in crease that the rapid growth of the business of the port and the devel opment of the contributing section would warrant and which has been secured by its competing line. The truth is the Seaboard Air Line has sacrificed the port of Wilming ton, its business' men and the con tiguous territory to the up-building of its through lines as feeders to cities to the north of us. For in stance, the Atlantic Coast Line has hauled cotton to this port from the southwest which the Seaboard refused to take whether it had not the roll Ing8tock or for what reason we.know not. For the past tew years It has sought no new business from this "side tracked town." We said above that a railroad which treated a city or Wilmington's importance as the Seaboard has done either did not want her trade or its officials did not have the brains to know how to secure It. As to the lat ter we quote a little by-play In the discussion of the matter in the meet ing of the chamber of commerce on Tuesday by men who are probably well acquainted with the ability (?) f the railroad officials: "Mr. Taylor said the facts should be laid before the new " management and if redress was not given, to then carry the mat ter before the corporation com mission, which could compel the road "to give adequate service. The speaker said the corporation commission could require better trains; that they could require the railroad yards In this city to be put in the proper condition and that they could compel the S. A. L. to give good service. "Here Mr. Wm. Calder inter rupted the speaker and wished to know If it were possible for the corporation commission to Instill brains into the heads of the officials of the S. A. L. This question brought forth the sug gestion that although the com mission might not be able to in still brains into the heads of the officials, they could get what brains the officials aid have in .better working order." Whichever horns of the dilemma the chief officials of the road wish to take, we desire to call their at tention to the fact that the state cor poration commission has jurisdiction If the company knows how to give Wilmington prcper service and wont do it the commission will make it Xlo so. If it does not know how, , the commission will show it. The truth is the Seaboard Air Line system has sacrificed its eld friends, the people who gave it life and sus tenance for years, and but for whom it would not now be in existence, for the purpose of becoming a great and through . line (on paper) from the north to the south and west. It is draining the pockets of its old friends . In an endeavor to build up a system to enrich others. Now let's look at the passenger service this system gives to the most populous and most important city of our state. Branching out to tho north, south and west, it gives Wil mington one passenger train a day. As to through travel that is not so important, as the other system gives convenient schedules to all points of the compass. But take up the matter of local travel on the Carolina Cen tral. We quote Mr. C. C Covington, another of our leading wholesale grocers who has occasion to visit points along the various roads lead ing out of our city. As to the hor rible schedule on the Carolina Centra he says: j "The road should be given such freight as they provide facilities for the handling. If the facilities provide for the handling of local traffic, then give them local traffic, and cut the balance out. If this plan was adopted, Mr. Coving ton said, instead of the mer chandise going to the railroad, the railroad would be send ing solicitors to the merchants to get their business. Mr. Cov ington spoke of what extremely poor passenger facilities the S. A. L. afforded to Wilmington and gave an illustration of how much better the service was out of Charlotte. A business man can leave Charlotte in the morning, come as far as Clarkton, trans act his business, and return to -Charlotte the same day. Take the service out of Wilmington and suppose the point to be reached is Lumberton. One Is compelled to .leave here at 3:15 In the afternoon, reaching Lum berton too late in the eve sing to transact any business. Early next . morning the eastbound train passes returning to Wilmington, and the result is the Wilmington man has got to be away from Wilmington two night and most of three davs in order to trans act his business. This Is not only true of Lumberton, but of all the other stations between here and Hamlet. Mr. Covington said a schedule should be put in force that would give tho Wilmington business men an opportunity to . visit adjacent towns, transact their business and return to Wil mington on the same day." A Wilmington business man wants to send a representative to a town fifty miles up this road to interview the merchants. .He leaves Wilmington early one afternoon; gets tothe town too late for business; has to spend 'he ' t . I WUIlu "" next day; spends the next nlgit 'th!; lake traIn for bome tne next mornInr Hd. h some ' time before late dinner, if tha train is on time two nights, a whole day and the half ef two other days con sumed in visiting a half dozen cus tomers fifty miles away. And this is not all: The filthy condition of the coach in which he has to ride is sucn as to make him pray his employer will never send him out on that route again. For this condition of the cars the local authorities, are not r sponsible. These coaches leave Wil mington in - the afternoon; reach Charlotte (if on time) after 19 o'clock at night and start back at 5 o'clock the next morning. On reach Ing Wilmington only the first class coach is allowed to lie over until the next day. The others ' are started back on the round trip in two or three hours after arr'val hot, dusty, dirty and, who know not, disease In fected. This is the treatment the people of Wilmington are receiving at the hands of this corporation. They are shown no courtesies, are given no accommodations. What our people want is an early morning train out of our city and one returning at a later hour, so. our business men can go up the road, at tend to their business and return to the city. They have it on every other railway line leading out of the city, and every other city in the state has the same. They should force the Seaboard to give it to them. They should not go to the officials of this road asking what the latter will do to improve our passenger and freight service; but should boldly tell them that they must have such and such improvements in the running of its trains, or forfeit every dollar's worth of business that can be sent over another road. Tell them you are determined on this course and stick to what you say. The Seaboard Air Line cannot afford to lose the $300,000 or $400,000 it receives on its traffic with this city. Bring it to terms by refusing it your traffic un less it will agree at least to show some disposition to give you just and fair treatment. Our statement above that tho offi cials of this system are either ignorant of the ' conditions or incompetent to cope with them is borne out by the following statement of President Wil liams to a reporter of the Baltimore News of last Monday: "I know of ho reason for selling Seaboard stock. There is no hitch of any kind in th arrangements for financing the needs of the com pany. The property is 1. splendid condition and the pros pects are all that could be d- sired." When President Williams says tha property is in splendid condition, he either ignores the fact that the road from Wilmington to Hamlet is a part of the line or he is ignorant of the fact that the condition of the track on this part of his system is not only in a bad. but. in a dangerous condition. It 13 natural to suppose that tho presi dent of a railroad knows of the condi tion of its lines, therefore it is to be taken that Mr. Williams in his above statement did not consider' the lint from here to Hamlet any thing but a side track on his system, for he could not have included it in his statement that "tho property is in splendid con dition." That is a good plan the (board of county commissioners of Guilford county have adopted to put a stop to so many hung" juries and mistrials. When jurors who fail to agree on a verdict are locked! up in a room in tho court housa and their vttuals handeu in to them, instead of being fed and lodged at a first-class hotel they wtll bo more apt to come to their ooncln- siona on time. "The south, and especially Texas, wants the isthmian canal even if the methods used in its getting cannot be approved." Houston Post. TThe gulf states want the canal. want it badly, want it in a hurry. Galveston News. -This does not look as if the peopls of tho gulf states were standing bade on the question as to why and by whose aid Panama seceded. Thay do not want to consume time by an effort to go" behind the returns. They want a canal and do not want to keep up a dickering by which route it shall te built. Two Pitt county towns held local option elections. Tuesday and both went wet Farmville by thirty two and Faulkland by nineteen majority. Philadelphia Team to Practice in the South. Philadelphia, December 29. Presi dent Potter, of the Philadelphia Na-j tional League Baseball Club, annxruiic- ed tonight that the team would b1 taken to Savannah Ga,. for sprisg practice. The players in charge of Huh Duffy, tho new manager will reach Savannah on March 15th. remain there two weeks and then return direct to Philadelphia. i . i Prominent Tobacco Dealer Goes Into Bankruptcy. Danville, Va., December 20. James I A Henderson, a prominent tobacco deal- I er and exporter of this city filed a vol- untary petition in bankruptcy today n the Federal court here.. The liabilities are scheduled at J104.000, while thm as sets are laid at V' about JS6.000. The Commercial Bankof Danville is the im? $17,000. The People's Savings Bank of Danville is named TM erifZ 7 . tpt Ufi09. and the First Na, 1 tional Bank of Baltimore. Md., IWf. . . -. - SOUTIIERI ALT.1AUAC For Virginia and North Carolina. Price by mail 7 cents. cmcuLATion so.eoo. I Weather Predictions Without Rival. Special Prices on Application. 1904; NEW 1904. Virginia State Gazetteer will be published FAIL im. . - PRICE S5.C0. For further information address. : HILL DIRECTORY CO. RICHMOND. VA. Jan 1 3m fri only. . Lcng List of dishes can be made quietly and easily with Scrgcni'c Food Mince Meat, Hash, Hamburg Steak, Croquettes, f Fish Balls. Chili Sauce. and many other dishes. N. JACCEI HARDWARE CO., WlIxiertM. Cuban Blossom and RENOWN THESE CIOARS Ai:E BETTER THAN EVER. "SILVER COIN" FLOUR. It is the best, teed Every pound guaran- fctk St I H. L WLLERS.Wppy and prosperous new year. WHOLESALE ONLY. Christmas Goods. TTe have all the latest and most pop ular Novols, Illustrated Books, Picture, Musical Instruments, Booklets, Fancy I Calendars aixxJ Fancy- Goods. Some thing to suit all tastes. Call and see us at our new store. Robt.C. DeRosset, THE STATIONER. 32 UORTH FRONT STREET. V u EL U O EL TUB BEST GRADE OF WHITE CORN in the manufacture of MEAL AND GRITS, and thoroughly screen, scour and fan same, positively remov- Inz every narticle of dirt before It I reaches the grinding machinery. gradual reduction system and the pro duct is THOROUGHLY PURIFIED BETWEEN EVERY BREAK, thus removing all bran and other impurl tics before the meal is ground. . .Our machinery is the best, and we spare no pains or expense to make the PUREST AND BEST GRADE OF WHITE TABLE MEAL that can be produced from CORN. We have a daily capacity of 3,000 bushels, ' and need and want your gooa win ana oraers. B0NEY & HARPER MILLING COMPANY, . Wilmington, N. C. July 22. STREET GAVE WAY. Team Fell Into a Hole on Red Cross Street Yesterday. A mule hitched to a delivery wagon fell into a hole on Red Cross street yesterday afternoon but with the vsx- oeptioti of tearing the harness to pieces xZzfZZJLV' The boy who was tion of the street gave- way. It was reported that the mule broke through the street and fell into the sewer, but this was not true. It is not known what caused the cavity under the street. The matter was reported to the city officials and red lanterns were placed on both sides of the cavity to I" 7 who might pass along the The accident happened too late In the afternoon to have anything don about repairing the street. THE RUSH OF XMAS MUNSON & CO. Fancy READY FOR DELIVERY. Thursday Morning, F. E HASHAGEN CO. Wholesale Provision Dealers. This viwiw kin.1.1. 2160 Bushels Good Corn. 1450 Bushels Oats. 12i0 Bushels Virginia Meal. 429 Bales Timothy Hay. 301 Bales Prairie Hay. 2100 Bags C. S. Meal. 211 Bags C. S. Hulls. WILMINGTON. N. C. We Our many friends and Thanking you for past favorsr and soliciting a continuation of same. We are YoUrs Very GEORGE R. FRENCH & SONS. To Our Trade I We thank each and every one for their liberal patronage dur ing this year, 1903, and we earnestly solicit a larger share of your trade during 190. Our facilities are unequal edt and mir C.anltal amnle fn prve ?0"' ,ar9e or sma,' I US.. I.!..,. .f. m mm j niSUIUU Ctftll JIIU CCf J UflC d M0m Yma and a VPIV Prn mCrrY Ama5 anQ 4 3 VerV r'OS r&efn ff Nineteen Hundred and Rruus "'"ciccil nunureu dllU Fmir Ynurs Trulv D. L GORE CO. Wholesale Grocers and Importers, 118 TO 126 NORTH WATER STREET. wnnnrGTON, n. c. Nailsl - Nailsl 318 Boxes Stick Candy. 90 Pails Favorite Mixed Candy. 117 Boxes Mixed Nuts. 2222 Pounds English Walnuts. 299 Boxes Evaporated Peaches. 34 Tubs Don Penny Candy. 13 Case Carolina Rice Flakes. 419 Boxes Peannt 3 fixed Candy. 19 Barrels Apples. 2999 Oranges. 717 Sacks North Carolina Peanuts. CS1C Pounds Nails burned Just the least bit. , Worth One Cent Per Pound. s. p. rjidmin, Wilmington, N. b now ovtr and we havo choice SL'EIXVCS ANX TOOCSISi- INGS, which we are clc5 omi as $?5.CO Onr beet trfesalsss fit, and finish just UmT o as ZX yon paid first prices. .Tat c year and we wish to dispose mi OVERCOATS -We are offcrias 5 per cent, redaction on the tine Lisas 'ortng of Black Unfinished Tortev Gter ioto Blue II eJtoo. OUR MUX'S YOUTH'S DOTS RHDT-IAI3 SUITS la Fancy mcrco Bine and Black Worsteds are marked way down for these four days. If yon woald moocy, give as a calL Renovated Butter, 771 KJUIli r I 111 II FX -406 Bags Wheat Bran. 9611 Pounds Salt Mullet. . 5900 Pounds Smoked Plates. 9120 Pounds D. S. Plates 2100 Pounds Picnic Hams. 4500 Pounds Snow Drift 4250 Pounds Boars Head. OOOPKH. Greet , You S patrons, and wish you all a Respectfully, . YOU SHOULD GALL Oa us at once and make your Christ- mag purchases before our stock is P over. We have a large stock f goods from which to select. Leeot Patterns -Boker" Scisfsors 50c to Sic Pocket Knives in Pearl and Horn Handles, with best quality stetl blades. GTvlne Sets, many Artistlo destgm U.15 to I2.6S per sK. Guns (Single and double barrel) IS.N to 3S.0t. Hunting Coats and Vesta all sise and Leggings in Canvass and Leather. Brass Fenders' in several designs IS. 6, X7.W. M.75. Brass Andirons 5, to 18.50 per pair. Brass Fire Gets Stands, Shovel. Tones. Poker Ji. It. J8.50. Speelal Agests Howes Scales, L. and R. Powder and Peninsula Stove. 1 11 OSTOS BUILD IB Prica lower than can. be bought at factory. HALL & ?E in l cc SRSfi I