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With Compliments of the Compilers 
 
 [For summary, see address before the Press Association at 
 Charlotte, pages 70 to 78.] 
 
HISTORY 
 
 — of 
 
 The Canalization of the Cape Fear River 
 
 Being a compilation 
 — of— 
 
 Pertinent Publications in the Fayetteville Observer 
 from 1900 to 1915 
 
 -by- 
 Edward J. Hale, (3rd), Frederick Toomer Hale 
 and Thomas Hill Hale 
 
 Fayetteville, -^ - - - N. C. 
 
 Qs:^ 
 
 Judge Printing Company 
 1917 
 
'T^HIS publication is dedicated 
 to the Honorable Walter 
 Clark, Chief Justice of North 
 Carolina, the earliest advocate of 
 Major Hale's Projecft, by his 
 respedtful friends, the compilers. 
 
(7- 
 
 ro 
 ft) 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 The history of the Canalizat^-on of the Cape Fear River, whose 
 construction is now nearing completion, is best learned from the ar- 
 ticles on the subject which have been published from time to time 
 in the local newspaper. As the details of the struggle, which, af- 
 ter seventeen years, has resulted so favorably, would fill many 
 volumes, only such documents are reproduced here as tended to be 
 decisive of the fight or as serve to illustrate the methods employed 
 in the promotion of the project. The same arguments, io a general 
 way it may be added, were necessarily addressed to the different 
 bodi'es appealed to; and justice to each of them requires that the 
 text of this publication should suffer the resultant blemish of repeti- 
 tion in several instances. Under the circumstances, the reader is 
 ^sked to make allowance accordingly. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 I. 
 
 Launching of the Projedl and Report of its Adoption. 
 
 II. 
 
 Hi^ory of the Projedt — The Theory of the Normal Port 
 Pp. 8-11. 
 
 III. 
 Thanks to the Officials who Helped Us ... ._ Page 1 5 
 
 IV. 
 Some of the Early Steps , Page 22 
 
 V. 
 
 The Final Presentation of the Case Before Congress __ Page 27 
 
 VI. 
 Visit of the Waterways Commission to Fay etteville-.. Page 79 
 
 VII. 
 Popular Subscription in Aid of the Project Page 83 
 
 VIII. 
 Appreciation of the Work ^^ ^,^, ^__ Page 85 
 
I. 
 
 LAUNCHING OF THE PROJECT, AND RE- 
 PORT OF ITS ADOPTION. 
 
 (From Fayetteville Observer, Sept 8, 1899.) 
 CANALIZATION OF THE CAPE FEAR. 
 
 We do not know how nearly the jetty system which the Gov- 
 ernment has been applying to the improvement of the Cape Fear 
 River between Wilmington and Fayetteville for some- years past, ap- 
 proaches what would be the cost of canalizing the river if that 
 should be undertaken — we have no idea at all — but we do know that 
 it does not begin to approach it in results. 
 
 The improvement of waterways is carried on on a much larger 
 and more complete scale in Europe than with us. The conditions of 
 life are very much harder in those old countries than in this com- 
 pai'atively virgin land, and the incentive to make every edge cut is 
 correspondingly greater there. But conditions are constantly grow- 
 ing harder with us as our population becomes denser and more 
 "civilized," and we believe that the subject of the canalization of 
 the Cape Fear is one to which serious thought may be given with 
 a view to bringing it to the attention of Congress. Mr. Thomas, 
 our member, is very anxious to do everything in his power for his 
 constituents. He will bring up the matter of the restoration to 
 Fayetteville of a United States arsenal, and, no doubt, would take 
 up this matter if found to be feasible. 
 
 If the canalization project should turn out to be capable of ac- 
 complishment, so that we might have a uniform depth of, say, six 
 feet* of water between here and Wilmington the year round, the 
 completion of such work would give an impetus to the growth of 
 Fayetteville which would be phenomenal. 
 
 By the canalization of rivers we mean such work as has been 
 done on the Weser in Germany, on the Clyde and Tees in Scotland, 
 and on the Seine in France. We do not know what may be the state 
 of the work on those rivers now, no doubt far in advance of their 
 
 *Note: Changed to 8 feet. 
 
Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 condition at tlie time we are gomg to speak of. But in 1890,, at tlie 
 International Congress on Internal Navigation, Herr Franzius, of 
 Germany, Voisin Bey, (chief engineer of the Suez Canal), and Mr. 
 Vernon Harcourt, of England, all engineers of the first order, gave 
 minute descriptions of improvements on the rivers mentioned, and 
 others, which had been effected by a system of longitudinal dykes — 
 narrowing the channel and producing the scouring effect which 
 Captain Eads accomplished with his sunken wicker "mattresses" 
 in the Mississippi below New Orleans, years ago — that were aston- 
 ishing. Cross dykes, where needed, and sluices for high water and 
 storage dams for low water, are details of the general system fa- 
 miliar to engineers. 
 
 •Herr Franzius said (at the time we allude to) that between 
 Bremen and Bremerhaven the Weser had been greatly deepened 
 and when the work was completed (in four years more) it would be 
 navigable at all seasons at a un.form depth. 
 
 The matter Is worth looking into, now that we have undertaken 
 to put Fayetteville in the front rank of towns. 
 
 REPORT TO THE PEOPLE OF FAYETTEVILLE. 
 (From Fayetteville Daily Observer, June 27, 1910.) 
 
 IMPROVEMENT OF THE UPPER CAPE FEAR. 
 
 To the People of Fayetteville: 
 
 The Rivers and Harbors bill, containing an item authorizing 
 the Secretary of War to enter into a contract, or contracts, for the 
 completion of the project for canalizing the Upper Cape Fear river 
 so as to secure a minimum depth of eight feet from Wilmington to 
 Fayetteville throughout the year, at a cost of $615,000* in accord- 
 ance with the plan recommended by the Board of Engineers of the 
 U. S. Army, was sent to the President on Friday, June 10. The 
 Constitution allows the President ten days, exclusive of Sundays, 
 in which to veto a bill if disapproved by him, and provides that it 
 shall become law if not returned with his disapproval within that 
 time, if congress be still in session. The Rivers and Harbors bill 
 of 1910 has therefore been a law since Wednesday last, June 22. As 
 It was understood that the President intended to sign the bill before 
 
 ♦Increased to $1,031,000 in 1914, in accordance with Major 
 Stickles' annual report issued August 11, 1913. The act of 1902 
 called for $1,350,000. 
 
the Cape Fear River 
 
 Congress adjourned, it was not thought to be necessary to make 
 mention of the fact recited. 
 
 As I have been entrusted by you with the conduct of this project 
 from its inception, and then, in a formal way, by resolution of tlie 
 public meeting held on November 15, 1900, it has been my duty to 
 report to you the progress of its promotion from time to time. At 
 the end of something over ten years, I have the honor to report the 
 successful conclusion of our efforts, as above recited. At the same 
 time, I desire to return my heartiest thanks to the committees which 
 have assisted me — those of the Chamber of Commerce and of the 
 Citizens' meeting of 1900, as well as that of the Upper Cape Fear 
 Improvement Association successor of the latter — and to that noble 
 band of gentlemen, comprising our citizens generally, who have pat- 
 riotically and, in many instances, generously assisted me. 
 
 Copies of letters of thanks to the officials who have so intelli- 
 gently taken part in causing our desires to be expressed in law, 
 which I have felt at liberty to write to them, and which go out by 
 today's mail, will be published tomorrow for your information. 
 With great respect, I remain 
 
 Yours faithfully, 
 E. J. HALE, 
 President Upper Cape Fear Improvement Association. 
 
iii^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 II. 
 
 HISTORY OF THE PROJECT— THE THEORY 
 OF THE NORMAL PORT. 
 
 (From Fayetteville Daily Observer, June 28, 1910.) 
 
 ORIGIN AND PROMOTION OF THE UPPER CAPE FEAR 
 PROJECT. 
 
 The following, being the chief part of an article on this sub- 
 ject by E. J. Hale in the Easter edition of the Maxton Scottish 
 Chief, will doubtless prove interesting at this time: 
 
 In 1883, Fayetteville was at its lowest estate. The Charter had 
 been surrendered. The moral effect of such a condition was dis- 
 heartening in the extreme, and added to the commercial disability 
 imposed on the town by the construction of the North Carolina 
 Railroad in 1856 and of the ''Danville Connection" at the outbreak 
 of the war. The Danville connection, from Greensboro to Danville, 
 49 miles, was the link that joined the inchoate North Carolina sys- 
 tem to the Virginia system and transferred the "gateway" or Middle 
 and Western North Carolina and some adjacent parts from Fayette- 
 ville and Wilmington to Richmond and Norfolk. This had been op- 
 posed by the old Observer with all its might; and successfully, until 
 the exigencies of the Confederacy caused State lines in transporta- 
 
 \ tion to be obliterated. 
 
 j Commentmg upon my enthusiastic "boosting" of Fayetteville 
 
 and predictions of its great future when radiating railways should 
 restore the "gateway" to the former commercial capital, a prom- 
 inent busiJiess man and property owner said "Your efforts are use- 
 less. The point of distibution has moved on. Once Fayetteville; 
 then Egypt; then the successive heads of the road," etc. It did not 
 seem to occur to him that when the road should reach Greensboro 
 it would meet competition from another quarter, and that the basis 
 of competition in each case was a water base — at Fayetteville for 
 the Cape Fear, or North Carolina, system; at Richmond, for the 
 James river, or Virginia, system. 
 
 Upon my return from India to England in 1890 I was * * * 
 
the Cape Fear River 
 
 made a vice-president of tlie International Congress on Interior 
 Navigation. * * * * There were tliree members of the Congress 
 * * * who * * * asked me to accompany them in the tour of inspec- 
 tion .which they were about to make of the leading engineering 
 works of Britain. They were Voisin Bey, representing the French 
 Government, who had been engineer in chief of the successful Suez 
 Canal of which De Lesseps was the promoter; Herr Franzius, rep- 
 resenting the German Emperor; and Mr. Vernon Harcourt, an em- 
 inent English engineer and author of works on waterways. In the 
 course of our travels, I spoke of my home at Fayetteville, and of 
 the vast territory which it had served as a distributing point in 
 former times ; of the interference with this condition by the estab- 
 lishment (lS56-'65) of North and South-going railways that cut 
 across our wagon roads; of our attempt to restore the normal 
 condition by tapping this railway system at Greensboro in 1884; 
 of the failure of this effort because of the want of continuous navi- 
 gation on the river throughout the year; of my theory that there 
 must have been a great change in the navigability of the river 
 since 1817, for example, because in that year the steamer Henrietta 
 was built with a draft of TVz feet, whereas the type of her success- 
 ors had gradually changed until, in the slang of the boatman, the 
 modern Cape Fear boat could run on "a heavy dew;" of my con- 
 jecture from observations in Europe and the Orient, that this 
 change was the result o'' deforestation, an expression of civilization 
 whose effect was not then realized in my country; of my recogni- 
 tion of the superior knowledge of these subjects with which the 
 pressure of population in the old countries had caused the Europe- 
 an engineers to be endowed; and of my desire to learn from them 
 whether or not an adaptation of Captain Eads's plan of sunken 
 osier mattresses for the Mississippi would serve for the Upper 
 Cape Fear. They said that I was right about the effect of deforest- 
 ation, which was an old subject in Europe, but that the particular 
 form of the remedy would depend upon the volume of water in the 
 drought season. If the river was broad, longitudinal dykes confin- 
 ing the flow to a narrower cross section would necessarily mean 
 greater depth with the same volume of water. I replied that the 
 river was very narrow, starting from the first falls above Fayette- 
 ville, and that the banks for many miles below and until tidewater 
 was reached, ranged from nearly 70 feet in height down. Franzius 
 at once said, "That is your advantage. Here are these Manchester 
 people who are digging a canal to the sea at a cost of two million 
 dollars per mile, whereas your canal is already dug and all you 
 have to do is to plug it up by dams and get all the depth you 
 need." 
 
 Upon my return to America! found that the Cape Fear and 
 
10 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 (i( 
 
 Yadkin Valley Railroad, extended to Mount Airy, was doing a good 
 business in connection with a tri-weekly line of boats both ways 
 between Wilmington anc'. Fayetteville, but that its volume fell far 
 short of what it should be. Upon inquiry, I learned that the Gov- 
 ernment was endeavoring to satisfy the obligation which it assumed 
 when it took over from the old Cape Fear Navigation Company the 
 control of the Upper Cape Pear in 1881, but that it had adopted a 
 system of jetties for deepening the channel, the crudest form of 
 the engineering devices employed for that purpose. 
 
 In December, 1898, the Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railroad 
 was dismembered, and its parts sold to the Atlantic Coast Line and 
 the Southern Railroad. In January, 1899, the railway headquarters 
 (and, later the repair shops), were broken up and removed. These 
 establishments were of great importance to the struggling town, 
 apart from the circumstance that they were the means of support 
 for a considerable and very intelligent part of its population, be- 
 cause of the prestige which they contributed to it. 
 
 The situation was desperate, and I determined to launch the 
 result of my European studies in the teeth of the Government's 
 complacent view of the efficacy of its antiquated jetty system. 
 
 So, on September 8, 1899, I began my campaign to that effect 
 with an editorial in The Observer calling attention to the contrast 
 between our crude waterway methods and those refined ones which 
 the pressure of population, demanding economy of transportation, 
 had long :;ince caused the older nations to adopt. 
 
 The enlightened engineer officer at Wilmington, Captain Lucas, 
 quickly acted upon The Observer's suggestion; the Wilmington and 
 Fayetteville commercial bodies endorsed it; our representative in 
 Congress, Mr. Thomas, embodied The Observer's editorials in a 
 sueech he delivered there; and all went well until the report of the 
 estimated cost of the proposed lock and dam project came in from 
 the engineer department. This estimated cost was $1,350,000, and, 
 to those who were unacquainted with the principle upon which the 
 people of Manchester had won their charter for the Manchester 
 Ship Canal against the powerful opposition of Liverpool and the 
 railroads, this great sum in behalf of the commerce of a little town 
 whose dimensions could hardly be seen from the outer world by 
 a telescope, seemed preposterous. 
 
 In 1886, two English gentlemen, Baron (now Earl) Egerton of 
 Tatton, and Sir J. C. Lee, afterwards chairman and vice-chairman 
 of the Manchester Ship Canal Company, explained to me the prin- 
 ciple upon which they had won their charter from Parliament. 
 
 This principle was the fixing of a boundary line which repre- 
 sented the mean distance between the nearest existing ocean 
 steamer ports and the proposed ship canal, and the assumption 
 
the Cape Fear Rivei" 11 
 
 that all the traffic in the territory thus delimited would, under the 
 law of least resistance, seek the new route. The application of 
 this principle to Fayetteville and the Upper Cape Pear would re- 
 sult in the delimitation of a traffic-tributary territory containing 
 two millions of population and supplying six millions of freight 
 tonnage. 
 
 *THE THEORY OF THE NORMAL PORT. 
 
 The commercial inferiority of North Carolina to hor neighbors 
 on the North and South even in the flush times before the war, 
 became an important factor in my quest for arguments in support 
 of the specific case of the Upper Cape Fear. I began to study the 
 map, when suddenly a new principle flashed upon me. Ft was what 
 may be termed the philosophy of the traffic influence of ports. 
 
 The geographical peculiarity of North Carolina is a jutting sea- 
 line, which culminates in the proboscis of Hatteras ind recedes 
 thence to the re-entrant angle in which New York lies, on the North, 
 and to the somewhat similar angle in which Savannah lies, on the 
 South. A glance at the map will show that the normal coast line 
 would be a straight line from New York to Savannah. 
 
 A normal coast line would mean normal ports, wherever ports 
 might exist along its length. Ports, for the purpose of this dem- 
 onstration, may be divided into three classes: the normal port; 
 the abnormal or less desirable port; 'and the ideal port. 
 
 It is self-evident that the traffic influence of any port, other 
 things being equal, extends throughout the territory included be- 
 tween linos drawn at right angles across the midway points of 
 air-lines from it to the ports on either side of it. 
 
 In the case of the normal port, these right angle lines would 
 remain parallel, and its traffic influence would be precisely that 
 of its neighbors. In the case of the abnormal port, the right-angle 
 lines would converge, and its traffic influence would be less than 
 that of its neighbors, and in degree proportionate to the rapidity 
 of the convergence. In the case of the ideal port, the right-angle 
 lines would diverge, and its traffic influence would exceed that 
 of its neighbors, and h degree proportionate to the rapidity of 
 the divergence. 
 
 Apply these self-evident rules to New York — where the traffic 
 antennae spread out like the ribs of a fan — and the cause of the 
 
 ♦Compiler's note. See, also, the printed proceedings of the Na- 
 tional Rivers and Harbors Congress for 1907, which gives the text 
 of the paper read before that body by Major Hale. For further de- 
 scription of the Theory of the Normal Port, see page 33 and map on 
 page 39. 
 
12 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 growth of that great port is apparent. Apply them to Hatteras, 
 or to all of the coast line of North Carolina — which, as you will 
 see, lies far East of the normal coast line— and we have explana- 
 tion of the commercial inferiority of North Carolina before the war. 
 
 Fayetteville, it will be seen, lies on the (theoretical) normal 
 coast line from New York to Savannah — to be exact, it is a few 
 miles West of it. Therefore its reconstitution as a port enjoying 
 year 'round navigation to the sea would yield to it a traffic territory 
 bounded (on the North and on the South) by parallel or slightly 
 divergent lines. By an apparently singular but in fact an alto- 
 gether logical coincidence, this is precisely the territory which 
 supplied its trade by wagon roads in the old days, the wagoner's 
 interest causing him to seek the nearest port. In other words, 
 Fayetteville (barring its want of deep water) would again supply 
 to North Carolina the advantages of a normal port. 
 
 A printed brief of the foregoing was placed on the desk of 
 each Senator and Representative in the Legislature in 1901, on 
 the morning of January 18th, and a joint resolution requesting 
 our Senators and Representatives in Congress to exert their united 
 influence to secure the passage of an amendment to the River and 
 Harbor bill at that session authorizing the adoption of the plan 
 for securing a minimuir. depth of 8 feet of water between Wil- 
 mington and Fayetteville throughout the year, as recommended by 
 the government engineer, Captain Lucas, was adopted unanimously 
 the same day. 
 
 Circumstances in my political career had won for me the strong 
 friendship of the late Senator Jones, of Arkansas, chairman of the 
 National Democratic Committee. I asked him to make himself 
 master of my arguments and, if approved by him, to exert his 
 great influence in behalf of our project. He not only did this, but he 
 enlisted the influence of his colleague. Senator Berry, a one-legged 
 Confederate veteran, who was the ranking Democrat on the Com- 
 merce Committee and therefore the Democratic member of the con- 
 ference committee, and who became an enthusiastic advocate of 
 our cause. Through his influence our project was included in the 
 River and Harbor bill and $150,000 appropriated for beginning the 
 work. The whole bill, however, was defeated by Senator Carter, 
 of Montana, who held the floor of the Senate until the expiration 
 of that Congress at midnight of March 3rd. 
 
 The unexpected inclusion of this item in the bill of 1901, seem- 
 ed to alarm the interests opposed to the project, and a powerful 
 opposition was developed when the subject came before Congress 
 in 1902. But Jones and Berry triumphed again. At the critical 
 moment, when the House conferees threw out our amendment un- 
 ceremoniously. Berry thumped his crutch on the floor, declaring 
 
the Cape Fear River 13 
 
 that "unless Hale's item is incliuled, I will defeat the whole bill" 
 — 'and the item was retained; but only $50,000 for a beginning was 
 appropriated. 
 
 I then sought the aid of organized effort in behalf of the gen- 
 eral promotion of river and harbor improvements as expressed in 
 the "National Rivers and Harbors Congress," and it was the in- 
 fluence of the President of that body. Representative Ransdell, the 
 leading Democrat of the Rivers and Harbors Committee, which 
 enabled us the other day to break the precedent in the House by 
 securing adoption of the project for the first time in that body, 
 coupled with a small appropriation. 
 
 The item which is tlius included in the bill is in accordance 
 with the revised plan (costing $615,000) which Senator Overman 
 induced the Board of Engineers to recommend unanimously in 
 1908. Senator Simmons's amendment provides for the letting to 
 contract of the whole work, without further recourse to Congress. 
 This amendment, I am informed, will "stick" in the conference. 
 
 Governor Aycock commissioned me as the representative of 
 the State at the founding of the National Rivers and Harbors Con- 
 gress at Baltimore in 1901, and Governor Glenn and Governor 
 Kitchin appointed me chairman of the North Carolina delegations 
 to subsequent sessions of that body. When I was ill at home in 
 the Winter of 1905-6, Mr Patterson, with the earnest aid of the 
 entire North Carolina delegation in Congress, secured my reten- 
 tion on the directorate of the Rivers and Harbors Congress, which 
 was reorganized then. These actions enabled me to retain for 
 our Upper Cape Fear project primacy, or right of way, over all 
 other of our North Carolina pojects. 
 
 Cicumstances not necessary to describe here caused the for- 
 feiture of our precedence in 1907 and the loss of the necessary 
 appropriation then. 
 
 Besides the indispensable work of Senator Jones and Senator 
 Berry at the outset, great credit for their work at the legislative 
 end is due to our two distinguished and influential Senators, and 
 to our able representatives, Messrs. Thomas, Patterson and God- 
 win, each of whom has done all in his power in our behalf. 
 
 Chief Justice Clark was the first public man of prominence 
 to grasp the full meaning of my project and demonstrations and 
 to approve them publiclv That was in 1900. Later, in his Liberty 
 Point address in Fayetteville, June 21, 1909, he gave the cause a 
 great send-off. 
 
 He has at all times given me the support of his great name. 
 I estimate the value of his assistance along with that of Senator 
 Jones and Senator Berry — that is. of the first importance. 
 
 The money cost of the promotion of the project up to date 
 
14 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 has been $3,597.29. a trifling sum when compared with the many 
 thousands spent by the big waterway projects of our country and 
 the nearly a million dollars spent by Manchester in the numerous 
 parliamentary hearings required before her Ship Canal charter 
 was secured. 
 
 So you will see how a train of circumstances, each compara- 
 tively triffing in itself, but correlated throughout and worked for 
 all they were worth, have led to the success of a great scheme. 
 
the Cape Fear River 15 
 
 III. 
 
 THANKS TO THE OFFICIALS WHO HELPED 
 
 US. 
 
 (From Fayetteville Daily Observer, June 28, 1910.) 
 
 LE1TERS OF THANKS. 
 
 Following are copies of the letters of thanks sent to the offi- 
 f^ials who took part in influencing or securing the embociiment in 
 law of the Upper Cape Fear project, which were referred to in 
 yesterday's editorial on U-\h^ suhj^ct: 
 
 Upper Cape Fear Improvement Association, 
 
 Fayetteville, N. C, June, 27, 1910. 
 Hon. Walter Clark, 
 
 Chief Justice of North Carolina, 
 Raleigh. 
 My dear Sir: 
 
 The Rivers and Harbors bill, containing provision for the con- 
 struction and completion of our great river project, became a law on 
 Wednesday last, and was also signed by the President on Satur- 
 day. I write to offer to you my heartiest thanks for the important 
 part you have played in the success of this undertaking. You were 
 the first public man of State and National reputation to grasp the 
 meaning of my editorial in The Observer of September 8, 1899, 
 launching this project, and to publicly express your approval of 
 it. When the public had become indifferent and even our own 
 Chamber of Commerce had forgotten the existence of the project 
 entirely, your letters continued to encourage me, while your public 
 utterances on the subject were of incalculable benefit in hastening 
 the end. I estimate your service as of the first magnitude and 
 along with that of Senator J. K. Jones and Senator Berry, without 
 whose aid at Washington the project would have been trampled 
 under foot by the powerful interests arrayed against it, and shut 
 out from recognition in law during our day. 
 I remain, my dear sir, with high regard. 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 E. J. HALE, 
 President, &c. 
 
16 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 [Letters of thanks, in full recognition of their great services, 
 were written at the time (May, 1902,) to Senators Jones and Berry. 
 — E. J. H] 
 
 Upper Cape Fear Improvement Association, 
 Fayetteville, N. C, June 27, 1910. 
 Hon. Charles R. Thomas, 
 
 House of Representatives, Wasliington, D. C. 
 My dear Sir: 
 
 As the Rivers and Harbors bill, containing the item for con- 
 struction and completioi:i of our Upper Cape Fear project has be- 
 come lavvr, I w^rite to express my very hearty thanks for your aid 
 at the outset of its promotion. Yours was the first speech in this 
 behalf made in Congresy (1900). You were good enough to em- 
 body in it my articles in The Observer in full calUing for the appli- 
 cation of modern engineering methods to the problem of restoring 
 the navigability of rivers below the first falls, which had been im- 
 paired by deforestation, in place of the crude and inefficient treat- 
 ment of them then in vogue in this section. I have reason to be- 
 lieve that you thus helped materially to set in motion the great 
 sentiment in favor of internal navigation which first created the 
 National Rivers and Harbors Congress and then secured its tri- 
 umph in the legislation of the United States Congress just ended. 
 With high regard, I remain, 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 B. J. HALE, 
 President. &c. 
 
 Upper Cape Fear Improvement Association, 
 
 Fayetteville, N. C, June, 27, 1910. 
 Hon. C. B. Aycock, 
 
 Raleigh, N. C. 
 My dear Sir: 
 
 As the Rivers and Harbors bill, containing provision for the 
 construction and completion of our Upper Cape Fear project, has 
 become law, I write to express my thanks for the important aid 
 which, as Governor, following the Legislature's precedent, you gave 
 to me in the early days of its promotion. At my request, you gave 
 me a commission accrediting me as the representative of the State 
 at the convention which organized the National Rivers and Harbors 
 Congress at Baltimore in September, 1901. I have no doubt that 
 this materially contributed to the movement, begun by the Savan- 
 nah delegates, to have me placed on the board of directors as the 
 
the Cape Fear River 17 
 
 representative of the South Atlantic States. This, in turn, re- 
 sulted in the concession to our project of primacy, or right of way, 
 among sundry others; and this, again, in hastening its adoption 
 by Congress. 
 
 With high regard, I remain. 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 E. J. HALE, 
 President, &c. 
 
 Upper Cape Fear Improvement Association, 
 
 Fayetteville, N. C, June. 27, 1910. 
 Hon R. B. Glenn, 
 
 Winston-Salem, N. C. 
 My dear Sir: 
 
 As the Rivers and Harbors bill, containing provision for the 
 construction and completion of our Upper Cape Fear project, has 
 become law, I write to express my thanks for the important aid 
 Which, as Governor, following the Legislature's precedents, you gave 
 me in assigning to this project the first place among all our 
 North Carolina projects. This you did in 1906; again in your let- 
 ter to Lieut. Colonel Hoxie's committee of the Board of Engineers 
 sitting in Fayetteville, January 24, 1907; and still again in appoint- 
 ing me chairman of the North Carolina delegaton to the convention 
 of the National Rivers and Harbors Congress in 1908. 
 With high regard, I remain. 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 E. J. HALE, 
 President, &c. 
 
 Upper Cape Fear Improvement Association, 
 
 Fayetteville, N. C, June, 27, 1910. 
 Hon. W. W. Kltchin, 
 
 Governor of North Carolina, 
 Raleigh, 
 My dear Sir: 
 
 As the Rivers and Harbors bill, containing provision for the 
 construction and completion of our Upper Cape Fear project, has 
 become law, I write to express my thanks for the important aid 
 which, following the Legislature's precedents, you gave to this pro- 
 ject in appointing me chairman of the North Carolina delegation 
 to the convention af the National Rivers and Harbors Congress in 
 December last. By this act, the retention for it of the primacy, or 
 jight of way, amorig all other North Carolina projects, was assured. 
 
18 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 Our people, also, very greatly appreciated your coming to Fayette- 
 ville to welcome the members of the National Waterways Com- 
 mission on the occasion of their visit in February. 
 With high regard, I remain, my dear sir, 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 E. J. HALE, 
 President, &c. 
 
 Upper Cape Fear Improvement Association, 
 
 Fayetteville, N. C, June, 27, 1910. 
 Hon. F. M. Simmons, 
 
 U. S. Senate, Washington, D. C. 
 My dear Sir: 
 
 As the Rivers and Harbors bill, containing provision for the 
 construction and completion of our Upper Cape Fear project, has 
 become law, I write to express my heartiest thanks for the great 
 service which you have rendered Fayetteville and the State in 
 this behalf. Except for the exercise by you in our favor of your 
 powerful influence as a member of the Commerce committee and 
 of the Waterways Commission, assigning to ours precedence over all 
 other North Carolina projects, separating it also completely from 
 the rest in the order of presentation, we should have secured but 
 partial recognition by this Congress. We think also that you have 
 displayed great skill in the conduct of our case before Congress. 
 
 It is proper to add that I am not unmindful of the readiness 
 with which, in January, 1902, you acceded to my request to exert 
 your authority, as head of the Democratic organization in North 
 Carolina, to secure the united efforts of the North Carolina delega- 
 tion in Congress in behalf of this project, in accordance with the 
 resolution of the General Assembly. 
 With high regard, I remain, 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 E. J. HALE, 
 President, &c. 
 
 Upper Cape Fear Improvement Association, 
 
 Fayetteville, N. C, June, 27, 1910. 
 Hon. Lee S. Overman, 
 
 U. S. Senate, Washington, D. C. 
 My dear Sir: 
 
 As the Rivers and Harbors bill, containing provision for the 
 construction and completion of our Upper Cape Fear project, has 
 become law, I write to express my heartiest thanks for the great 
 
the Cape Fear River 19 
 
 service which you have rendered Fayetteville and the State in this 
 behalf. At the beginn'ng of your term in the Senate, in 1903, you 
 took charge of our interests in this matter — introducing bill after 
 bill for appropriations under the orginal plan; keeping in con- 
 stant touch with the chief of engineers, General McKenzie, and se- 
 curing his earnest support of the project; and, by your arguments 
 and influence securing the unanimous approval of the amended 
 plan of 1908 by the Board of Engineers in that year. Except for this 
 last naiiied act, our item in the bill which has just passed would 
 have been excluded from consideration by the House committee 
 and their conferees under the rule adopted by them which requires 
 the rejection of all projects not recommended by the Board of 
 Engineers. 
 
 'With high regard, I remain, 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 E. J. HALE, 
 President, &c. 
 
 Upper Cape Fear Improvement Association, 
 
 Fayetteville, N. C, June, 27, 1910. 
 Hon. G. B. Patterson, 
 Maxton, N. C. 
 My dear Sir: 
 
 Aa the Rivers and Harbors bill, containing provision for the 
 Construction and completion of our Upper Cape Fear project, has 
 become law, I write to express my thanks for the manner in which 
 you kept the subject alive with your colleagues at Washington and 
 with General McKenzie, the chief of engineers, during your ser- 
 vice in Congress, 1903-7, notwithstanding the fact that, during those 
 four years, no rivers and harbors bill, containing items for new 
 projects or beyond the needs for maintenance of existing projects 
 was considered, 
 
 I also bear gratefully in mind the ready response which you 
 made to my appeal, when I was laid up ill at home in the winter 
 of 1905-6, to get your colleagues of the North Carolina delegation 
 to attend in my behalf, along with you, the convention then called 
 for the purpose of reorganizing the National Rivers and Harbors 
 Congress. Your successful efforts then in securing my retention 
 on the Board of D?: rectors of that body, were largely influential 
 in enabling me to retain for our project its primacy, or right of 
 way, among Nojth Carolina projects, and to gain the friendship of 
 Mr. Ransdell, tVis President of the reorganized body, whose action 
 in January last iin the Rivers and Harbors committee of the House 
 
20 Hi^ory of the Canali zation of 
 
 of Representatives, of which lie is a leading member, was prob- 
 ably of vital consequence to us. 
 With high regard, I remain, 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 E. J. HALE, 
 President, &c. 
 
 Upper Cape Pear Improvement Association, 
 
 Payetteville, N. C, June, 27, 1910. 
 Hon. Joseph E. Ransdell, 
 
 President National Rivers and Harbors Congress, and Member of 
 the Rivers and Harbors Committee of the House of Representa- 
 tives, Washingon, D. C. 
 My dear Sir: 
 
 As the Rivers and Harbors b'll, containing provision for the 
 construction and completion of our Upper Cape Fear project, has 
 become law, I write to express my heartiest thanks for the great 
 service which you have rendered Fayetteville and the State of 
 North Carolina in this behalf. Except for the exercise by you in 
 our favor of your powerful influence as President of the National 
 Rivers and Harbors Congress, the organization which has caused 
 the Congress of the United States to enact the present Rivers and 
 Harbors bill and to enter upon a comprehensive and just policy 
 of waterway improvement involving the expenditure of 500 millions 
 of dollars in the next ten years — except for the exercise of such 
 your influence in convincing the Rivers and Harbors committee 
 that ours was not a new project because it had been amended in 
 detail, we should have been thrown out for another year at least. 
 
 With assurance of my high i^egard and renewed thanks for 
 your many courtesies, I remain, 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 E. J. HALE, 
 President, &c. 
 
 Upper Cape Fear Improvement Association, 
 
 Fayetteville, N. C, June, 27, 1910. 
 Hon. H. L. Godwin, 
 
 House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. 
 My dear Sir: 
 
 As the Rivers and Harbors bill, containing our Upper Cape 
 Fear item, has become law, I write to express my very hearty 
 thanks for the painstaking, intelligent and laborious efforts which 
 you have bestowed upon its prpmot^'on. The respect and influence 
 
the Cape Fear River 21 
 
 which you have gained among your colleagues, particularly Messrs. 
 Alexander, Edwards, Ellerbe and Taylor, of the Rivers and Harbors 
 committee, have served you well in this matter. It must, also, 
 be a subject for gratification to you that It was during your term 
 as representative from this District that a bill for canalizing the 
 Upper Cape Fear first passed the House Committee on R'vers and 
 Harbors. 
 
 With high regard, I remain, 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 E. J. HALE, 
 President, &c. 
 
 Upper Cape Fear Improvement Association, 
 
 Fayetteville, N. C, June 27, 1910. 
 Captain Earl I. Brown, 
 
 Corps of Engineers, U. S. A., Wilmington, N. C. 
 My dear Sir: 
 
 As the Rivers and Harbors bill, containing our Upper Cape 
 Fear item, has become law, I write to express my very hearty 
 thanks for the important service you rendered, in the line of duty, 
 in behalf of our project at a critical moment in its promotion. As. 
 3^ou will observe, the technical phraseology employed for secur- 
 ing full authorization for a contract, or contracts, necessary for 
 completion of the whole work, and acceptable to the Board of 
 Engineers, is used in the bill as passed. 
 
 With renewed thanks for your many courtesies, I am, with high 
 regard. 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 E. J. HALE, 
 President, &c. 
 
ii Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 IV. 
 SOME OF THE EARLY STEPS. 
 
 (From Fayetteville Daily Observer, June 3, 1902.) 
 
 ENTHUSIASTIC TOWN MEETING. 
 
 Resolutions of Thanks. 
 
 On Wednesday the Board of Aldermen passed the following 
 resolution: 
 
 "Resolved, That the Mayor, A. B. Williams, chairman county 
 commissioners, and F. R. Rose, secretary chamber of commerce, 
 acting together, shall call a meeting at an early date to give the 
 citizens of Fayetteville an opportunity to vote an expression of 
 their thanks and appreciation to the Citizens' Committee, and to 
 the conferees and the Senators and Representatives in Congress 
 for their earnest work in behalf of the appropriation for the Up- 
 per Cape Fear." 
 
 In accordance with the above resolution, and under the call 
 of the Mayor and associates, the meeting was held last night. Fol- 
 lowing are the Secretary's minutes : 
 
 A large and enthusiastic meeting of the citizens of Fayetteville 
 and Cumberland county assembled in the court house last night 
 on call of the Mayor, by resolution of the Board of Aldermen. 
 Mayor McMillan invited Hon. H. McD. Robinson to preside. After 
 stating the object of the meeting he announced it ready for busi- 
 ness. On motion, Mr. F. R. Rose was chosen secretary. 
 
 Hon. E. J. Hale offered the following resolution, which was un- 
 animously approved and adopted: 
 
 Resolved, That the thanks of the citizens of Fayetteville be 
 voted and tendered to Senators Pritchard and Simmons, of North 
 Carolina; to Senators McM'llan, Elkius and Berry, and Represen- 
 tative Lester, of Georgia, of the Committee of Conference on the 
 Rivers and Harbors bill; to Senator Jones, of Arkansas, and Mason, 
 of Illinois; to the North Carolina delegation in the Lower Houoe of 
 Congress for their vote in caucus to give the appropriation for the 
 
the Cape Fear River 23 
 
 Upper Cape Fear precedence over all others asked for by the sev- 
 eral Districts; to His Excellency, the Governor of North Carolina; 
 and to Secretary William H. Love, of the National Rivers and Har- 
 bors Congress. 
 
 Resolved, That especial thanks are due to Senator Simmons for 
 securing the caucus action mentioned above; to Senator Berry for 
 his steadfast stand in our behalf in the Conference Committee; 
 and to Captain E. W. Van C. Lucas for the skill with wh'ch he has 
 treated the engineering problem presented to him and the inter- 
 est which he has manifested in the advancement of this city and 
 section. 
 
 Mr. H. R. Home then presented the following resolutions, which, 
 after some slight additions, were cordially approved of by all present 
 and unanimously adopted: 
 
 Whereas, Maj. E. J. Hale, chairman of the committee appoint- 
 ed by the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce to promote and se- 
 cure the adoption of our river improvement scheme, has generous- 
 ly given time and means and talent to this great work; and 
 
 Whereas, Chiefly through his able, ingenious and indefatigable 
 efforts we believe the project has reached its present triumphant 
 status : 
 
 Resolved, That we congratulate him on the rii.h fruit that his 
 labor has borne and thank him heartily and profoundly for this 
 great service to his native town and State. 
 
 Whereas, The zealous, untiring and efficient secretary of the 
 Chamber of Commerce, Mr. F. R. Rose, and Messrs. W. L. Holt, 
 R. L. Williams, W. S. Cook, H. C. Bash, W. M. Mogan, A. B. Wil- 
 liams, A. H. Slocomb and J. A. King, also of the committee, have 
 rendered invaluable and indispensable aid in this great battle for 
 a great internal improvement: 
 
 Resolved, That the sincere gratitude of this meeting is cordially 
 extended to them. 
 
 Resolved, That the thanks of the community are due and are 
 hereby tendered to the Mayor and Aldermen and the County Com- 
 missioners for timely and necessary contributions to the limited 
 funds in hand. 
 
 Pending this final action the meeting was very entertainingly ad- 
 dressed by the followinf^ gentlemen in support of the resolutions 
 and with a desire to further emphasize the appreciation of the 
 people of the efforts of those gentlemen both here and elsewhere, 
 and whose persistent labors had brought the great scheme thus 
 far to so successful a point: Hon. Geo. M. Rose, H. R. Home, L 
 A. Murchison,, Jas. W. Atkinson, Senator Jas. D. McNeill, Hon. J. 
 G. Shaw, E. H. Williamson, H. L. Cook, Capt. A. B. Williams, R. 
 
i4 Hi^ory of the C analization of 
 
 McMillan, F. R. Rose, Dr. H. W. Lilly, Dr. T. M. Hunter and H. C. 
 Bash. 
 
 ^ H; ^ :}: :j: :{; 
 
 (From FayetteviiJe Daily Observer, June 27, 1902.) 
 THE MOST SUITABLE PERSON. 
 
 To the Democrats of the Sixth District: 
 
 "We, the undersigned citizens of Fayetteville and Cumberland 
 respectfully present to you the name of Edward J. Hale as the 
 most suitable person who could be chosen to represent this District 
 in Congress, and we eari^estly urge that you nominate him at the ap- 
 proaching convention to be held in this city. 
 
 His election would recall the best traditions of North Carolina 
 at Washington. He has had a distinguished career — at the Uni- 
 versity, in the Confederate Army, and in the Foreign service of 
 the Government. Though never before seeking the suffrages of 
 the people for office with pay attached to it, he has been repeated- 
 ly honored by Democratic State conventions with positions of high 
 party trust, receiving in the great convention of 1910 the largest 
 vote ever given in a Democratic convention in North Carolina. But 
 the ground upon which we make this appeal is the proposition that 
 deep water in the Cape Fear up to Fayetteville is of paramount 
 importance to this community and section, and that, as Major 
 Hale was the originator of that idea and movement and the suc- 
 cessful leader of the fight for it up to this point, he is best fitted 
 to promote its accomplishment in Congress. 
 
 H. W. Lilly, D. H. Kay, W. M. Morgan, A. B. Williams, C. B. 
 McMillan (Mayor of Fayetteville), B. J. Lilly, John C. Haigh, G. 
 G. Myrover, W. J. McDiarmid, J. C. McDiarmid, George A. Over- 
 baugh, C. W. Broadfoot, N. A. Sinclair, W. A. Vanstory, J. A. Mc- 
 Pherson, J. D. Brown, D. H. Graves, R. H. McDuffie, W. B. Mc- 
 Millan, J. A. Steel, J. C. Vann, R. L. Williams, W. N. Williams, R. 
 H. Buckingham, M. McI. Matthews, J. E. Hawley, F. R. Rose, J. B. 
 Tillinghast, J. B. Smith, Jno. N. Prior, F. W. Thornton, B. F. Pem- 
 berton, J. M. Martin, H. G. Smith, J. Q. Goddard, Ed. C. Smith, R. 
 B. King, J. R. Boyd, J. B. Wilson, Jno. H. Ledbetter, Ledbetter 
 Bros., W. H. Pope, Pembroke Woodward, G. B. Patterson, Jno. K. 
 Strange, J. H. Judd, W. W. Home, A. R. Williams, S. Ruffin Home 
 H. P. Elliott, W. Mel. Jessup, J. F. Averitt, J. S. McNeill, L. C. 
 Wooten, J. H. Marsh, Chas. Haigh, H. E. Sheetz, E. M. Sheetz, W. 
 
the Cape Fear River 25 
 
 G. Clark, A. S. Huske, H. R. Home, Williams & Jessup Bros., Mc- 
 Geachy & Brown, J. H. Myrover, R. M. Prior, Hollingsworth & 
 Co., R.L. Holland, C. D. Sedberry, W. S. Maultsby, A. S. Maultsby, 
 J. B. Underwood, Jr., Jas. D. McNeill, I. W. Clark, H. C. Bash, Mike 
 Folb, A. E. Dixon, S. G. Ayer, Ayer's Bargain House, Walter Wat- 
 son, H. J. McBuie, A. P. Johnson, E. L. Hunter, Thomas M. Hunter, 
 V. C. Bullard, J. L. Tatiim, W. B. Malloy, S. H. MacRae, Joe At- 
 kins, Thos. Gill, J. F. L. Armfield, The Armfleld Co., J. B. Starr, 
 J. E. Young, A. Jackson, H. J. Marsh, W. N. Tillinghast, A. S. Rose, 
 J. W. Carmon, Oliver Evans, T. J. Whitted, C. A. King, J. Sam 
 Maultsby, H. C. Atkinson, T. H. Maultsby, G. C. Weisiger, J. L. 
 West, H. T. Drake, W. l. Hawley, Charles Kennedy. 
 
 [The committee requests us to say that for the convenience 
 of those who have not had an opportunity to sign the above, it will 
 be found at the Mayor'b office.] 
 
 (Compiler's Note.) 
 PRESS C0NVEr<JT10N ADOPTS RESOLUTION, 
 
 On April 23, 1908, Major Hale read a paper at the Press Con- 
 vention at Charlotte, entitled, "How to Prevent Freight Discrimina- 
 tions Against North Carolina." This is quoted in full in "ExhiDit 
 C" of his presentation of the case of the Canalization of the Cape 
 Fear River to the Congress of the United States, January 17-19, 
 1910. See No. V. of this publication. The Press Convention adopt- 
 ed unanimously a resolution endorsing the Canalization project set 
 forth by Major Hale as the means of preventing freight discrimina- 
 tions against North Carolina, and a resolution urging the Senators 
 and Representatives from North Carolina to exert every effort to 
 secure the speedy constvuction of this work at the hands of Con- 
 gress. 
 
 Great interest wa.-j aroused throughout the State, and the 
 effect was the complete removal of the unfavorable impression 
 caused by the side-tracking of the Upper Cape Fear project at the 
 session of Congress in the Spring of 1907, when a re-examination 
 was ordered. 
 
 The effect in Fayetteville was recorded in The Observer of 
 December 3, 1908, as follows; 
 
 UPPER CAPE FEAR [MPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION FORMED. 
 
 "On Tuesday last (November 24, 1908,) the "Upper Cape Fear 
 Improvement Association" was formed, with a president, secretary, 
 advisory committee and finan-^e committee. In choosing the name 
 for the Association, attention was called to the change made since 
 
26 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 1900 — that is to say, it was, in 1900, the "Citizens' Committee on 
 Improvement of the Cape Pear," whereas the association just 
 formed recognizes in its name the coming into existence of the new 
 project which confined itself to deepening the channel below Wil- 
 mington only. This change of name does not in any degree signify 
 that the people of Fayetteville have any less interest in the river, 
 from its source to its mcutli at Soutliport, than before: it is simply 
 made for the sake of convenience, as, for example, in identifying 
 the source of contributions to the National Rivers and Harbors 
 Congress, and so forth." 
 
 The Observer of November 25, 1908, gave the names of the 
 officers of the new Association, viz: E. J. Hale, president and F. 
 R. Rose, secretary. The advisory committee appointed consisted 
 of C. W. Broadfot, H. R. Home, H. W. Lilly and H. McD. Robinson. 
 iVLessrs. F. H. Stedman and W. F. Blount were appointed a com- 
 mittee to collect Fayettcville's contribution of $250 to the National 
 Rivers and Harbors Congress for 1908. 
 
the Cape Fear River ^ 
 
 V. 
 
 FINAL PRESENTATION OF THE CASE BE- 
 FORE CONGRESS. 
 
 THE BRIEF AND THREE EXHIBITS PRESENTED TO THE 
 CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES BY E. J. HALE, 
 JANUARY, 1910. 
 
 (From Fayetteville Daily Observer, January 13, 1910j 
 
 CANALIZATION OF THE UPPER CAPE FEAR. 
 Brief Statement of the Case. 
 
 An item providing for the improvement of the Cape Fear River, 
 so as to provide a channel eight feet deep from Wilmington to Fay- 
 etteville throughout the year, w&s included in the Rivers and Har- 
 bors bill reported to Congress in 1901. The whole bill, however, 
 failed in the Senate. The same item was included in the act 
 of June 13, 1902, and ?';0,000 was appropriated for the purchase 
 of sites for locks and dams. The bill as recommended by the War 
 Department called for the construction of three locks, with movable 
 dams, at a cost of $1,350,000. 
 
 Since that time the science of river engineering has progressed 
 with such rapidity that it was thought that the purpose of the act 
 of 1902 could be accomplished at much less cost and with a less 
 number of locks. The River and Harbor act of March 2, 1907, there- 
 fore, contains this item: 
 
 "The Secretary of War may cause a re-examination to be made 
 of the Cape Fear River above Wilmington, North Carolina, with a 
 view to reporting what modifications, if any, should be made in the 
 existing project, the expense of which shall be paid from the 
 amount appropriated in section two." 
 
 The re-examination disclosed the fact that the object of the act 
 of 1902— the securing of eight feet depth of water throughout the 
 year — could be accomplished by the substitution of two locks with 
 fixed dams for three locks with movable dams, and at a cost of 
 $615,000 instead of $1,350,000, or less than half. 
 
 This plan was recommended by the Board of Engineers, con- 
 curred in by the Chief of Engineers, and transmitted to the Speaker 
 
28 Hi^ory of I'-e Canalization of 
 
 of the House in a letter irom the ;^-ecretary of War, April 25, 1908. 
 (See House Document No. 890, GOth Congress, 1st Session.) The 
 bill now presented is drav.n in accordance with that recommenda- 
 tion. 
 
 The estima^^p of existing traffic between Fayetteville and Wil- 
 mington upon \« 'lich and the deductions from which the adoption of 
 the present sc';; -iie (costing $1,350,000) was based, was that of 1900, 
 viz: 115,000 t ■ s, valued at $1,150,000. (See Exhibit A, herewith, 
 page 7.) The District Blngineer reported the traffic in 1906 as 135,- 
 991 tons, valued at $3,630,078. (See House Document 890, above 
 referred to, page 8.) So that the case, considered from the stand- 
 point of less than half the cost and more than three times the 
 value of traffic, was then more than six times as strong as when 
 Congress first adopted the project in 1902. The report of the 
 District Engineer for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1909, (see re- 
 port of the Chief of Engineers, September 29, 1909), showed that the 
 tonnage had increased to 137,620, and the value to $3,960,235 — 
 making the ratio nearly eight to one in favor of the project as 
 now presented. 
 
 The saving in freight charges by river from Wilmington to 
 Fayetteville as compared with those by rail is so great (see Exhibit 
 B, herewith, page 4-5 and 7-8,) that private capitalists, if they had 
 the power to construct this work as before 1882, could recoup their 
 whole outlay for its construction, as now recommended by the 
 government engineers, in five years time by a tonnage charge of 
 only 5 cents per 100 pounds, and yet save to the shippers an equal 
 amount as against the railway charges. 
 
 But it is not upon the needs of existing traffic, nor in consid- 
 eration of local conditions in themselves, that the argument for thp 
 adoption of this project is founded. The geographical peculiarities 
 of North Carolina cause it to be a matter affecting nearly all of 
 North Carolina and some adjacent parts, containing a population 
 this side of the Alleghanies of two millions. (See Exhibit A, 
 pages 11-13.) 
 
 The jutting coast line of- North Carolina renders it impossible 
 for the greater portion oi the population referred to to enjoy freight 
 rates on equal terms with the people of other seaboard States, 
 except approach be had through the port of Fayetteville. This pe- 
 culiarity distinguishes this from all other river propositions offered 
 to the government. A glance at the map, (Exhibit A, page 9,) will 
 make this apparent. Fajetteville is the only port between Norfolk 
 and Richmond on the North and Charleston on the South which is 
 on the normal coast line, and therefore it is the only port which 
 
the Cape Fear River 29 
 
 lies nearer to the population referred to. A calculation made in 
 accordance with the principle upon which the promoters of the 
 Manchester Ship Canal won their case-viz: that the territory 
 trafhcally tributary to a port comprises all that is nearer to it than 
 to any other port— shows that six millions of tons of freight would 
 be diverted to Fayettevllie. (See Exhibit A, page 12.) The estimate 
 of the North Carolina Corporation Commission, the highest author- 
 ity extant on this subject, is to the same effect. (See Exhibit B, 
 pages 10-12, and 13-14.) 
 
 Three legislatures of North Carolina endorsed this project 
 upon the grounds just mentioned, (see Exhibit B, page a, and Ex- 
 hibit C, pages 5-6,) a course which the State has pursued towards 
 no other scheme of river or harbor improvements within its 
 borders. 
 
 Before deforestation had interrupted the year-'round naviga- 
 tion which formerly existed on this river, and the overworking of 
 the railroad idea had increased the effect of this impediment, Fay- 
 ettevllie was the market for all the vast territory referred to (Ex- 
 hibit A, page 6,). The proposed improvement, therefore, does not 
 seek to establish novel conditions, as in the canalization of rivers 
 above the bead of navigedion, but to re-establish trade routes dis- 
 turbed by an incomplete development of the problem of transpor- 
 tation. 
 
 Senator Burton, the highest authority in these matters, in the 
 course of his speech before the National Rivers and Harbors Con- 
 gress, December, 1907, when chairman of the Rivers and Harbors 
 Committee, declared that the object of legitimate waterways Im- 
 provement is to supply equal opportunity to all. It is a matter of 
 common knowledge, admitted now by the railways themselves, that 
 North Carolina is discriminated against in freight rates. The rea- 
 son assigned is the circumstance that we have In North Carolina 
 no "basing point for freight rates," or "gateway," as it is now called. 
 It is stated that Fayettevllie will be made such a "basing point' 
 upon the completion of the work now proposed. (Exhibit A, page 
 12.) Until that is done, over two millions of our people must con- 
 tinue, in this vital respect, to be deprived of equal opportunity with 
 their neighbors. (See Exhibit B, page 8.) 
 
 Finally, attention is asked particularly to the declaration of the 
 North Carolina Corporation Commission, already referred to (Ex- 
 hibit B, page 13,) in these words, viz: "The Atlantic Coast Line 
 Railroad enters Fayettevllie from four different directions, and 1 
 enclose you statement showing the tonnage of freights for this road 
 for the State. If the Cape Fear River is made navigable to Fayette- 
 vllie, this city would oe the distributing point for a great majority 
 of this freight." On page 15 (Exhibit B) is given "the tonnage of 
 
30, Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 freights for this road for the State" in the Corporation Commission's 
 enclosure referred to by them, wliich is 3,368,441. Assuming that 
 a "great majority" of tliis sum would be at least 2,000,000, it will 
 be seen that the saving of $1.80 a ton by the river route (Exhibit B, 
 page 11,) would amount to $3,600,000 per annum — or enough to pay 
 the whole cost of the proposed work in two months. 
 
 See also Exhibit C, herewith, which was unanimously endorsed 
 by the North Carolina Press Association at Charlotte, April, 1908; 
 and the Senators and Members of Congress from North Carolina 
 requested and urged to exert every effort to secure the speedy con- 
 struction of this work at the hands of Congress. 
 
 [Note: ,The pages referred to above are the pages of tbe 
 pamphlets as presented to Congress.] 
 
the Cape Fear River ^ 
 
 EXHIBIT A. 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 In 1886, * * Lord Egerton of Tatton, and Sir Joseph Lee, af- 
 terwards the chairman and vice-chairman of the Manchester Ship 
 Canal Company, asked the writer to make a report upon the Man- 
 chester Ship Canal. * * I asked if it was feasible as an engineer- 
 ing problem to bring big ships to Manchester, an interior city. They 
 sent their engineer to explain that. In reply to the same question, 
 he said that anything was possible in engineering, provided the 
 money necessary to pav its cost wei'e forthcoming. The project then 
 was a commercial one. 
 
 The commercial part of the problem was very simple, when 
 once presented — like Columbus's demonstration of how to make the 
 egg stand on end, or any other of the great problems of man's con- 
 quest of nature, that turn often upon the least complex of conditions 
 if they are but comprehended. It was this: A circle described about 
 a seaport lies half in the sea, where people do not dwell. A similar 
 circle about an interior town lies w^'holly on the land. If it be con- 
 venient to convert the interior town into a seaport, it is manifest 
 that it starts off with double the population (other things being 
 equal) dependent upon it for transportation, to begin with. But it 
 was found that, though Manchester was less than forty miles from 
 Liverpool, there were seven and a half millions of people nearer to 
 it than to Liverpool or any other port. As it was certain that these 
 seven and a half millions were bound sooner or later, under the rule 
 that all forces proceed along the line of least resistance, to seek 
 Manchester as their port, the proposed port of Manchester became 
 practically a city of seven and a half millions. Manchester was an 
 interior mill centre dependent upon outports for ingress and egress 
 from and to the world. Fayetteville had been such a centre before 
 1865. The Manchester Ship Canal, using the waters of the Irwell 
 and upper Mersey, was but 35 1-2 miles long and cost $75,000,000; 
 the distance from Fayetteville to deep water was tw'ice as great, 
 whereas, on the commercial side, the population of Fayetteville was 
 but 5,000, while that of Manchester and contiguous suburbs was 
 over a million. Even under the rule that gave Manchester 7,500,000 
 of population, Fayetteville could show only 2,000,000 of population. 
 So that Manchester had half the distance to canalize that Fayette- 
 
32 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 ville required and nearly four times the population— eight to one 
 against Fayetteville; but Manchester had to dig nearly the whole 
 distance; Fayetteville had its canal already dug, which needed only 
 to be na'-rowed by longitudinal dykes or plugged up with cross 
 dykes, as the flow of water might be found to require. Therefore if 
 the Cape Fear could be canalized for the distance of seventy miles 
 for, say, $1,500,000, that would be $20,000 a mile against Manches- 
 ter's $2,000,000 per mile, and, if it could be demonstrated that, say, 
 two millions of people would be nearer to the port of Fayetteville 
 than to any other port, then an expenditure of $1,500,000 by our 
 Government for the benefit of that two mill^'ons of its citizens, would 
 be but 75 cents a head, as against the British expenditure of $75,000,- 
 000 for seven and a half of British subjects, or $10 per head — plain- 
 ly a proposition commercially sound. 
 
 Attention is especially asked to the fact that the jutting coast 
 line of North Carolina and the situation of Fayetteville on what 
 would be the normal coast line, is the crux of the matter. Our jut- 
 ting coast line has rendered it impossible for the greater portion of 
 the population of North Carolina to enjoy freight rates on equal 
 terms with the people of other seaboard States, except approach be 
 had through the port of Fayetteville. This peculiarity differentiates 
 this from ail other river propositions offered to the government. 
 
 The following pages contain the literature on this subject worth 
 perusing; and the whole is presented to the people of North Caro- 
 lina — whose interests, as the Legislature has repeatedly declared, 
 will be so greatly affected by the restoration of Fayetteville to its 
 former commercial relation to the interior — for their information 
 and consideration. 
 
 E. J. HALE, 
 Chairman of Citizens' Committee on Improvement of the Cape Fear. 
 
 Presentation of Case Before the Committee on Rivers and Harbors, 
 • Janaury 14, 1902, by E. J. Hale, Chairman of Citizens' Commit- 
 tee of Fayetteville, N. C. 
 
 IMPROVEMENT OF THE CAPE FEAR. 
 
 Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Committee: 
 
 By your courtesy, I have the honor to present to you the grounds, 
 upon which the people of North Carolina ask that you retain in the 
 bill which you are to report to the House of Representatives the 
 item providing for an appropriation for the improvement of the Cape 
 Fear River between Wilmington and Fayetteville. I say the people 
 of "North Carolina," because, by a resolution of the last Legislature 
 
the Cape Fear River 
 
 33 
 
 (a copy of whicili I hand to you, and which I have marked Exhibit 
 No. 1), the State has adopted th'-s project as a State affair, a course 
 which it has pursued towards no other scheme of River or Harbor 
 improvement witliin its borders. 
 
 On the 1st of June, 1900, a bill was passed by Congress for a 
 survey, with a view to obtaining a navagiable channel from Wil- 
 mington to Fayetteville of four, six or eight feet depth at mean low 
 
 water. 
 
 On the 24th of November, the government engineer officer at 
 Wilmington, Captain Lucas, submitted his report of the survey 
 which he had made, recommending a plan for slack-water navigation 
 with a minimum depth of eight feet of water, the difference in the 
 cost of securing four, six, or eight feet, being insignificant. The plan 
 recommended provides for three locks with a lift of 9 feet each, with 
 a chamber 150 feet long and 28 feet wide, and a movable dam some 
 170 feet long the form of lock and dam proposed being similar to 
 those used in the Kanawha River. His report will be found in House 
 Document No. ISO, of the 2nd Session of the last Congress. 
 
 By a misundersttanduig on the part of those having charge of 
 the promotion of this improvement, the statistics necessary to prove 
 a "commercial case" for it were not supplied to Captain Lucas in 
 time for his regular report, which is required to be started on its 
 way to the Secretary of War by the 20th of November. His report 
 upon this subject, therefore, did not come to your committee from 
 the secretary of War until after your bill had practically been 
 drawn, and the item for the carrying out of Captain Lucas' recom- 
 mendation was for this reason-I trust I am right in saying for this 
 reason only— not included in the bUl reported by you. It was added 
 in the Senate, and an appropriation of $250,000 voted to begin the 
 work, which sum was reduced to $150,000 in the Conference Com- 
 mittee of the two Houses; and, with the item in this form, the bill 
 was passed by the House. 
 
 We now ask that you retahi this item in the new bill which you 
 
 are about to report. 
 
 North Carolina was once called "a strip of land between two 
 states." As the State was the third in population at the 1st Census, 
 and as it has a record of Which any one may be proud, being inter- 
 ior to that of none of the original thirteen which achieved our inde- 
 pendence, I assume that the gibe had reference to our commercial 
 attainments-Vhlcli have been inferior to those of our neighbors. 
 This inferiority was palpably the result of our want of l^rge sea- 
 ports; but the rea^son for this deficiency, which has been the theme 
 
34 Hi^ory of the Cgnalization of 
 
 of unnumbered discussions, was obscured by the overworking of the 
 railroad idea, under which ra'lroads were held to be "anniihilators of 
 space." Recently, the conception of the unit of transportation value 
 as "per ton per mile," has revealed t*lie real reason to students of 
 our geopraphy. 
 
 If you will be good enough to look at the map w^ich I submit 
 (and which I have marked Exhibit No. 2), you will observe that the 
 coast line of North Carolina juts out far beyond the general coast 
 line — ^namely the line running from New York, where the first great 
 recession takes place at the North, to Savannah, where the last re- 
 cession culminates at the South. The effect of this peculiarity is to 
 place our seaports at such a great distance from the back country 
 that the ports of our neighbors, Richmond on the North and Charles- 
 ton on the South, are nearer to much of it than they. The normal 
 seaport is on a line with its rivals. The ideal seaport is on a line 
 (between its rivals) that presents a salient angle to landward and 
 the re-entrant angle to seaward. IWith us, our jutting seacoast 
 causes those angles to be reversed in the case of lines drawn from 
 any of our seaports to Richmond on the one side and Charleston on 
 the other. Now, the traffic influence of any port, under the rule of 
 equal charges per ton per mile, reaches half way to the next port. 
 If, therefore, we should delimit the territory traffically tributary to 
 the ports under consideration, by drawing lines at right angles 
 across the half-way points of air lines between them, we would find 
 that these right-angle lines converge until they meet within the ter- 
 ritory of our own State, instead of remaining parallel, as they would 
 do in the normal port, or diverging as in the case of the ideal port. 
 The result of these physical conditions is such that if, instead of the 
 commerce repelling Hatteras, the Eastern beak of North Carolina 
 enclosed the best harbor in the world and a four-track railway con- 
 nected it with the interior, it would remain as insignificant as 
 Morehead City is today, which has a fine harbor and is connected 
 with the interior by a State railway. 
 
 Before the railroad era, and when conditions were much nearer 
 to nature than now, the force of the wagon-borne traffic in a wide 
 area proceeded along the line of least resistance and found water 
 at Fayetteville, which is the head of navigation on the Cape Fear 
 and the inland end of the improvement now asked for. By refer- 
 ence to the map, it will be seen that Fayetteville lies .50 miles West 
 of a line from Norfolk to Charleston, the nearest existing "basing- 
 points for freight rates," a little to the west of a line from Rich- 
 mond to Charleston; and on the line from New York to Savannah, 
 the normal coast line. Wagon-borne traffic, a century ago, from 
 Central and Western North Carolina, SouthT^^estern Virginia and 
 
town as its port, for it was ^^^^^[,^'^'''7^^,' territory whence this 
 .triMng but entirely '^f^^^^ZtTnTs.Te as that which this 
 ^^:;::rr : ^r t^r S:^uie o. e^u. .iiway cha.es 
 
 ''-' ^r;f^. as.in. then, is - ^ -^-7^ liJC: 
 conditions, disturbing natural ones bu^tl^eeto-t ^^ ^^^^^^ 
 
 as Old as our f mzatior. a.d as r^^^^^^^^^^ ,l,,eh .t 
 
 These condition, have ^^^^ f \^^^'^ ^^.^ount in detail-antag- 
 
 would consume too much of youi time i i^jmediate settlers 
 
 . onisms resulting from ^'^^^^'^I'^lZZnl errors of State policy, 
 of the cape Fear and the Aibemarle sections ^e ^^^^^^ ^^^^^ 
 
 as in the attempt to build up a great PO^tjie- ^^^ ^^.^ssities 
 Une; the novelty of through -^^^^^J^™ „, Kovtlvand-South-go- 
 of the Confederacy caused to be -ftaDiisi .^ ^^^^. 
 
 ing railways; the partial des ruction ^^ ^' J^^^l^,^ ^^ch cur- 
 an^d deforestation at the ^^^:^: ^^:,^ the river an easy 
 tailed the boating period m Summei anu 
 prey to those competing railways ^ ^^.^ restoration ot 
 
 While these- circumstances ^^^^^^^^^^^.^^e competition whi 
 i^orm^l conditions in FayettevUle the ^-'^J ^^^^^.^^^ ^^^ ,,^,ed the 
 .a. hammered out ^l^f^^^^^^^^S^^^ono. mills, sUK 
 -establishment there of n.anj thru g ^^^^ ^^^^y 
 
 mills and the l^^-'^! ^f^^f^agrto this ancient capita. The 
 have turned the eyes o. ^^^^ ^\^^%"^fg,,pbieal peculiarities which l 
 result is: the recognition of ^^l^^femiy described in the note 
 have referred to and ^^^^f^^^^.^ " mUted- the realization that, 
 appended to the map winch I '^-^^^f'^ll'l, payetteviUe, freight 
 except approach be had through the port o^ Y ^^ ^^^^^ 
 
 at the outset, „,-,-, nw instify the 
 
 NOW, While it is plain that the ;---;-; t.^^Jl^nd l.He 
 
 State in her present attitude towards th propose .^ ^^^.^^ 
 
 it is true that the general ^"-^^'^^^^^^ !'!^^ ^^^^y "undertaken the 
 ^ver this river and makmg it ^^-t-^f ^^J^f ™ U," it does not 
 serious responsibility of improving ^^^ develop g ^^ .^^p.^^ement 
 tollow that it is called upon to ^^^^ertake a ^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ j^^tity. 
 more costly than a reasonable expectau ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^pon 
 
 ^W^ have therefore made an ^^f f ^^! °^^.^g,. ^ commercial reason 
 ^%e method employed in ^""^^^f^Z-l^lZntm works of this kind. 
 for the granting §t a charter by PaiHament ip 
 
36 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 This method, which is self-evidently sound, is described on pages 
 5 and 9 of the United States government report on the Manchester 
 Ship Canal, a copy of whicli I submit, marked Exhibit No. 3. It is 
 assumed that the population which is nearer to a given port than 
 to any other port, is bound sooner or later to become trafficaiiy 
 tributary to it. 
 
 The existing traffic on the Cape Fear River between Wilmington 
 and Fayetteville amounto to 115,000 tons, valued at $1,150,000. The 
 existing railway traffic in and out of Fayetteville is 112,295 tons, 
 valued at $5,812,614. The population in the territory shown on the 
 map between the lines AA, B, and CC, and which is nearer to Fay- 
 etteville and the part of the river involved than to any other port,. 
 is some 2,000,000. The population concerned in the production of 
 the existing river and railway traffic in and out of Fayetteville is 
 61,000. The territory, then, which is nearer to Fayetteville than to 
 any other port, contains a population thirty times as great as the 
 population at present tributary to Fayetteville. 
 
 We therefore have this proposition: 
 
 Tons Value 
 
 Existing River traffic 115,000 $1,150,000 
 
 Three-fourths (the divertible portion) of existing 
 
 railway traffic in and out of Fayetteville— 
 
 3-4x112,295 tons ana 3-4x $5,812,614 84,221 4,359,460 
 
 In round numbers 200,000 $5,500,000 
 
 30 times these figures would give the tonnage 
 and value of traffic which, other things being 
 equal, would find a cheaper route to and from 
 the great markets by way of the Cape Fear 
 River if improved as suggested, that is, 
 
 30x200,000 tons and 30x$5,500,000 6,000,000 $165,000,000 
 
 If the proposed improvement were a private undertaking re- 
 quiring tonnage charges for the payment of interest on its cost, it 
 will be seen that a tax of 1 cent a ton on the estimated traffic would 
 pay 5 per cent, interest on a million and a quarter of dollars. An 
 elaboration of this calculation and other details will be found in the 
 Report of the Citizens' Committee on Improvement of the Cape 
 Fear, and the accompanying "Note," which I also submit, marked 
 Exhibit No 4. 
 
 Some other considerations in favor of this project may be brief- 
 ly noted: 
 
 The proposed appropriation would merely replace the present 
 scheme which calls for an expenditure of $275,000, about half of 
 which has been expended, and which is worthless, as declared by 
 the government engineer. 
 
 The two millions of people affected by the proposed improve- 
 ment, and whose traffic has been diverted from the river by rail- 
 roads and deforestatioii, developments of cJvJHzation, are as much 
 
the Cape Fear River 37 
 
 entitled to consideration as if they were herded in a seaport whose 
 harbor had been made relatively shallower by the use of deeper 
 drafted ships, another development ot civilization. 
 
 Formerly, vessels v. ere adapted to rivers and harbors. Now, 
 harbors are being adapted to vessels, and rivers should be also. 
 
 The Manchester Ship Canal cost 175,000,000, or $2,000,000 per 
 mile. The canal for S leet of water from Wilmington to Fayette- 
 ville, 120 miles, is alreadv dug, and an expenditure of $11,000 a mile 
 (or $1,350,000) will comi-lete it. 7,500,000 people are affected by the 
 English work; 2,000,000 by the proposed American work — or $10 
 per capita for the Englishman, and 75 cents for the American. Our 
 commercial status in the world should justify at least this small 
 per capita contribution to such a large body ot our people, for we 
 are not less wealthy than England. 
 
 I do not know, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, how far you may 
 feel influenced by the sentiment that a great State asks you for this 
 appropriation, nor how far its relation to the nation, under our polit- 
 ical system, may attract your attention to its requests, but I think 
 I have made out a "commercial case" for the proposed legislation, 
 and I would ask that you add the other two considerations for good 
 measure. 
 
 (SUB) EXHIBIT NO. 1. 
 
 RESOLUTION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAR- 
 OLINA REQUESTING THE SENATORS AND REPRESENTA- 
 TIVES IN CONGRESS FROM THAT STATE TO EXERT 
 THEIR UNITED INFLUENCE TO SECURE THE ADOPTION 
 OF THE PLAN FOR IMPROVING THE CAPE FEAR, REC- 
 OMMENDED BY CAPTAIN LUCAS, U. S. A., AS TRANSMIT- 
 TED TO CONGRESS BY THE SECRETARY OF WAR. 
 
 Whereas, the maintenance of water transportation in competi- 
 tion with rail is of the greatest importance to all of the citizens 
 of the entire Cape Fear section; and 
 
 Whereas, The Chamber of Commerce of the City of Fayette- 
 ville and the Chamber of Commerce, the Produce Exchange and the 
 Merchants Association of the City of Wilmington have secured a 
 survey and a recommenaation for an appropriation for the improve- 
 ment of the Upper Capf Fear River; therefore, 
 
 Resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives 
 concurring: 
 
 First. That our Senators and Representatives in Congress be 
 requested to exert their united influence to secure the passage of^an 
 
38 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 amendment to the River and Harbor Bill at this session authorizing 
 the adoption of the plan for improving the Cape Fear River, recom- 
 mended by E. Van C. Lucas, Corps Engineers, U. S. A., Wilmington, 
 N. C, as transmitted to Congress by the Honorable Secretary of 
 War. 
 
 Second. That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to each 
 of our Senators and Representatives. 
 
 In the General Assembly read three times, and ratified this the 
 8th day of January, A. D. 1901. 
 
 [Captain Lucas's plan provided for slack-water navigation be- 
 tween Wilmington and Fayetteville so as to secure an 8 foot chan- 
 nel at low water. The bill for this purpose was adopted in the Con- 
 ference Committee of the Senate and House, and an appropriation 
 made for beginning the work, ft was, however, lost along with the 
 rest of the Rivers and Harbors bill, on March 4, 1901. In April, 1902, 
 the scheme for canalization, as above, costing $1,350,000 was adopt- 
 ed by Congress, and $50,000 appropriated for buying sites for locks 
 and dams. The reports of the Chief Engineer of the Army, General 
 McKenzie, for 1904, 190b and 1906, carried this scheme among his 
 recommendations.] 
 
(SUB) EXHIBIT NO. 2. 
 
 c... 
 
 .^^'■ 
 
 / /' 
 
 / 
 
 
40 Hi^ory of the Canalization of ^ 
 
 This map represents our Atlantic Seaboard. The territory 
 which is traffically tributary to a port that has been made a "basing 
 point for freight rates," extends half way from it to the nearest 
 ports. The dotted line AA divides the territoi-y tributary to Rich- 
 mond from that tributary to Fayetteville; the dotted line B that of 
 Norfolk from Fayetteville; and the dotted line CC, that of Charles- 
 ton from Fayetteville. The intervening territory will be traffically 
 tributary to Fayetteville when Fayetteville is restored to its posi- 
 tion as a basing point for freight rates, which it had, naturally, 
 before the railroad era 
 
 The ideal port is situated in such a way with reference to its 
 competitors that lines drawn at right angles to air lines between it 
 and its competitors on either side, will diverge as they proceed in- 
 land. In other words, looking inland, the ideal port will be at the 
 apex of a salient angle formed by lines connecting it with its neigh- 
 bor on the one side and its neighbor on the other side. 
 
 An examination of the map will show that no port or point on 
 the Eastern seacoast of North Carolina can be situated at the sal- 
 ient of lines drawn from it to either of the Virginia ports, on the 
 one side, and to Charleston on the other. On the contrary, it will 
 lie in a re entrant angle so pronounced that the lines of traffic di- 
 vision will converge and quickly meet in the Eastern part of North 
 Carolina itself. 
 
 In the case of the inland port of Fayetteville, on the other hand, 
 the lines of traffic division between Richmond and Norfolk, on the 
 North, and Charleston, on the South, diverge, as the map shows, 
 and they enclose a territory East of the Alleghanies containing 
 over two millions of people. 
 
 Our jutting sea-coast, therefore, has rendered it impossible for 
 the greater portion of the population of North Carolina (and for 
 that of some adjacent parts) to enjoy freight rates on equal terms 
 with the people of other seaboard States, except approach be had 
 through the port of Fayetteville. 
 
 (SUB) EXHIBIT NO. 3. 
 
 EXTRACT FROM REPORT OF CONSUL HALE TO DEPART- 
 MENT OF STATE, JUNE 1, 1888, DESCRIBING THE 
 GROUNDS UPON WHICH PARLIAMENT PASSED THE 
 ACT PROVIDING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE 
 MANCHESTER SHIP CANAL. 
 
 Before an act could be obtained for the construction of the ship- 
 canal it was, amongst other things, necessary to prove that the 
 traffic was sufficient to justify the construction of so great a work; 
 and it may be of interest to merchants if I name some of the figures 
 established in spite of the most able opposition, for the scheme was 
 opposed by all of the railway companies and by the enormous 
 influence brought to bear by Liverpool. 
 
 In my general report upon the Manchester Ship-Canal under- 
 taking I stated that more than 150 industrial towns would be affect- 
 
the Cape Fear River 41 
 
 ed by that great enterprise. Exhibit No. 1 is a map upon which the 
 area is indicated within which these industrial towns are comprised, 
 the boundary of which area includes 7,500 square miles. This is 
 equal to one-sixteenth of the entire area of the United Kingdom. 
 
 The population inhabiting this area is quite 7,500,000, represent- 
 ing about one-fifth of the total population of the United Kingdom. 
 The principle upon which the boundary line of this area has been 
 fixed is the illustration of the mean distance between the nearest 
 ocean-steamer ports now existing and the ship-canal which is now 
 in course of construction. A glance at this map will show that the 
 most remote point from the canal in any part of the area is quite as 
 near to the ship-canal as to any of the ports named on the map 
 which are the existing ocean-steamer ports. 
 
 (Signed) E. .1. HALE, Consul. 
 
 (SUB) EXHIBIT NO. 4. 
 
 IMPROVEMENT OF THE CAPE FEAR RIVER. 
 
 E. J. HALE, Chairman, Citizens' Committee on 
 
 W. L. HOLT, F. R. ROSE, 
 
 R. L. WILLIAMS, W. M. MORGAN, Improvement of the 
 W. S. COOK, A. H. SLOCOMB, 
 
 H. C. BASH. J. A. KING, Cape Fear. 
 
 Fayetteville, N. C, December 6, 1900. 
 
 Dear Sir: — Some fifteen months ago the business men of this 
 section began to agitate the subject of improving the Cape Fear riv- 
 er between this city and Wilmington, so as to' secure a uniform min- 
 imum depth of water throughout the year of 4, 6 or 8 feet. Such 
 control of internal waterways by engineering devices is common 
 in the highly civilized States of Western Europe, and it seemed to 
 us that there was no reason why our great country, with its greater 
 wealth, should lag behind those naturally less favored nations in 
 its treatment of such an important matter. 
 
 In North Carolina the Cape Fear river would, of course, first 
 attract the Government's attention, if it should share our views on 
 the general subject, because of the commercial history of the river, 
 and of Fayetteville as the head of navigation thereon, in the period 
 before the railroad era disturbed natural conditions. Even since 
 that era set in, and in the face of changed conditions of transporta- 
 tion which it established, the Government has felt called upon to 
 take over control of the river between Wilmington and Fayetteville 
 and to make Fayetteville a port of entry. Replacing the old Cape 
 
42 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 Fear Navigation Company, which operated under the State's char- 
 ter, it has sought, by a by stem of jetties, to arrest the effect of de- 
 forestation upon the rivers water supply. The object of the move- 
 ment whicli we are now bringing to your attention is to induce the 
 Government to substitute for this crude and insufficient method the 
 modern system of treatment of internal waterways which is em- 
 ployed in Europe and which is now being taken up in some portions 
 of this country. 
 
 The proposition to this end at once engaged the attention of 
 Captain Lucas, the enlightened engineer officer of the United States 
 army stationed at Wilmington. At his suggestion, an appropria- 
 tion for a preliminary survey of the river between Wilmington and 
 Fayetteville was secured just before the adjournment of Congress 
 in June last. The survey was completed in November, and the fact 
 demonstrated that, by the construction of two or more locks, a uni- 
 form minimum depth of water 4, 6 or 8 feet, could be secured 
 throughout the year, according to the appropriation which might be 
 made by Congress. 
 
 The movement for this appropriation has been chiefly conduct- 
 ed by the Chamber of Commerce of Fayetteville, but it has been 
 heartily taken up and approved by the Chamber of Commerce of 
 Wilmington and by the Produce Exchange and the Merchants' As- 
 sociation of that city. It has also attracted widespread interest 
 beyond the Cape Fear section, and, so far as we are informed, is ap- 
 proved throughout the State. The Raleigh News and Observer, for 
 example, said: "The improvement of the Cape Fear becomes a 
 matter of great importance in which the whole State will co-operate 
 with Fayetteville." More recently. Justice Walter Clark, in a paper 
 which he was requested by the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce to 
 write on the subject of the commercial needs of that city, urged 
 the importance of securing "the competition of water rates at our 
 "nearest river port," Fayetteville. 
 
 On the 15th of November just past. Captain Lucas explained to 
 a meeting of our citizens the necessity for demonstrating that the 
 interests Involved were sufficient to justify the Government's ac- 
 tion, befoie he could recommend such an appropriation as would be 
 required. The undersigned were apppointed a committee for that 
 purpose, and their report is appended. By this you will see that the 
 "commercial case" is proved many times over, and that the pecun- 
 iary interest of nearly the whole population of Noith Carolina, as 
 well as the convenience of most of them, is involved. 
 
 Attention is asked to the obvious fact that while the proposed 
 improvement would result in a re-location of the points of freight 
 dispersion entirely in the interests of North Carolina, the effect 
 upon the railways within our borders would be to secure eventually 
 
the Cape Fear River 43 
 
 a large accession of business which the restoration of the natural 
 trade route of tlie State would create, and that this would many 
 times repay them for the comparatively small business which they 
 would lose. [See, also, note herewith enclosed.] 
 
 Our object in addressing this communication to you is to ask 
 your earnest co-operatior with us in bringing every available influ- 
 ence to bear on Congress in behalf of this great work. 
 
 We request a reply, with sucih suggestions as may occur to you 
 — and have the honor to be, dear sir, Yours respectfully, 
 
 E. J. HALE, W. L. HOLT, F. R. ROSE, 
 
 R. L. WILLIAMS, W. M. MORGAN, W. S. COOK, 
 A. H. SLOCOME, H. C. BASH, J. A. KING, 
 
 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE. 
 
 Fayetteville, N. C, November 21, 1900. 
 Capt. E. W. Van C. Lucas, 
 
 Corps of Engineers, U. S. A., 
 Wilmington, N. C. 
 Sir: — The undersigned, the committee appointed at the Citi- 
 zens' Meeting, held on the occasion of your visit on Thursday last, 
 have taken up the subjects of inquiry suggested by you, and have 
 pleasure in reporting as follows: 
 
 The Present River Traffic. 
 The tonnage of the traffic by the steam boats between this city 
 and Wilmington, as reported to the United States Engineer's offiee 
 at Wilmington for the year ending December 31, 1899, was in round 
 numbers, 115,000. We are informed that its value would average 
 ten dollars per ton, which would give a total value of ?1, 150,000. 
 
 Existing Local Railway Traffic Which Would Seek the River if 
 
 Improved. 
 In reply to printed forms issued to our merchants, traders and 
 manufacturers, made out, where necessary, under our supervision, 
 we find that there have been received at and shipped from Fayette- 
 ville by rail during the past twelve months, 112,295 tons of mer- 
 chandise of all kinds, valued at $5,812,614. It is estimated that at 
 least three-fourths of this would at once be diverted to the River 
 for transportation, if the proposed improvements were made, and 
 the speedy and regular dispatch of freight which it would make 
 possible were established. 
 
 Traffic From a Distance Which Would Be Diverted to the River If 
 Fayetteville Were Made a "Basing Point." 
 
 We are informed that as soon as the proposed improvement in 
 
44 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 navigation and the dispatch of freights is effected, Fayetteville 
 would be made what the. Traffic Managers call a Basing Point for 
 Freight Rates. The effect of this, we are informed, will be to cause 
 all railways which run within the territory thus tributary to Fay- 
 etteville to base rates from Fayetteville. By the term "the terri- 
 tory thus tributary to Fayetteville," we mean all the country 
 which is nearer to Fayetteville than to any other Basing Point, 
 the Railway Commission laws requiring the rates therein to be 
 proportionately less than to such other Basing Points. 
 
 We enclose a map [see page 9] which will show the territory 
 thus delimited as tributary to Fayetteville. The Basing Points 
 nearest to Fayetteville are Richmond and Norfolk, Virginia, on the 
 North, and Charleston South Carolina, on the South. We have 
 drawn lines at right angles across air lines between Fayetteville 
 and the three cities named, respectively, and at points midway be- 
 tween Fayetteville and them. Line A is the dividing line" between 
 Richmond and Fayetteville; Line B, the dividing line between Nor- 
 folk and Fayette\ille; and Line C, that between Charleston and 
 Fayetteville. it will be seen that, while the northeast section of 
 North Carolina falls within the territory allotted to Richmond and 
 Norfolk, a considerable portion of southwest Virginia and a consid- 
 erable portion of northeast South Carolina, each larger than the 
 first mentioned, falls within the territory of Fayetteville. As the 
 improvements referred to would also cause Wilmington to be made 
 a Basing Point, the map would be changed thereby to a comparative- 
 ly small extent, the effect of the change being to add more to 
 the joint territory of Wilmington and Fayetteville. 
 
 We also enclose a copy of a United States Government report 
 on the Manchester Ship Canal [see Preface] in which is described 
 the manner employed in Great Britain for "proving a commercial 
 reason fo^- the granting of a charter by Parliament for such an 
 undertaking. We shall, in this case, employ the same method, in a 
 general way, because such matters in the older countries have nec- 
 essarily reached a morn exact standard. An important considera- 
 tion in our favor in relying upon such a method is the fact that the 
 Railway Commission laws in this country now require connecting 
 lines to transport freight delivered to them, whether a tariff of 
 through rates has been established or not, and as before mentioned, 
 at rates proportioned to the "length of haul." 
 
 Without entering upon a consideration of how far westward be- 
 yond the borders of North Carolina the traffic influence of the pro- 
 posed improvement would extend, we ask attention to the signifi- 
 cant coincidence that the territory now delimited on our map is 
 almost the same as that which was tributary to Fayetteville in the 
 last of the 18th century, and in the first part of the present century 
 
the Cape Fear River 45 
 
 up to the railroad era. Ihe fact that Canova's statue of Washing- 
 ton was brought from Italy to Wilmington, was thence landed at 
 Fayetteville, and finally hauled overland to Raleigh in the latter 
 period, is merely an illustration of the general conditions of trans- 
 portation at that time. The proposed improvement, therefore, 
 would not establish a novel condition, but would restore the normal 
 relation of the Cape Fear to a vast territory, which the over-work- 
 ing of the railroad idea and the effect of deforestation upon the 
 water courses, have disturbed. Or, we may state the case this 
 way: that it would be the re-establishment of normal conditions, 
 by a development of the problem of transportation, which condi- 
 tions had been disturbed by a cruder stage of the movement. 
 
 Within the limitations of our map, as thus restricted, it will 
 be seen that there is a population equal to that of the State of 
 North Carolina, (some 1,900,000). The population which, by a lib- 
 eral estimate, might be considered as Involved, in one way or an- 
 other, in the production of the existing river traffic and the existing 
 railway traffic divertible to the river, in and out of Fayetteville, 
 may be said to include that of Cumberland county, in which Fay- 
 etteville lies (30,000), and one-fourth of that of the contiguous 
 counties of Sampson (7,000), Bladen (5,000), Robeson (9,000), 
 Moore (6,000), and Harnett (4,000)— a total of 61,000. The terri- 
 tory, then on the map, this side of the Blue Ridge, contains a 
 population thirty times as gerat as the population at present trib- 
 utary to Fayetteville. 
 
 We therefore have this proposition: 
 
 Tons Value 
 
 Existing River traffic 115,000 $1,150,000 
 
 Three-fourths (the divertible portion) of exist- 
 ing railway traffic in ana out of Fayetteville — 3-4x 
 112,295 tons and 3-4x$5,812,614 84,221 -4,359,460 
 
 In round numbers 200,000 $5,500,000 
 
 30 times these figures would give the tonnage 
 and value of traffic which, other things being 
 equal, would find a cheaper route to and from 
 the great markets by way of the Cape Fear 
 River if improved as suggested, that is, 30x 
 200,000 tons and 30x$5,500,000 6,000,000 $165,000,000 
 
 In this connection, it is worth noting that Mr. Walter L. Holt, 
 one of the chief owner.^ of cotton mills in this county and in Ala- 
 mance county, a hundred miles distant, finds that he gets his oils, 
 dyes and machinery and ships his finished products, by river from 
 his Fayetteville (Cumberland) mills, for an average of but half the 
 freight rate which he is obliged to pay, by rail, to and from his 
 Alamance Mills. 
 
46 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 The Railway Commission's Figures. 
 
 We further enclose a letter from the North Carolina Corpora- 
 tion (RailM'ay) Commission (see envelope marked Exihbit C), from 
 which it will be seen that the actual freight traffic movement for 
 the past year over the roads converging at Fayetteville and within 
 the territory indicated on our map, amounted to 1,497,979 tons — or, 
 one-fourth of the tonnage $6,000,000) which we have estimated by 
 the per capita method of the whole territory east of the mountains. 
 It will be observed, also, that the Commission's letter expresses the 
 hope that "the Government will see the importance of this station 
 (Fayetteville), which, by reason of its situation, should again be- 
 come the distributing point for the central and western North 
 Carolina territory." 
 
 Attention may also be called to the fact that Fayetteville, at 
 the head of navigation one hundred miles inland, is the only point 
 on the Atlantic Coast Line between Richmond and Charleston (the 
 present Basing Points) which is situated on navigable water. 
 
 How far the inertia of settled routes of trade may act in re- 
 straint of the possibilities indicated above, is, of course, a matter of 
 conjecture. 
 
 The Commercial Case. 
 
 We assume that while the Government undertakes works of the 
 kind now proposed for the public benefit and without expectation of 
 a direct return for the outlay, it is nevertheless influenced by the 
 same considerations which influence private capitalists. That Is 
 to say, if the cost of the proposed improvement should be one mil- 
 lion dollars, it would be a sound commercial undertaking, commend- 
 ing itself to the Government from this point of view, if the addition- 
 al traffic secured by reason of the outlay, or the resultant economies 
 of transportation on existing traffic, should yield 5 per cent, on that 
 amount. Five per cent, on one million dollars is fifty thousand dol- 
 lars. It is apparent that the economies of transportation which 
 such an improvement would render possible — twelve months' run- 
 ning of the boats instead of nine months; the cheaper proportionate 
 handling of larger loads, etc., etc., — would leave a margin for tolls 
 for use of the improved water-way, if the work were done by a pri- 
 vate corporation, far in excess of the reasonable rate of 5 per cent, 
 on a million dollars. An average of 25 cents a ton on the class of 
 freight (115,000 tons) now carried by the river, and of 50 cents a 
 ton on the class of freight (84,221 tons) now carried by the railways 
 in and out of Fayetteville but divertible to the river, would produce 
 a revenue of $70,860, or over 7 per cent, on the existing Fayetteville 
 traffic alone. A toll of 10 cents a ton would more than pay for the 
 
the Cape Fear River 47 
 
 whole investment of one million dollars in two years, if all the traf- 
 fic of the tributary country were diverted this way. Such specu- 
 lations as to what might be done if the river were the property of 
 pirvate capitalists instead of that of the Government, are useful as 
 indicating hnw very far within the margin of commercial safety the 
 Government would be acting if it should make such an expenditure. 
 
 We desire in conclusion, to heartily reiterate for ourselves the 
 expression of thanks which the meeting that appointed us unani- 
 mously voted to you, sir, for the interest which you have taken in 
 this great work. 
 
 We remain, with high esteem. 
 
 Yours obediently, 
 
 THE COMMITTEE AS ABOVE. 
 
 NOTE TO (SUB) EXHIBIT NO. 4. 
 
 If it be asked why Government aid for such a large scheme of 
 improvement should be sought for this particular river, a glance at 
 a map of the Atlantic Seaboard States will answer the question. It 
 will be seen that the coast of North Carolina juts out far beyond 
 the general coast line; that Fayetteville, at the head of navigation 
 on the Cape Fear river, and 100 miles inland, lies on an air line be- 
 tween the seaports of New York and Savannah; that it is 50 miles 
 further west (that is, further inland,) than an air line between Nor- 
 folk and Charleston, the nearest existing "Basing Point for freight 
 rates"; that the Cape Fear is the only river in North Carolina, with 
 its 300 miles of seacoast, which flows directly into the sea; that it 
 reaches the sea at a point where the abnormal coast line has re- 
 ceded almost to the general line; and that these geographical pecu- 
 liarities result in placing the head of navigation of this river nearer 
 to a large, populous an-i highly developed territory than that of any 
 other river South of the James. In harmony with this fact, and be- 
 fore natural conditions were disturbed by the North-and-South-going 
 railways and by deforestation at the headwaters of the river, , Fay- 
 etteville was the shipping and receiving port for the immense terri- 
 tory comprised in Central and Western North Carolina and for parts 
 of Virginia and South Carolina; its banking capital in 1827, when 
 the population of this tributary territory was but half a million, was 
 a million and fifty thousand dollars, whereas its present banking 
 capital is but two hundred thousand dollars, with the population in- 
 creased to two millions; it was in that former period the seat of the 
 only brand of the Bank of the United States in the State, and of 
 an Arsenal, the largest, with one exception, in the Union; and it 
 
48 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 has since been distinguished from other river towns by being made 
 a port of entry. Finally, by this last named act, the government in 
 effect converted the rivei from Wilmington to Fayetteville into the 
 harbor of Fayetteville, and placed itself under obligation to treat 
 the port of Fayetteville on a plane with other ports having two mil- 
 lions of people dependent on them for economy in transportation. 
 
 COPY OF LETTER ADDRESSED TO THE SENATORS AND 
 MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
 FROM NORTH CAROLINA. 
 
 CITIZENS' COMMITTEE ON IMPROVEMENT OF THE CAPE 
 
 FEAR. 
 
 Fayetteville, N. C, February 17, 1902 
 
 Hon , 
 
 Washington, D. C. 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 A newspaper correspondent has stated that, at the recent hear- 
 ing of the North Carolina delegation before the Rivers' and Har- 
 bors' Committee ,the suggestion was made that the granting of the 
 appropriation asked for for the improvement of the Cape Fear 
 River between Wilmington and Fayetteville would render it nec- 
 essary to grant "at least one hundred and seventy-five millions of 
 dollars elsewhere". We would ask your attention to the fact that 
 the reported suggestion is without weight, for the following 
 reason : 
 
 1. The improvement of the sundry rivers scattered over the 
 United States, which might require the expenditure of $175,030,000, 
 if improved in the manner proposed for the Cape Fear, would es- 
 tablish novel conditions — that is, it would create trade routes that 
 never existed in the patt; whereas, the proposed improvencent ot 
 the Cape Fear would meiely restore natural conditions — that is, re- 
 establish trade routes disturbed by an incomplete development of 
 the problem of transportation. 
 
 2. Fayetteville is the only port in the United States lying near- 
 er to 2,000,000 of people than any other port, which is not a "basing 
 point for freight rates", the condition precedent of economical 
 transportation service. Yet it is the only port so situated which 
 has received nothing from the government calculated to render 
 it capable of becoming auch a basing point. 
 
 8. Fayetteville is precisely on all fours with Richmond, Vir- 
 ginia. Both are up-river ports, Richmond being just below the first 
 falls of the James and Fayetteville just below the first falls of the 
 
the Cape Fear River 49 
 
 Cape Fear, and both having a large back country dependent upon 
 them for economy of transportation. There are no other ports on 
 the seaboard similarly circumstanced; yet the government has 
 granted millions since the war (and properly, too,) to Richmond in 
 order to miprove the James in such a way as to preserve Rich- 
 mond's relative position as a port, and not a cent to preserve 
 Fayette ville's. 
 
 4. The appropriation asked for for the Cape Fear is distin- 
 guished from all others in the Union in the respect that it is asked 
 for by the State— a State that contains one-fortieth of the popula- 
 tion of all the States and about one-twentieth of the population of 
 all the Seaboard States; whereas, its total asking ($515,000) 
 amounts to less than the hundredth part of the sixty millions 
 proposed for the total Rivers and Harbors bill. 
 
 5. Lastly, the appropriation for the improvement of the Cape 
 Fear was included in the bill which was passed by the House a year 
 ago, and which, nevertheless, included appropriations for none of 
 the rivers upon which the alleged one hundred and seventy-five 
 millions would have to be spent. 
 
 Trusting that you will find it convenient to bring the foregoing 
 points to the attention of the proper parties, if need be, we 
 remain, dear sir, Yours obediently, 
 
 [Signed] E. J. HALE, Chairamn, 
 
 RESOLUTION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAR- 
 OLINA, PASSED FEBRUARY 6, 1905, REQUESTING THE 
 SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS 
 FROM NORTH CAROLINA TO USE THEIR UNITED IN- 
 FLUENCE TO SECURE PROPER APPROPRIATION FOR 
 CARRYING OUT THE SCHEME TO IMPROVE THE CAPE 
 FEAR RIVER, AS RECOMMENDED BY GENERAL McKEN- 
 ZIE, CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE ARMY. 
 Whereas, the maintenance of water transportation in competi- 
 tion with rail is of the greatest importance to the entire Cape Fear 
 section; and whereas, the citizens and commercial associations of 
 FayetteviUe and Wilmington secured a survey and rscommenda- 
 tion by Capt. E. Van C. Lucas, Corps of Engineers, C. S. \., -or the 
 improvement of the Upper Car.e Pear River; and, whereas, the 
 scheme as recommended for the canalization of saia river, contem- 
 plating an expenditure of $1,350 000, was adopts i by Congress m 
 April, 1902, aM an appropriat-ou of $50,000 made for purchasing 
 sites for locks ^d dams; and, whereas. General McKenzie, Chief 
 Engineer of thg army, has recommended in his report, both last 
 
50 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 year and this, that this great scheme he carried out as adopted; 
 therefore : 
 
 Resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives 
 concurring: 
 
 First. That our Senators and Representatives in Congress be 
 requested to use their united influence to secure the passage of an 
 amendment to the River and Harbor Bill at this session, making a 
 liberal appropriation for this great scheme for improving the upper 
 Cape Fear River. 
 
 Second. That a copy of this resolutioE. be se? . to each of our 
 Senators and Representatives in Congress. 
 
the Cape Fear River 51 
 
 EXHIBIT B. 
 
 IMPROVEMENT OF THE UPPER CAPE FEAR 
 
 Hearing By Corrmittee of the Board of Engineers. 
 
 (From Fayetteville Observer, February 21, 1907.) 
 IMPROVEMENT OF THE CAPE FEAR. 
 
 Presentation of the Case, January 24, 1907. 
 
 Lt. Col. R. L. Hoxie, Major Chester Harding, Capt. W. J. Harden, and 
 
 Assistant Engineer A. H. Weber, 
 
 Committee of the Board of Engineers on Rivers and Harbors 
 
 Sitting in Fayetteville, N. C. 
 Sirs: 
 
 In respoiise to the invitation of Major Joseph E. Kuhn, Corps of 
 tenginfeera, 1 present to you a printed pamphlet, published by or- 
 mt Qi the Chamber of Commerce of this city, covering the commer- 
 fcial part of the project for the canalization of the Cape Fear River, 
 and demonstrating, we think, that such a work, if constructed as 
 a commercial undertaking, would pay interest on many times the 
 cost ($1350,000) estimated by the Engineers in charge. This Is 
 enclosed in an envelope marked Envelope A. 
 
 I also present a letter from the Governor of North Carolina 
 addressed to you in my care, setting forth the commercial neces- 
 sity of this project, and a copy of a letter from him addressed 
 to me at Washington, which, by his request, I presented to the 
 recent National Rivers and Harbors Congress. These two letters 
 are enQlosed in an envelope marked Envelope B. ^ ^ j- ,„ 
 
 And I present a letter addressed to me from Mr. J. B. Under- 
 ^vood, one of our leading business men, showing the lnfl"^^;=^°^ 
 the location of Fayetteville upon freight rates at and to the interior 
 and suggesting the immense saving which would be ^^^^';\'lll^ 
 people of interior North Carolina and some adjacent parts, f navi^ 
 gation of the Cape Fear River to this point were made continuous 
 throughout the year, instead, as now, of lasting but nine months 
 out of the year. This letter is enclosed in an envelope marked 
 
 Very^respe^ctf^ny, 
 
 CSh^irraan CitJ_aens' Committee on Improvement of the Cape Fear. 
 
52 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 (ENCLOSED) ENVELOPE A. 
 
 The printed pamphlet referred to in the presentation, is "Ex- 
 hibit A" herewith. 
 
 (ENCLOSED) ENVELOPE B. 
 
 Letters of the Governor of North Carolina. 
 
 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, 
 
 Raleigh, December, 4. 1906. 
 Major E. J Hale, Arlington Hotel, Washington, D. C. 
 
 Dear Sir: It is with deep regret that I find that I cannot at- 
 tend the National Rivers and Harbors Congress which meets in 
 Washington on the 5th and 6th inst., but being unable to do so on 
 account of oflBcial duties, I write you this letter, which, if you see 
 fit you can read to the Congress, showing to them how deeply inter- 
 ested the people of North Carolina are in this movement. 
 
 Our people most heartily approve the object of the Rivers and 
 Harbors Congress, which they understand is for the awakening of 
 the public mind to the imperative necessity of supplementing the 
 overworked capacity of railroads by improving our waterways, and 
 our people do highly appreciate the great work in this behalf al- 
 ready accomplished by the Congress. Improved waterways would 
 lift from the railroads the burden of the heavy, slow-moving and 
 less profitable class of freight, and would stimulate production and 
 also greatly increase the profits of production. 
 
 The annual appropriation for the Army and Navy amounts to 
 nearly three hundred million dollars, and the appropriation for com- 
 merce amounts to only nineteen million dollars annually, and yet 
 one is to provide means of destruction, while the other is to add 
 to the peace and prosperity of our country. The former may be 
 necessary to ward oE danger, but the last named appropriation is 
 essential for the encouragement of commerce, the cheapening of 
 transportation and for increasing the profits of production. I 
 therefore most heartily join in the movement for an increase 
 of the appropriation for Rivers and Harbors, and think that fifty 
 million dollars a year for this great purpose would be a small 
 amount in comparison with the benefits that would accrue there- 
 from. Ordinarily I am opposed to bond issues, but if a bond issue 
 Is necessary to bring about the completion of this great work 
 speedily, then I am sure our people would favor that course, rather 
 than wait for an improvement that must com^ slowly from the small 
 
the Cape Fear River 53 
 
 appropriations heretofore made. 
 
 Locally, the people of North Carolina are much interested in 
 this work— notably in regard to the canalization of the Cape Fear 
 River — a great State work which has been repeatedly endorsed cy 
 the General Assembly of our State, and which has also been ap- 
 proved by the government. Also they are interested in the improve- 
 ment of the haa-bors at Wilmington and Beaufort and other points, 
 as well as in the Inland Waterway, a great inter-State project, 
 which would be of immense value in protecting the shipping on the 
 coast off Hatteras. 
 
 In conclusion, let me say that I believe the whole country wauld 
 be benefitted by a large appropriation for this great work, and I 
 therefore urge your Congress to continue the general course out- 
 lined by you at former meetings and do everything in your power to 
 get such appropriations as are reasonable and sufficient for this 
 great work. 
 
 You may say to the Congress that later, if by appearing before 
 any committee of the Congress of the United States, I can in any 
 way aid them in what they are undertaking, it will give me great 
 pleasure to do so both individually and as Governor of the State. 
 
 'Wishing for the Congress a successful and profitable meeting 
 that may bear fruit, I am, 
 
 R. B. GLENN, Governor. 
 
 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, 
 
 Raleigh, January 14, 1907. 
 To the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, care of Major 
 
 E. J. Hale, Fayetteville, N. C. 
 Gentlemen: 
 
 The people of North Carolina look upon the restoration of the 
 Cape Fear River to its former relation to the State, which deforesta- 
 tion and an abnormal development of the railway idea have 
 changed, as a commercial necessity. Formerly, nearly all of middle 
 and western North Carolina, and even a part of Virginia, received 
 their supplies and shipped their products through Fayetteville, and 
 I therefore urge you to carefully consider this matter, and if, in 
 your judgment feasible and profitable, do everything in your power 
 looking to the improvement of the Cape Fear River. As Governor 
 of North Carolina, having gone all over the State, I can truly say 
 that, in my judgment, there is nothing that could happen to our peo- 
 ple at the present time that would be of more permanent benefit to 
 a larger section of the State than this improvement of one of our 
 largest rivers, and therefore I earnestly recommend this project to 
 your committee, and hope that it may so impress itself upon you 
 
54 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 that you will do this needed work for the benefit of the entire 
 people of the State. Yours very truly, 
 
 R. B. GLENN, Governor. 
 
 (ENCLOSED) ENVELOPE C. 
 
 UNDERWOOD & CO., 
 Importers', Manufacturers' and Millers' Agents. 
 
 Fayetteville, N. C, January 22, 1907. 
 Hon. E. J. Hale, City. 
 
 My Dear Sir: Replying to your kind letter, we beg to submit 
 to you the following rates that apply by rail from Baltimore to 
 Greensboro, Winston and Raleigh; the rates on the same class of 
 goods via water to Wilmington and thence via rail to the same 
 points, and then, in contrast, the rates from Baltimore via Wilming- 
 ton up the Cape Fear River, and then via rail to the same points. 
 These show, if the navigation of the Cape Fear River was so that 
 the boats could run anything like continuously how much money 
 the interior part of North Carolina could be saved by shipping the 
 goods this way. But the river is so uncertain that the trade has 
 been demoralized in shipping the goods by river, owing to the ex- 
 treme low water in it. This, of course, is very unsatisfactory to the 
 interior merchants in ordering goods by water, and a vast amount 
 of shipping via the river is held back until there is better water to 
 be had. We have discussed this matter before with the jobbing 
 trade in the interior of the State, and especially with the Greens- 
 boro and Winston merchants. 
 
 Below we give you a sample of the line of goods that we have 
 shipped the past fall: 
 
 Car load lots of canned goods from Baltimore, via Norfolk or 
 Richmond on to Raleigh, is 44 cents per 100. 
 
 Car load lots from Baltimore to Wilmington via rail to Fayette- 
 ville, and on to Raleigh is 44 cents per 100. 
 
 Car load lots from Baltimore via Wilmington up the Cape Fear 
 River, care Raleigh and Southport R. R. to Fayetteville to Raleigh, 
 is 35 cents per 100. 
 
 You see very quickly by the above rates that this does not only 
 apply to Raleigh, but applies also to territories adjacent to this 
 point ,in a radius of about 200 miles. 
 
 We have not time at present to look up these local rates out 
 of thi.« city by rail to points like Greensboro, Winston, North Wilkes- 
 boro and other western North Carolina points. 
 
 We would be pleased to go over this matter with you in detail 
 more fully, but at present we are not in a position to do so. 
 
the Cape Fear River 55 
 
 We are very much interested in the matter ourselves and it 
 not only affects the welfare of the people at large, but it would be 
 beneficial to the entire jobbing trade of North Carolina. Such points 
 as Jonesboro, Sanford, Dunn, Smithfield, Hope Mills and Raeford, 
 are now shipping their goods through Fayetteville, although the 
 time is very much longer on account of the delay of the water now 
 in the Cape Fear River. It looks to us like the deepening of the 
 Cape Fear River would revolutionize the freight rate in all central 
 and western North Carolina. 
 
 You will notice that the Cape Fear River is navigable for about 
 120 miles in the interior of the State from Wilmington. This, you 
 might say, is about the same distance nearer to the western part 
 of the State than any other water point, and the opening of the 
 river to continuous navigation would lower the freight rates on in 
 and out going shipments. 
 
 At the present time we are in a position to receive salt, sugar, 
 molasses, rice and coffee at a very low rate from New Orleans, and 
 New York, thereby saving the masses of the people a good deal of 
 money. The reason why this class of goods seeks the Cape Fear 
 River, even now, is because certainty and rapidity is not a factor 
 so essential as to affect the lower water rates, as indicated above. 
 
 Hoping that you will succeed in your undertaking in this matter, 
 and again assuring you that anything in our power we can do to 
 assist you, we are at your command. Yours very truly, 
 
 (Signed) UNDERWOOD & CO. 
 
 LETTERS TO THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS AFTER THE HEAR- 
 
 ING. 
 
 CITIZENS' COMMITTEE 
 ON IMPROVEMENT OF THE CAPE FEAR. 
 
 Fayetteville, N. C, January 30, 1907. 
 
 Lt. Col. R. L. Hoxie, Major Chester Harding, Captain W. J. Barden, 
 
 Assistant Engineer A. H. Weber. 
 Committee of the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, which 
 
 sat in Fayetteville, on January 24, 1907. 
 
 Sirs: In compliance with my promise to secure and send to 
 you, within a week's time from date of the hearing had by you here, 
 information covering details of statements made in the case as pre- 
 sented to you, and, as far as practicable, to bring the statistics there-, 
 in up to date, I desire to report as below. I may say, however, in 
 explanation of our offering the statistics of 1900, that we considered 
 the commercial case proved many times over by them, and relied^ 
 
56 Hi^ory of the C analization of 
 
 also, upon the fact that the Government had twice (1901 and 1902) 
 considered them sufficient. We are much gratified by the oppor- 
 tunity which you now afford us of offering the remarkable increases 
 ■appearing below as in the nature of proof a fortiori. 
 
 Statistics of Industries, Traffic, Banks, Etc. 
 
 On page 6 of the pamphlet presented to you, paragraph 4, refer- 
 ence was made to the numerous industries established here 
 shortly before that time (1900). Secretary Rose, of our Chamber of 
 Coramerce, read to you the list of them, and, in a letter mailed to 
 you on yesterday, he has brought the list up to date. He has added 
 numerous other statistics in his possession — of new industries, rail- 
 way traffic, banks, etc. — all of them showing remarkable increases. 
 I will thank you if you will mark Mr. Rose's letter Exhibit 1. 
 
 Improvement of the Cape Fear in the Last of the 18th and the First 
 Half of the 19th Century. 
 
 On page G of the pamphlet, paragraph 2, reference was made to 
 the wagon-borne traffic that found its port at Fayetteville in the 
 last of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th. Col. C. W. 
 Broadfoot's remarks at the hearing covered this point in detail. 
 These he has written out, and, at my request, mailed to you yester- 
 day. Please mark his letter Exhibit 2. 
 
 Tonnage and Value of Traffic in and Out of Fayetteville. 
 
 On page 6 of the pamphlet, paragraph 7, and page 11, paragraph 
 8. the tonnage of traffic on the river is stated at 115,000, and the 
 value, $1,150,000, or $10 per ton. This estimate of value was made 
 by the committee of our business men whose names are signed to 
 the report (of November 21, 1900). We are informed by the engineer 
 in charge at Wilmington that the tonnage has increased to 150,000. 
 It is probable that the average value per ton is considerably in- 
 creased, as much of the increase in tonnage is for the supplies and 
 output of the cotton mills. 
 
 On page 11 of the pamphlet, last paragraph, the manner in 
 which our figures for the railway tonnage (112,295) and value 
 ($5,812,614) were obtained, is described. Such statistics were not to 
 be had from the railways at that time. The railway officials now 
 give us these figures: 
 Atlantic Coast Line. Tons 246.650 
 
 For which they received in freights $ 900,000 
 
 If of the same value as reported by our merchants 
 
 and mills in 1900, viz: an average of $52 per ton, 
 
 that would be a total of $12,825,800 
 
the Cape Fear River 57 
 
 Raleigh & Southport, Recently Opened. 
 
 Receipts at the rate of $ 60,000 
 
 Upon same basis as tliat of A. C. Line that would 
 
 give tons.. ... 16,200 
 
 Ditto, value $ 842,400 
 
 Traffic in the Territory Covered by the Atlantic Coast Line With- 
 in North Carolina, Fayetteville Being the Centre of the Sys- 
 tem in This State. 
 
 On page 13 of the pamphlet, paragraph 2, a letter from the 
 North Carolina Corporation Commisson is referred to as put in 
 as an exhibit. I did not retain a copy, but will procure one from the 
 Commission, if desired. The original will no doubt be found in 
 the printed records of the War Department. I enclose herewith 
 (marked Exhibit 3) a letter from the Commission just received, 
 which gives the same statistics up to date. Your attention is asked 
 to the fact that the commission says in this letter, that Fayette- 
 ville "wiU be die distributing point for a great majority o? •^'iis 
 freight" (2,917,301 tons) "if the Cape Fear River should be made 
 navigable to Fayetteville." That is to say, of course, that it will 
 come by the river for distribution hence, or be gathered by rail here 
 for outgoing shipments by the river. If we consider "a great ma- 
 jority" of 2,917,301 tons to be 2,000,000 tons, that alone would be 
 1,600,000 more tons than the present river and rail traffic, 
 combined (412.850) or four times a,? much. 
 
 The letter of Messrs. Ti'nderwood & Co. (herjwith marked Ex- 
 hibit 4). will indicate what an enormous saving to shippers and con- 
 auiiiers will be effected by such a re-location of freight shipments in 
 Hiis neighborhood, and the letter of Mr. M. W. Thompson, of 
 f^reensboro, (herewith marked Exhibit 5) will indicate the same 
 with respect to the vast traffic controlled by the Southern Railway 
 In central and western North Carolina. The letters of Messrs. Un- 
 derwood and Thompson can be duplicated indefinitely. 
 
 Discriminations in Favor of Virginia and Other Basing Points in 
 Traffic Which Would at Once Seek the Port of Fayetteville if 
 the Proposed Improvement of the Cape Fear Were Made. 
 
 On page 12 of the pa,mphlet, reference is made to the rulings 
 of the Inter-state Commerce Commission as affecting our proposi- 
 tion. It appears that such rulings, if they exist, are not enforced. Aa 
 the violation of the law of equal rates per ton per mile operates, as 
 shown by Mr. Thompson's letter (Exhibit 5), against the persons in- 
 habiting this State, the movement to seek Fayetteville as the port 
 of central and western North Carolina would be accelerated by 
 
58 Hi^ory of the Canaliz ation of 
 
 such discriminations. As shown by the note appended to the map 
 (page 9 of the papmphlet and elsewhere therein), the reason why 
 those parts of North Carolina are forced to ship through Virginia 
 ports is because our jutting seacoast results in placing such ports 
 much nearer to them than any port on the seacoast of North Caro- 
 Una. 
 
 The divertible portion of the existing railway traffic, referred to 
 on page 11 of the pamphlet, last paragraph, is an estimate by our 
 business men based on the nature of the freight. I think Messrs. 
 Underwood's and Thompson's letters clearly indicate that nearly 
 all \sould be transferred to the river. 
 
 The increase of traffic in and out of Fayetteville since 1900 
 appears as follows: 
 
 1900. 1906 
 
 Tons by river 115,000 150,000 
 
 Tons by rail 112,295 262,850 
 
 227,295 412,850 
 
 This result is largely attributable to the effect of the mere en- 
 dorsement of this scheme by the Government in 1901 and 1902. 
 
 If I have not covered all the points desired. I will be greatly 
 obliged if you will telegraph me to that effect, indicating what is 
 needed. 
 
 I remain, sirs, with great respect, 
 
 STours, obediently, 
 E. J. HALE, 
 
 Chairman Citizen's Committee on Improvement of the Cape Fear. 
 
 Dear Sirs: I desire to say that our people greatly appreciate 
 the courtesy and patience exhibited by you and your associates 
 jirhile here. That is expressed in the enclosed account of your 
 visit which appeared in the local columns of our town paper. 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 E. J. HALE. 
 
 (ADDENDUM TO THE FOREGOING.) 
 
 CITIZENS COMMITTEE 
 ON IMPROVEMENT OF THE CAPE FEAR. 
 
 Fayetteville, N. C, February 6, 1907. 
 
 Lt. Col. Hoxie, and Associates of the Board of Engineers, Colorado 
 Building, Washington. 
 Sirs: — Please add to the table of increase of traffic in my letter 
 
the Cape Fear River 59 
 
 of January 30th: 
 
 1900. 1906. 
 
 Value by river $1,150,000 $1,500,000 
 
 Value by rail 5,812,614 13,668,200 
 
 $6,962,614 $15,168,200 
 
 That shows an increase in the six years, of nearly 120 per cent, 
 upon the value basis of 1900, viz: $10 per ton for the river traffic 
 and $52 pepr ton for the rail. The valuation of $10 by river was, as 
 already stated, an estimate made by our business men; while that 
 of $52 by rail was the actual average of the sums of the values 
 turned in to this committee, as described on page 11 of the pamph- 
 let, last paragraph. We have not had time to make a similar can- 
 vass of our merchants, etc., this year. The values would probably 
 be considerably higher now, in harmony with the advance in price 
 of all commodities. 
 
 As will be seen, the river tonnage increased during the six 
 years 30 per cent.; while the rail tonnage is increased 81 per cent. 
 The difference seems to accentuate the necessity for better ser- 
 vice by the river. 
 
 A special dispatch from Washington to the Raleigh News and 
 Observer, dated January 30, says: 
 
 "The argument offered in opposition to the Upper Cape Feai 
 project is that the government has not for several years undertaken 
 the canalization of rivers." 
 
 Such an argument would, I think, be entirely misapplied. If 
 I am not misinformed, the canalization of rivers heretofore under- 
 taken by our government has been confined to the portion above the 
 natural head of navigation, that is, above the first falls or rapids. 
 The proposed canalization of the Cape Fear, on the contrary, like 
 tliat of the Weser above Bremen, is merely the substitution of slack- 
 water canalization for the jetty or dyke system which deforestation 
 had rendered insufficient for the maintenance or restoration of 
 the normal condition. In the case of the canalization of our inter- 
 ior rivers — that is the portion above the first falls or obstruction — 
 navigation has been opened where it did not exist before. An at- 
 tempt to establish such navigation was made by the State of North 
 Carolina upon Deep River, an affluent of the Cape Fear, and the 
 portion of the Cape Fear above the first falls near Fayetteville 
 and nearly one million dollars was expended upon the effort. 
 Such attempts, like the construction of canals or the canalizing of 
 the interior rivers formerly favored by the general government 
 are properly the objects of local or State enterprise. The circum- 
 stance that the government has abandoned the policy of spending 
 
60 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 money upon undertakings of that kind, as stated by the Washing- 
 ten correspondent above quoted, is merely evidence of its recog- 
 nition of the impossibility of equitably distributing such favors over 
 the whole country. 
 
 On page 13 of the ramphlet, paragraph 5, it is said of calcula. 
 tions based on estimated prospective traffic: "Such speculations as 
 to what might be done if the river were the property of private 
 capitalists instead of thai of the government are useful as indicat- 
 ing how very far within the margin of commercial safety the govern- 
 ment would be acting if it should make such an expenditure." 
 
 I observe that the law which created your honorable body, and 
 to which you called our attention at the hearing, provides that you 
 may consider, in addition to existing commerce and the other fac- 
 tors mentioned, commerce that is "reasonably prospective." That 
 admits the element of judgment. Our North Carolina Corpora- 
 tion (Railway) Commission is not only the official body in this 
 State which is charged with the duty of informing themselves upon 
 all questions of traffic movements in it, but they are able and con- 
 scientious men of long experience in that partitcular. They con- 
 sltrtute, there the best authority which it would be possible 
 for us to offer to you on the subject in hand. 
 
 I would ask your attention to the fact that their declaration 
 (already quoted by me, in part, from their letter of January 28, 
 enclosed with my letter of January 30 and marked Exhibit 3) is 
 without qualification and is as follows: "If the Cape Fear River 
 should be made navigable to Fayetteville, this city will be the dis- 
 tributing point for the great majority of this freight." (3,368,441 
 tons.) Estimating this "great majority" at 2,000,000 tons, as in 
 my former letter, and applying to the lowest of the savings in 
 freight charges given in Messrs. Underwood & Co.'s letter, (Ex- 
 liibit 4, ibidem), to-wit: 9 cents per 100, or $1.80 prr ton, we have: 
 Existing traffic on the Atlantic Coast Line, 
 which, according to the North Carolina Cor- 
 poration (Railway) Commission, would be divert- 
 ed to the Cape Fear River if improved as propos- 
 ed — tons per annum 2,000,000 
 
 Saving per ton $1.80 
 
 Saving per annum $3,600,000 
 
 Tliat (s to say, the saving to the people on the portion of ex- 
 isting Atlantic Coast Line traffic which, according to the highest 
 autbori-'y eytant would be d 'verted to the Capn Fear River upon 
 completion of th*) proposei improvement, would be nearly three 
 HniriS as much in one year as the whole cost ($1,350,000) of the im- 
 provement. What would be the divertible portion of the Southern Rail- 
 
the Cape Fear River 61 
 
 v,ay traffic (3,846,298 tonfe within North Carolina), andiOf the Seaboard 
 Air Line traffic (1,690,497 tons within North Carolina) cannot be 
 eatimated with «qual authority, as I bave not asked for the Commis- 
 sion's opinion upon that. The total tonnage within the State 
 transported by the three systems is (using the figures above) 8,905,- 
 236, and, if we apply the same measure to the whole which the Com- 
 mission applied to the Atlantic Coast Line's part, we should have 
 nearly 6,000,000 tons that would be diverted to the river. It is 
 worth recalling that 6,000,000 was the traffic tonnage of the terri- 
 tory delimited as traffically tributary to Fayetteville, which we 
 estimated by the per capita method employed in the pamphlet, page 
 7, paragraph 1. 
 
 While the Government has bound itself, by its act of buying 
 control of the Cape Feai River in 1882 and making Fayetteville a 
 port of entry, to take adequate care of the river's navigation, and 
 while the figures given above demonstrate that the Government 
 would be justified many times over in expending the comparatively 
 small sum of $1,350,000 in doing so, I have no doubt that capitalists 
 would eagerly re-purchase the control of the river, if the Govern- 
 ment would sell it, and construct the proposed works and maintain 
 them for the profit that would result. A toll of 1 cent per 100 lbs. 
 deducted from the 9 cents saving per 100 lbs. as shown by Messrs. 
 Underwood & Co.'s letter (Exhibit 4, enclosed with my letter of 
 January 30,) upon the divertible Atlantic Coast Line tonnage alone 
 would produce $400,000, or 5 per cent, on $8,000,000. 
 
 [The figures above given for the Southern Railway and for the 
 Seaboard Air Line are taken from the 1903 report of the Corporation 
 Commission. I have not the later ones at hand. On the basis of 
 increase of the Atlantic Coast Line traffic, the figures should be 
 some 33 per cent, greater.] 
 
 Again asking you to bear in mind that the improvement asked 
 for rests on the same footing with harbor improvements, and that 
 it is completely different from the other river and canalization 
 schemes presented to the Government — in the respects (1) that it 
 applies only to the naturally navigable portion of the river; and (2) 
 that, in consequence of the peculiar configuration of the North 
 Carolina seaboard, two millions of our population will continue to 
 be deprived of the enjoyment of freight rates on equal terms with 
 the population of adjacent States until the Cape Fear River is 
 made navigable to Fayetteville throughout the year — I remain, 
 sirs, Yours respectfully, 
 
 E. J. HALE, 
 
 Chairman Citizen's Committee on Improvement of the Cape 
 
 Fear. 
 
62 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 (SUB) EXHIBIT 1 
 
 This is the letter of Secretary Rose, of the Chamber of Com- 
 merce, which was printed in The Observer of February 5, 1907. It 
 is shown therein that the postofRce receipts for 1906 were $17,000 
 as compared with $8,000 in 1900; bank deposits $1,200,000 in 1906, 
 $250,000 in 1900; bank clearings, $24,000,000 in 1906, $4,500,000 in 
 1900 and the railroad freight receipts $960,000 in 1906, $450,000 in 
 1900. There are reported, also, eight cotton mills with an aggre- 
 gate of 88,000 spindles and 2,400 looms, and two silk mills with 
 12,000 spindles and 400 looms, besides a great number of other 
 industrial establishments. 
 
 (SUB) EXHIBIT 2. 
 
 This is the letter of Col. C. W. Broadfoot, already referred to, 
 giving the interesting history of the old Cape Fear Navigation 
 Company from 1789 to 1882, when the Government bought it out 
 for $100,000 and assumed the duty of giving continuous navigation 
 from Wilinington to Fayetteville. 
 
 (SUB) EXHIBIT 3. 
 
 DEPARTMENT 
 
 of the 
 
 NORTH CAROLINA CORPORATION COMMISSION. 
 
 Raleigh, January 28, 1907. 
 
 Hon. E. J. Hale, Fayetteville, N. C. 
 
 Dear Sir: — I fully intended giving you the statements called 
 for by Saturday's mail, but the Legislative Committees called on 
 me for statements that were urgent and my time was fully taken up. 
 
 The information that you desired, that is, the tonnage of 
 freights moved over the railroads to and from Fayetteville, covering 
 points contiguous thereto. The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad enters 
 Fayetteville from four different directions, and I enclose you state- 
 ment showing the tonnage of freights for this road for the State. 
 
 If the Cape Fear River is made navigable to Fayetteville this 
 
the Cape Fear River 
 
 63 
 
 city would be the distributing point for a great majority of this 
 freight. There is one other road, the Raleigh and Southport, which 
 has reached Fayetteville during the past year. I cannot give you 
 the tonnage for this road, but it develops a section not heretofore 
 reached by a railroad, and although only 60 miles, it will be a good 
 distributor. 
 
 If I have not mado myself clear, or if there is any other in- 
 formation I can furnish you, command me. I have the honor to 
 be, sir, Yours very respectfully, 
 
 H. C. BROWN, Clerk. 
 
 Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company, for Year Ending June 30, 
 
 1906. — Freiglit Traffic iVIovement — State of North Carolina. 
 
 (Company's Material Excluded.) 
 
 COMMODITY. 
 
 Freight 
 Originating 
 on this 
 Road 
 
 Freight 
 Received 
 
 From 
 
 Connectinf 
 
 Roadt and 
 
 Other 
 
 Carriers 
 
 Total Freight 
 Tonnage 
 
 Products of Agriculture 
 
 Grain 
 
 Flour 
 
 Other mill products 
 
 Hay 
 
 Tobacco 
 
 Cotton 
 
 Fruits and vegetables 
 
 Cotton seed 
 
 Melons and cantaloupes 
 
 Products of Animals 
 
 Live stock 
 
 Dressed meats 
 
 Other packing house products 
 
 Poultry, game and fish 
 
 Wool 
 
 Hides and leather 
 
 Products of Mines 
 
 Phosphate 
 
 Anthracite coal 
 
 Bituminous coal 
 
 Coke 
 
 Ores 
 
 Stone, sand and like articles. 
 Products of Forests 
 
 Cross-ties 
 
 Lumber 
 
 Wood 
 
 Logs 
 
 Manufactures 
 
 Petroleum and other, oils. . . . 
 
 Sugar 
 
 Whole Tons 
 15,912 
 
 8,713 
 12,911 
 
 7,245 
 20,622 
 49,431 
 34,594 
 34,735 
 
 7,238 
 
 2,394 
 
 Whole Tons 
 57,262 
 42.010 
 30.714 
 29,343 
 12,168 
 77,670 
 123,351 
 19,256 
 19.075 
 
 6,989 
 
 5.214 
 
 8,860 
 522,380 
 115,088 
 377,513 
 
 12.231 
 2,703 
 
 15,525 
 
 2,996 
 
 371,480 
 
 8,058 
 
 91,582 
 
 6,045 
 
 5,807 
 
 Whole Tons 
 73.174 
 50.723 
 43,625 
 36,568 
 32.790 
 127,101 
 157.945 
 53.991 
 26,313 
 
 9,383 
 
 26.148 
 
 2.775 
 
 19 
 
 1,428 
 
 31,595 
 
 250,166 
 
 20,739 
 
 11,856 
 893,860 
 123,146 
 469.095 
 
 18,276 
 8,510 
 
64 
 
 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 Naval stores 
 
 Iron, pig and bloom 
 
 Iron and steel rails......... 
 
 Castings and machinery .... 
 
 Bar and sheet metal 
 
 Cement, brick and lime 
 
 Agricultural implements 
 
 Wagons, carriages, tools, etc. 
 Wines, liquors and beers.... 
 Household goods, furniture.. 
 Fertilizers and materials.... 
 
 Merchandise 
 
 Cotton factory products 
 
 Cotton-seed oil 
 
 Miscellaneous 
 Other commodities not men- 
 tioned above 
 
 Total tonnage, N. C 
 
 Total tonnage, entire line 
 
 18,988 
 
 1,513 
 3,182 
 1,496 
 
 45,234 
 
 221 
 
 2,358 
 
 693 
 
 3,839 
 
 189,933 
 
 55,514 
 
 8,024 
 
 14,419 
 
 51,774 
 1,642,708 
 7,070,320 
 
 6,395 
 
 25,383 
 
 9,156 
 
 9,156 
 
 7,321 
 
 8,834 
 
 29,646 
 
 32,828 
 
 9,227 
 
 10,723 
 
 38,843 
 
 84,077 
 
 1,568 
 
 1,789 
 
 4,310 
 
 6,668 
 
 7,141 
 
 7,834 
 
 4,477 
 
 8,316 
 
 119,401 
 
 309,334 
 
 140,364 
 
 195,878 
 
 27,801 
 
 35,825 
 
 16,614 
 
 31,033 
 
 79,763 
 
 131,537 
 
 1,725,733 
 
 3,368.441 
 
 2,321,881 
 
 9,892,201 
 
 (SUB) EXHIBIT 4. 
 This is the letter of Messrs. Underwood & Co., given above. 
 
 (SUB) EXHIBIT 5. 
 
 THE GREENSBORO ICE AND COAL COMPANY, 
 
 W. E. V/orth, President. 
 
 M. W. Thompson, Treasurer. 
 
 Greensboro, N. C, January 29, 1907. 
 
 Mr. E. .J. Hale, Fayetteville, N. C. 
 
 My Dear Sir: Your letter of January 28 to Major Charles M. 
 Stedman has been referred to me, and I am sending you on a sep- 
 arate sheet some of the specific discriminations against Greens- 
 boro which apply with practically the same force to all other cities 
 in the State, except those upon the coast or with water facilities. 
 North Carolina has the reputation of having the highest freight 
 rates in the country, and it is true that the systems which have 
 divided up the State and control its shipping, will ship from the 
 north, through the State to points south, from the south through 
 the State to points north, from Norfolk, Richmond and Virginia 
 points through the State to points west, from the west through 
 the State to points east, cheaper than they will allow such ship- 
 ments to stop within the borders of the State. The situation at 
 
the Cape Fear^lve^____ 
 
 compete .„ an .-;-^-- ^'T Z^Z t.e G..e„. 
 Greensboro on a better basis o ^ Greensboro, 
 
 boro houses, and on some goods ''^'J^^lflJ^^^^^ ^^ms can buy 
 making the two shipments cheaper t^^;^J;^Jf ^/^^-gj^^. Some of 
 
 r;r.ror.;:er:rrrr ■, r ..l. .e. 
 
 consigned to Greensboro direct. „„,,ntrv during the 
 
 Whereas, with mosl railway systems in the "'™"y ""' ^ 
 
 past ten years there has been a ^rZVn^rZT^rj:^^^ 
 the southern Railway has "a-sedo hold its rates in 
 
 ,n a great many cases there ,s a '"f " J'";^,J°„ ,,,„e funds 
 ot the southern I'-'-^;, 'l-^^^tT K^ge to %«'» the building 
 necessary to acquire additional """^f ^/° " „J^^„,e, but the 
 ol competitive "^ "l^Mr 'p ey t'^ .u"bHc has shown 
 rat'e'rl'mt.: ha': bTef sTe'nt In ta.lng care ot the property and 
 
 providing for its present needs. doubtful 
 
 some of the P^P-ties acquired - the South we ^^^ ^^^^^^^^ 
 
 value and were acquired on pretty ^^P^n 
 
 guarantees, and the ^ ^^^^ '„"; ctm of thlse other 
 care of themselves are taxed e-.ira on 
 
 ""'^neTolutlon o, the freight problem '-« be the cr at. o^ 
 , number oMnta-^ J^^^-' ^t te -nctnV" t^ Z U 
 "L r;::=ce:r ln";:cuH:g an ap^opnatlon to open to navigation 
 the Cape Fear River to >our city, ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^ 
 
 [Signed] M. W, THOMPSON, 
 Below are the freight rates on the first six classes from and 
 
 to different points: 
 
 Via Greensboro. 
 
 Evansvllle, Ind., to Lynchburg 76% 65 49 33 2S 
 Lynchburg Va., to EvansvlUe 67 58 8 33 28 2^ 
 
 =ro,'K^c',°trrars -i-e Jfs Z H 65 56 U 
 Via Greensboro. 
 
 Lynchburg, Va., to St. Louis. Mo. 7 63 37 ^^ 
 
 St. Louis, MO., to Greensboro 131 112 89 ^^ 
 
 Greensboro ( N. C, to St. Louis 134 114 95 
 
^6 
 
 Hi^ory of the Canalization ol 
 
 Via Greensboro. 
 
 Louisville, Ky., to Lynchburg, Va. 62 
 Lynchburg, Va., to Louisville, Ky. 54 
 Louisville, Ky., to Greensboro 9^ 
 Greensboro, N, C, to Louisville 120 
 Richmond, Va., to Charleston, S. C, 65 
 
 Charleston, S. C, to Richmond, Va. 65 
 Charleston, S. C, to Greensboro 80 
 Greensboro, N. C, to Charleston 85 74 
 Lynchburg, Va., to Savannah, Ga. 76 
 
 Savannah, Ga., to Lynchburg, Va. 76 
 Savannah, Ga., to Greensboro 90 
 Greensboro, N. C, to Savannah 90 
 
 531/2 
 
 40^ 
 
 271/2 
 
 23 
 
 18 Vz 
 
 47 
 
 38 
 
 25 
 
 22 
 
 18 
 
 79 
 
 64 
 
 47 
 
 40 
 
 31 
 
 98 
 
 80 
 
 57 
 
 50 
 
 39 
 
 55 
 
 48 
 
 40 
 
 30 
 
 25 
 
 55 
 
 48 
 
 40 
 
 30 
 
 25 
 
 70 
 
 60 
 
 49 
 
 40 
 
 32 
 
 74 
 
 61 
 
 49 
 
 42 
 
 32 
 
 64 
 
 57 
 
 50 
 
 41 
 
 32 
 
 64 
 
 57 
 
 50 
 
 41 
 
 32 
 
 78 
 
 64 
 
 51 
 
 44 
 
 34 
 
 78 
 
 64 
 
 51 
 
 44 
 
 34 
 
 Freight on Coal. 
 
 From Bluefield, W. Va., to Greensboro, N. C, 360 miles, $2.30 per 
 ton . 
 
 From Bluefield, W. Va., to Wilmington, N. C, via Greensboro, 540 
 miles, $2.05 per ton. 
 
 From Bluefield, W. Va., to Chicago, 111., 658 miles $2.05 per ton. 
 
 From Bluefield, W. Va., to Cincinnati, Ohio, 350 miles, $1.00 per 
 ton. 
 
 From Bluefield, W. Va., to Norfolk, Va., 367 miles, $1.50 per ton. 
 
 From Bluefield, W, Va., to Norfolk, Va., 367 miles $1.35 per ton, 
 when for export. 
 
 (From Fayetteville Observer, December 1, 1909.) 
 IMPR0VEMEN1 OF THE UPPER CAPE FEAR. 
 
 Report of Captain Earl I. Brown, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A., In 
 Charge of District. 
 
 We have received from Captain Earl I. Brown, Corps of Engin- 
 eers, U. S. A., in charge, his very interesting and elaborate report 
 upon the impovement of the rivers and harbors in this district, 
 which is coterminous with North Carolina. 
 
 The part which concerns us of the Upper Cape Fear is as 
 follows : 
 
the Cape Fear River 
 
 67 
 
 The Cape Fear Above Wilmington, N. C. 
 
 The original condition when work began was a channel badly 
 obstructed above Kelly.- Cove by logs snags etc., and with go v^ 
 erning low water depths of 4 feet to Kelly s Cove and 1 toot to 
 
 ^'^^Th7 original project of January 26, 1881, was to clear the river 
 to Favetteville and obtain a continuous channel by jettymg and 
 dredgfng, estimated in July, 1893, to cost $275,000 for a channel 
 4 teet deep to Elizabethtown and 3 feet deep to FayetteviUe. It is 
 about 30 per cent, completed. , ^ -r iq iqoo i« tn 
 
 The existing project, adopted by act of June 13, 1902, , is to 
 obtain, by canalizing,, a low-water depth of 8 feet, to FayetteviUe. 
 at an estimated cost of $1,350,000. . ^ r, >,„„„ 
 
 In consequence of this new project the former project has been 
 abandoned, excepting for the maintenance of the natural channel, 
 pending the construction of locks and dams 
 
 Amount expended on project of 1881 to June 30, 1^09. ^^^ ^^ 
 
 For improvement 2o',06o'.80 
 
 For maintenance ' ^ 
 
 Total $154,497.77 
 
 Amount expended on project of 1902 to June 30, 1909, ^^^ ^^ 
 for improvement ' 
 
 Total $169,180.00 
 
 The wo;k'done during the year consisted in removing obstruc- 
 tions in the river between the twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh mile 
 board caused by the caving of banks, in the partial construcnon 
 of a new hull for the snag-boat H. G. Wright for use on this and 
 neighboring streams, inspection and office work^ A^vntPd to 
 
 The additional appropriations asked for will be devoted to 
 continuing the work of maintenance by oP^^'^J^^^^f^ "^^f ^^ R,„ff 
 
 At present the low-water depths are S.^^et to Kings Bluff 
 38 miles above Wilmington; 2 I'i feet to pizabeth own 73 m^ea 
 above Wilmington; and 2 feet to FayetteyiUe. f ^^^^f^^^^^^t^g^^^ 
 mineton Favetteville is the head of navigation. Low-water stages 
 Sievtl from Iwo to fou. months during each Summer and freshets 
 which raise the water level from 15 to 50 feet at Faye"evxlle (theef^ 
 fects lower down being less marked), us ually occur as often as once a 
 month Xring the rest of the year. They do not occur with any 
 
 '^'^Thfcomirrce^for 1908 was estimated at 137.620 tons, estimated 
 to be worth $3,960,235. 
 
 Locks and Dams. 
 
 The act of June 13, 1902. appropriated $50,000 for the purchase 
 of sites for locks and dams. A careful survey ««^«"f ^,°,^^?J^^\*?Js'' 
 eleven months' time, was made for the purpose of ^^f J^^^J^f «^ 
 This survey has been completed, the sites tentatively located, a 
 number of borings made at each site, the locations approved, and 
 prices obtained on all the lands necessary. imnrove- 
 
 The balance of this appropriation for lock and ^am ^"^P^^!^. 
 ment $35,317.ff7, has been covered into the surplus fund, m accord 
 
68 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 ance with section 10 of the sundry civil act of March 4, 1909. 
 
 Abstracts of the titles were made and turned over to the 
 United States district attorney for examination. The titles to the 
 land needed at lower site were approved and the land purchased. 
 
 Owing to the fact that Congress has directed a re-examination 
 of this river, with a view to a possible modification of the pro- 
 ject, the purchase of the other land has been delayed, as its 
 purchase may not be required. 
 
 No estimate is submitted for further work on the existing 
 project for locks and dams, pending action by Congress on the 
 modified plan for this improvement contained in House Document 
 No. 890, Sixtieth Congress, first session, which is based on the 
 re-examination authorized by the river and harbor act of March 2, 
 1907. 
 
 The expenditures ti June 30, 1909, on said project for surveys, 
 other preliminaries, and purchasing land at lower site, amounted 
 to $14,682.23. 
 
 The expenditures for the year were for inspection and office 
 expenses. 
 Cape Fear River Above Wilmington (Open Channel Improvennent). 
 
 July 1, 1908, balance unexpended $7,371.56 
 
 June 30, i909, amount expended during fiscal year loi 
 
 maintenance of improvement 3,205.00 
 
 July 1, 1909, balance unexpended 4,166.56 
 
 July 1, 1909, outstanding liabilities 500.62 
 
 July 1, 1909, balance available 3,665.94 
 
 Consolidated. 
 
 July 1, 1908, balance unexpended $13,573.95 
 
 Amount allotted from appropriation by river and harbor 
 
 act approved March 3, 1909 10,000.00 
 
 June 30, 1909, amount expended during fiscal year, for 
 
 maintenance of improvement 5,871.34 
 
 July 1, 1909, balance unexpended 17,702.61 
 
 July 1, 1909, outstanding liabilities 1,063.28 
 
 July 1, 1909, balance available 16,639.33 
 
 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year 
 ending June 30. 1911, for maintenance of improvement 
 
 exclusive of the balance unexpended July 1, 1909 14,000.00 
 
 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sundry civil act 
 
 of June 4, 1897, and of section 7 of the river and harbor act of 1899. 
 Cape Fear River Above Wilmington^ Locks and Dams. 
 
 July 1, 1908, balance unexpended 35,526.11 
 
 June 30, 1909, amount evpended during fiscal 
 
 year: For works of improvement $ 208.34 
 
 Covered into the surplus fund 35,317.77 
 
 ■ — • 35,526.11 
 
 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing 
 
 project $1,300,000.00 
 
the Cape Fear River 
 
 69 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 Cape Fear River Above Wilmington* N. C. 
 
 The project of 1881 has been about 30 per cent, completed, and 
 no work under it, except for maintenance, has been done for sev- 
 eral years. It has been superceded by the canalization project of 
 1902, but pending the completion of the latter main*"enance work on 
 the former project is being kept up. 
 
 The work of the year consisted in removing obstructions in 
 the river between the twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh mile boards 
 caused by the caving of the banks, making repairs to snag boat H. 
 G. Wright, inspecting riA er, collecting and platting gauge records 
 from 1888 to 1908, inclusive, collecting commercial statistics, mov- 
 ing houses in yard at Wilmington, and the partial construction of a 
 new hull for the snag boat H. G. Wright, which is used on this 
 and neighboring streams. 
 
 The cost of the year's work was $3,705.62, of which $1,954.78 
 was for constructing snag-boat hull, and the balance for the other 
 work. 
 
 Canalization. — The expenses of the year on the canalization 
 project amounted to $208.34, and were for preparing gauge sheet 
 and office expenses. 
 
 Commercial Statistics for Year Ending December 31, 1908. 
 
 Class of Goods | Tons 
 
 Brick .| 4,475 
 
 Cotton I 4,000 
 
 Cotton seed | 700 
 
 Cotton-seed meal | 400 
 
 Eggs I 10 
 
 Fertilizers | 41,800 
 
 General merchandise | 10,600 
 
 Grain ( 240 
 
 Hay I 250 
 
 Hogs I 30 
 
 Lumber | 6,250 
 
 Machinery | 50 
 
 Poultry I 20 
 
 Peanuts | 100 
 
 Potatoes I 30 
 
 Rosin I 2,880 
 
 Shingles | 610 
 
 Turpentine, crude I 900 
 
 Turpentine, spirits | 850 
 
 Tar I 1,050 
 
 Timber (square, round and gum | 
 
 logs) I 36,576 
 
 Wood j 6,500 
 
 Cattle I 50 
 
 Cross-ties | 16,250 
 
 Poles and Piles I 3,000 
 
 Total I 137,620 
 
 Price 1 
 
 Value 
 
 $ 3 
 
 $ 13.425 
 
 210 
 
 840,000 
 
 20 
 
 14,000 
 
 25 
 
 10,000 
 
 300 
 
 3,000 
 
 22 
 
 919,600 
 
 140 
 
 1,484,000 
 
 35 
 
 8,400 
 
 20 
 
 5,000 
 
 100 
 
 3,000 
 
 10 
 
 62,500 
 
 100 
 
 5,000 
 
 200 
 
 4,000 
 
 60 
 
 6,000 
 
 20 
 
 600 
 
 25 
 
 72,000 
 
 8 
 
 4,880 
 
 28 
 
 25,200 
 
 145 
 
 123,250 
 
 15 
 
 15,750 
 
 5 
 
 182,880 
 
 4 
 
 26,000 
 
 60 
 
 3.000 
 
 7 
 
 113,750 
 
 5 
 
 15,000 
 
 3,960,235 
 
70 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 EXHIBIT C. 
 
 HOW TO PREVENT FREIGHT DISCRIMINATIONS AGAINST 
 
 NORTH CAROLINA. 
 
 (Paper read by E. J. Hale, Editor of The Fayetteville Observer, 
 at the Convention held at Charlotte, April 23, 1908.) 
 
 Mr. President and Brethren of the North Carolina Press Asso- 
 ciation: 
 
 At the meeting in Fayetteville on November 1st, held for the 
 purpose of greeting Mr. John A. Fox, Special Director of the Na- 
 tional Rivers and Harbors Congress, and of electing delegates to 
 the Waterways convention at Wilmington on November 5th, the 
 following resolutions were unanimously adopted and ordered to be 
 presented to the Wilmington convention, viz: 
 
 "We hail with pleasure the awakening of our people in the 
 business centres of our State to the vast importance of Concerted 
 Action, directed to the improvement of our waterways by the Gov- 
 ernment, and we heartily thank the Hon. John A. Fox for his zeal 
 and intelligent efforts in this behalf. 
 
 "We note with pleasure that our sister city of Wilmington, af- 
 ter most cordially seconding our demand for an eight-foot river at 
 all seasons between us— as approved by the Board of Engineers for 
 Rivers and Harbors; adopted by the Government, which has made 
 an appropriation for beginning the work thereon; and thrice unani- 
 mously endorsed by the Legislature of North Carolina— is about to 
 put in a claim for a thirty-foot channel from Wilmington to the 
 open sea, as a further and most important step towards cheap 
 water transportation for herself, for us and the entire people of 
 our State, And we pledge to her our hearty aid in this commend- 
 able work. 
 
 "The Chairman of this meeting is requested to appoint dele- 
 gates to attend the Convention at Wilmington on November 5th, 
 with instructions to press by all honorable means any plans or 
 resolutions looking to thf, speedy completion of the work on the 
 Upper Cape Fear to which the General Government, our State Gov- 
 
the Cape Fear River 71 
 
 ernment and our peopl?! generally are already committed. This 
 to be done by our delegates without antagonizing the project of 
 our sister city for a deep water gateway, which we heartily ap- 
 prove as only secondary in point of time and importance to our own 
 particular work." 
 
 The convention at Wilmington met on November 5th, and was 
 composed of prominent men from all parts of North Carolina as 
 well as from cities of other States. Among those present were: 
 Senator Overman and Congressmen Small, Kitchin, Godwin and 
 Page, and representative? from commercial or waterway associa- 
 tions in Wilmington, Fayetteville, Southport, Charlotte, Salisbury, 
 Greensboro, Durham, Goldsboro, Wilson, Rocky Mount, Wadesboro, 
 Chadburn and Burgaw. There were also present two of the Board 
 of Directors of the National Rivers and Harbors Congress, Messrs. 
 Fox and Hale, and the Vice-President for North Carolina, Mr. 
 Chadbourn. 
 
 The result of their deliberations was embodied in the following 
 resolutions, which were unanimously adopted, viz: 
 
 "Resolved that this meeting highly approves the splendid work 
 of the National Rivers and Harbors Congress; that it take a leaf 
 out of its book and organize a North Carolina branch thereof; and 
 that such branch organize tion adopt the rules and regulations of the 
 National organization so far as applicable to the State. 
 
 "That we hail with pleasure the awakening of our people in the 
 bsuiness centres of our State to the vast importance of concerted 
 action directed toward the improvement of our waterways by the 
 government; and that we heartily thank the patriotic business men 
 or Wilmington for the notable and efficient contribution which they 
 have made to the movement for a North Carolina gateway by call- 
 ing together and securing the aT'Smbling of such a representative 
 body as this, and the Hon. John A. Pox for the very able work 
 which he has done throughout the State in aid of it. 
 
 "That we pledge ourselves to do all in our power to secure an 
 adequate appropriation by the government for the completion at 
 the earliest possible moment of the great project of a 30-foot chan- 
 nel from the sea to Wilmington, recognizing the fact, impressed 
 upon us by over a hundred years of experience as well as by the 
 teachings of science, that nature has fixed the gateway of middle 
 and Western North Carolina by and through the Cape Fear river. 
 
 "That we heartily endorse the project for securing eight feet 
 of water at all seasons from Wilmington to Fayetteville, which has 
 thrice been unanimously endorsed by the Legislature of North Car- 
 
72 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 olina, approved by act of Congress, and for the beginning of which 
 an appropriation has been made, and that we pledge our best en- 
 deavors to secure an appropriation for its immediate completion. 
 
 "That we give our hearty endorsement to the great scheme of 
 an Inter-State Inland Waterway, for a part of the North Carolina 
 section of which the government has already made an appropria- 
 tion; and to the general purpose of improving the navigation of all 
 our rivers and streams further and further inland as speedily as 
 possible, to the end that we may secure for North Carolina the 
 advantages which such a system has provided for the European 
 nations and for some portions of our own country." 
 
 The foregoing was the culmination of efforts begun in 1899 to 
 restore to Fayetteville, Wilmington and the Cape Fear River as 
 a gateway, the control oi shipments to and from Middle and West- 
 ern North Carolina, which the war of 1861-5 and the overworking 
 of the railroad idea since has transferred to the Virginia gateway. 
 
 It will be observed that the resolutions adopted by the North 
 Carolina Waterways Contention at Wilmington give precedence, in 
 point of time demanded for its completion, over all other North 
 Carolina River and Harbor projects, to the securing of a minimum 
 depth of 8 feet of water at all seasons from Wilmington to Fayette- 
 ville. That was done because the Convention recognized the Cape 
 Fear River as the natural gateway to Middle and Western North 
 Carolina, and because Fayetteville, situated at the head of naviga- 
 tion on the Cape Fear far in the interior, just as Richmond is 
 situated at the head of navigation on the James, is the key to the 
 problem of placing the interior cities of North Carolina on equal 
 terms with the interior cities of Virginia. 
 
 I will now endeavor to give you a brief history of the efforts 
 referred to and of their origin, and a somewhat philosophic presen- 
 tation of the reason why its completion will "prevent freight dis- 
 criminations against North Carolina." 
 
 As the circumstances make it necessary for me to recite a 
 number of personal experiences, you will pardon this feature of 
 my paper. 
 
 In the Colonial Records of North Carolina, we find the Governor 
 of North Carolina, sitting in Council at Wilmington, appointing 
 committees charged with the duty of fixing upon a point, at or 
 
the Cape Fear River 73 
 
 near the head of navigation on the Cape Fear River, which should 
 be the receiving and distributing point for the trade of the "Back 
 Provinces." Those effoits led to the choice of the settlement at 
 Campbellton as such a point, because of the convergence at Cross 
 Creek, a mile off, of the great wagon roads from the back country— 
 the vast territory now comprised in Middle and Western North 
 Carolina and parts of Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky. Fayette- 
 ville, for some years after the Revolution the seat of the Legisla- 
 ture of North Carolina, v as the result of the union of Cross Creek 
 and Campbellton in 1782. 
 
 In 1813, Robert Fulton— the same who first demonstrated the 
 practicability of propelling vessels by steam— selected the Cape 
 Fear as one of the leading American rivers in his scheme for the 
 development of our waterways. His idea was that the improve- 
 ment of the Upper Cape Fear was necessary to the proper develop- 
 ment of a large part of the Southern back country. 
 
 In 1817, the steamboat Henrietta was built near Fayetteville, 
 and began her service of over forty years between Fayetteville and 
 Wilmington. Deforestation had not then taken place at the head- 
 waters of the river; her trips were regular; and she often made 
 them in less than ten hours between the two towns. 
 
 On January 26, 1881, the United States Government bought 
 up the stock of the Cape Fear Navigation Company, a corporation 
 chartered by the State alter the Revolution (1789) for the purpose 
 of keeping navigation open to Fayetteville; made Fayetteville a 
 port of entry; and assumed the duty, which had devolved upon the 
 Navigation Company, of keeping the river open at all seasons. This 
 it sought to accomplish by a system of jetties, which were in- 
 tended to arrest the effect of deforestation; but its efforts were 
 
 ineffectual. 
 
 ****** 
 
 On September 8, 1899, I published an editorial in The Observer 
 calling attention to the failure of the government's jetty system on 
 the Cape Fear; describing the more scientific treatment of water- 
 ways in EJurope, where the pressure of population rendered such 
 a method necessary; and suggesting the adoption by us of the plan 
 employed on the Weser. 
 
 In common with other students of our commercial history, I 
 recognized the fact that this river had been the gateway to the 
 regions mentioned up to the breaking out of the war of 1861, and 
 that the end of the war had found Wilmington, and especially 
 Fayetteville, prostrate upder its effects. I also knew, along with 
 others, that this prostration, common to all the South, appeared 
 to be less remediable in our case than in that of the seaboard 
 
74 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 towns of neighboring States. And I had advanced to the point of 
 realizing that this disability was immediately attributable to the 
 circumstance that the exigencies of the Confederate Government 
 had introduced the novelty of through trains on the North-and- 
 South-goiug railways which intersected our diverging wagon roads; 
 that the manifest advantage of running through trains, once the 
 Confederacy had cut the knot, caused them to become a fixture in 
 transportation; and that this led to the establishment of other 
 traffic terminals. But the question remained: Why should the 
 new system have operated so completely to the disadvantage of 
 North Carolina? 
 
 The engineering treatment of the Weser and the commercial 
 treatment of the Manchester case, would, if combined, solve our 
 Cape Fear problem. But the fact was recallel that, even before 
 the war, North Carolina had been called "a strip of land between 
 two States" — a gibe which, considering our achievements in war 
 and in peace, necessarily had reference to our commercial attain- 
 ments, which were inferior to those of our neighbors. The next 
 step followed naturally — a study of the map of our seacoast. This 
 revealed the geographical peculiarity which distinguishes us: our 
 jutting sealine which culminates in the proboscis of Hatteras and 
 recedes thence to the re-entrant angle in which New York lies, on 
 the North, and to the somewhat similar angle in which Savannah 
 lies, on the South. A glance at the map will show that the normal 
 coast line would be a strf.ight line from New York to Savannah. 
 
 A normal coast line would mean normal ports, wherever ports 
 might exist along Its lergth. Ports, for the purposes of this dem- 
 onstration, may be divided into three classes: the normal port; 
 the abnormal, or less desirable port; and the Ideal port. 
 
 It is self-evident thac the traffic influences of any port, other 
 things being equal, extends throughout the territory included 
 between lines drawn at right angles across the mideway points of 
 air-lines from it to the ports on either side of it. In the case of 
 the normal port, these right-angle lines would remain parallel, and 
 its traffic influence would be precisely that of its neighbors. In the 
 case of the abnormal port, the right-angle lines would converge, 
 and its traffic influence would be less than that of its neighbors, 
 and in degree proportionate to the rapidity of the convergence. In 
 the case of the ideal port, the right-angle lines would diverge, and 
 its traffic influence woulc exceed that of its neighbors, and in 
 degree proportionate to the rapidity of the divergence. 
 
 Apply these self-evident rules to New York — where the traffic 
 antennae spread out like the ribs of a. fan — and the cause of the 
 growth of that great pori: is apparent. Apply them to Hatteras, or 
 
the Cape Fear River 75 
 
 to all of the coast line of Norh Carolina — which, as you will see, 
 lies far East of the normal coast line — and we have the explanation 
 of the gibe referred to. 
 
 I presented the foregoing to the North Carolina Legislature of 
 1901, and instantly secured unanimous endorsement of the scheme 
 for canalizing the Cape Fear to Fayetteville; and secured a like 
 endorsement when it was asked for afterwards, namely, at the 
 hands of the Legislatures of 1905 and 1907. The same presentation 
 secured the adoption of the scheme by Congress, in 1901 and 1902. 
 
 The scheme then adopted — which is the existing one — called 
 for three movable dams, similar to those used on the Kanawaha 
 River, with a lift of 9 fee^ each, the whole to cost $1,320,000. It was 
 after a memorable struggle that the bill for this purpose was 
 reported favorably by the Senate and House conference committee 
 in the Spring of 1901, and $150,000 named as the amount for 
 beginning work. As you will recall, no doubt, that was the bill 
 which Senator Carter, of Montana, "talked to death" in the closing 
 hours of that Congress. Taking advantage of this respite, the 
 hostile Interests — presumably the railroads whose discriminatory 
 rates would be so radically affected by the completion of this great 
 North Carolina work — bi ought enormous pressure to bear to pre- 
 vent the inclusion of this item in the Rivers and Harbors bill of 
 the next Congress. It was defeated in the House, but passed the 
 Senate; and, after a titanic struggle in the conference committee 
 of Senate and House, was reported favorably, and beacme a law, 
 April, 1902. In the struggle alluded to Senator Berry, of Arkansas, 
 one of the six conferees, gained the lasting gratitude of North 
 Carolina. He had mastered the proposition presented by us, as 
 otulined above; saw that it was the crux of the problem of giving 
 North Carolina "equal opportunity" with her neighbors in the 
 matter of freight rates; and won the day by declaring that he 
 would hold up the whole Rivers and Harbors bill unless this item 
 was included. 
 
 In this connection, it is to be noted, as described above, that 
 three "lifts" of 9 feet each, or but 27 feet, is required for the 
 giving of 8 feet above tide-water at Fayetteville, 150 miles distant 
 from the sea by the river. No other river presents such a feature 
 as this for reaching our back country. Locks and dams, and canals 
 where needed, can reach any part of North Carolina; but by no 
 other route can the interior be approached economically, the great 
 number of locks necessary to make the ascent rendering the cost 
 prohibitory 
 
i^6 tti^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 $50,000 was appropriated by the Act of 1902 for the purchase of 
 sites for the locks and Gams. From that time up to 1907, the appro- 
 priations for rivers and harbors averaged but 19 millions per year, 
 a sum hardly sufficient U. prevent loss, by decay and otherwise, in 
 existing works. The Ri\ers and Harbors bill was looked upon with 
 disfavor by the great body of the people, being generally described 
 as a "pork barrel," and Congress feared to act even in the direction 
 of meritorious projects of this nature. A movement was begun in 
 the Autumn of 1901 to eulighten the people and arouse them to a 
 comprehension of the huge loss they were suffering because of our 
 backwardness, as compared with the European nations, in water- 
 way development. A great convention was held at Baltimore in 
 September of that year, and the Governor of North Carolina com- 
 missioned me as the representative from the State. Mr. Small- 
 bones headed a small delegation from the Wilmington Chamber 
 of Commerce. The National Rivers and Harbors Congress was 
 formed then, and I was made one of the seven directors — a position 
 to which I have been re-elected at each Convention since, though 
 opposed by powerful interests on several occasions. 
 
 The efforts of this body were successful in the highest degree; 
 and, after six years of agitation by it throughout the country, from 
 ocean to ocean, and from the Canadian to the Mexican border, the 
 people became so aroused that Congress signified its recognition of 
 the popular demand by passing the bill of 1907, carrying the unpre- 
 cedented appropriation of 87 millions of dollars for rivers and 
 harbors. ***** 
 
 I think you will be able to see from the foregoing how readily 
 the present discrimination in freight rates against our State can 
 be prevented. It is by the application of the doctrine that, as all 
 forces proceed along the line of least resistance, so, sooner or later, 
 all freights will seek the nearest route to or from an adequate port. 
 An interesting coincidence in this connection is worth recording. 
 Before Fulton began his experiments with steamboats in America, 
 or had suggested reaching our back country by improvement of 
 the Upper Cape Fear, he was employed by the Duke of Bridge- 
 water as engineer of the old canal from Manchester to Liverpool. 
 It was the grandson of that Duke, the present Earl Egerton of 
 Tatton, who first put me in the way of applying to the Cape Fear 
 the doctrine by which he won a charter for his greater canal from 
 the British Parliament, against the powerful influence of the 
 British railroads. 
 
 This doctrine of Lord Egerton was the basis, as I have already 
 
the Cape Fear River 77 
 
 said, of our winning fight before Congress in 1901 and 1902. It 
 is destined to be the rule for the regulation of interstate as w^l 
 as intrastate commerce; for Chairman Burton, of the Rivers and 
 Harbors Committee of tht House of Representatives, in his great 
 speech before the National Rivers and Harbors Congress, last De- 
 cember, declared that the object of legitimate waterways improve- 
 ment is to supply "equal opportunity to all." Applied to interstate, 
 or intrastate, commerce by rail, that means equal charges per ton 
 per mile for like shipments. But recent decisions of the Interstate 
 Commerce Commission— discriminating against our Southern mills 
 in favor of those of New England in their quest of Oriental trade, 
 though the distance is less from the Southern— indicate that the 
 national commission has not yet brought itself to Mr. Burton's just 
 standard. As our State commission has already done so, it will be 
 apparent how very important is the completion of a project which 
 will place the regulation of North Carolina freights in the hands of 
 North Carolina. 
 
 It is to be noted that it is not the water competition at the Nor- 
 folk "gateway" which is responsible for the discrimination against 
 North Carolina. We already have the splendid port of Wilmington 
 which our "Special Director," Mr. Fox, in his tour of Middle and 
 Western North Carolina last October, pointed out was nearer to 
 these regions than Norfolk. So great, indeed, is the traffic influence 
 of Wilmington-and we expect to greatly increase that by deeper 
 water from there to the sea-that even now it ranks fourth among 
 the cotton ports. It is not Norfolk, but the up-the-river port of 
 Richmond, standing back of Norfolk, which is the governing factor 
 Only a glance at the map is needed to show that It is, correlatively 
 the up-the-river port of Fayettevilie which alone can intercept the 
 traffic routes of Richmond by shorter lines. 
 
 The Fayettevilie project can be completed, working night and 
 day, in six months. Our North Carolina Waterways Association is 
 pledged to work for its Immediate completion. It is also pledged 
 to the completion of the project for 30 feet of water from the sea 
 to Wilmington at the earliest moment possible, and it has heartily 
 endorsed the interstate Inland Waterway. By them the Fayette- 
 vilie gateway will be greatly assisted— by the former, in the 
 advantage of the enlarged commerce which deeper drafted ships 
 will bring to the Cape Fear; by the latter, in the establishment of 
 a barge route from Boston to Fayettevilie. 
 
 I appeal to you, gentlemen, and especially you of Middle and 
 Western North Carolina, to exert your powerful influence in behalf 
 
78 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 of the Upper Cape Pear gateway; for Congress will listen to you. 
 Do not neglect the Wilmington and the Beaufort projects, hut turn 
 your heaviest guns to the assistance of the Upper Cape Fear; for no 
 one is fighting the former. Hammer away at this in your editorials 
 from now until victory is won, for there is nothing comparable to 
 this In importance to our State. Based on an estimate by the 
 Corporation Commission of the tonnage on one of our principal 
 railway-systems divertible to the Fayetteville route when com- 
 pleted, over 6 million tons of freight per annum is involved. What 
 a huge sum would be saved to us at but one dollar per ton! 
 (See map and description appended to Exhibit A above.) 
 
the Cape fear Rivef 79 
 
 VI. 
 
 VISIT OF THE NATIONAL WATERWAYS 
 
 COMMISSION TO FAYETTEVILLE 
 
 FEBRUARY 1, 1910. 
 
 (From Fayetteville Daily Observer, February 1 ,1910.) 
 THE NATIONAL WATERWAYS COMMISSION. 
 
 Fayetteville extends a hearty welcome to the distinguished 
 gentlemen who compose the visiting committee of the United States 
 National Waterways Commission, who arrived in Fayetteville today 
 and who are engaged in the inspection of the Upper Cape Fear 
 River and of the engineering features of the State's great canaliza- 
 tion project. 
 
 The visit of these gentlemen is noteworthy in several respects. 
 In the first place, it is a compliment to Senator Simmons, an 
 influential member both of the Commission and of the Senate 
 Committee on Commerce, in the respect that this is the first tour of 
 inspection which the Commission has made on the Atlantic seaboard 
 and the only one since itt: creation, with exception of their tour of 
 the Mississippi before Congress met. The circumstance that this 
 trip is taken in the midst of the rush of a session of Congress, 
 adds to its significance. In the next place, it is, we take it, an, 
 expression of the awakened understanding of the vital importance 
 of this great project to tht State of North Carolina, and of the fact 
 that our geographical peculiarities and commercial history cause 
 this to differ from all other river propositions offered to the 
 government. 
 
 Another interesting feature of this occasion is the prominent 
 part which Fayetteville has taken in the founding and promotion of 
 the National Rivers and Harbors Congress; and, we imagine, it van 
 be properly said that the public sentiment aroused by that body led 
 
80 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 to the creation of the United States National Waterways Com- 
 mission, which is the highest authority on the great interests 
 entrusted to it. 
 
 Following are the members of the Commission: 
 
 Senator T. E. Burton, of Ohio; 
 
 Senator J. H. Gallinger, of New Hampshire; 
 
 Senator S. F. Piles, oj: Washington; 
 
 Senator Wm. A. Smith, of Michigan; 
 
 Senator F. M. Simmons, of North Carolina; 
 
 Senator J. P. Clarke, of Arkansas; 
 
 Senator William Lorimer, of Illinois; 
 
 Representative D. S. Alexander, of New York; 
 
 Representative F. C. Stevens, of Minnesota; 
 
 Representative I. P. Wanger, of Pennsylvania; 
 
 Representative S. M. Sparkman, of Florida; 
 
 Representative John A. Moon, of Tennessee. 
 
 Of th« above, the following gentlemen compose the committee 
 who are Fayetteville's guests today: 
 
 Senator Piles, Senator Smith, Senator Simmons, Senator Clarke, 
 Representative Stevens and Representative Wanger. 
 
 While the National Waterways Commission is the highest au- 
 thority on the subjects entrusted to its consideration, the final 
 judgment (in practice) rests with the committees of the two Houses 
 having charge of the framing of the bills for rivers and harbors, 
 the Committee on Commerce in the Senate, and the Rivers and 
 Harbors Committee in the House. The visiting Senators are mem- 
 bers of the Committee on Commerce, and the visiting Representa- 
 tives of the Rivers and Harbors Committee. 
 
 Fayetteville has had a notable experience in the number and 
 character of distinguished persons who have been her guests from 
 time to time, and those who honor her with their presence today 
 make a most gratifying addition to her record in this regard. 
 
 (From Fayetteville Daily Observer, February 2, 1910.) 
 THE VISIT OF 1 HE WATERWAYS COMIVIISSION. 
 
 The Presence of the Distinguished Statesmen an Event of Great 
 Import — All Fayetteville and Cumberland United For 
 Progress. 
 
 The visit to Fayetteville yesterday of the sub-committee of the 
 
the Cape Fear River 81 
 
 United States National Waterways Commission, in itself an event 
 of the greatest importance, brought about results that mean a united 
 people of Fayetteville and Cumberland county, for the future prog- 
 ress and development of this great section of the State, of which 
 Fayetteville Is the metropolis. 
 
 It was also a day fraught with great things for the State of 
 North Carolina, as was so eloquently expressed by Governor 
 Kitchin in his speech oi welcome to the visitors. 
 
 In responding to the Governors welcome. Senators Simmons, 
 Piles and Clarke and Congressman Wanger, gave great hope and 
 inspiration to our people. 
 
 Trip Down The River. 
 
 The visitors returned from the fifteen mile trip down the Cape 
 Fear shortly before six c clock, all expressing themselves as greatly 
 impressed with North Carolina's principal river. 
 
 The Dinner. 
 
 At 8:30 o'clock the members of the Commission were enter- 
 tained at a magnificent dinner at the LaFayette. It was one of the 
 most notable events that has taken place in this State, and we 
 doubt if such a splendid dinner was ever served within her borders. 
 
 Major Hale, President of the Upper Cape Fear Improvement 
 Association, presided. On his right were Senator Clarke, of Arkan- 
 sas, and Representative Wanger, of Pennsylvania. On his left, 
 Senator Piles, of Washington, Senator Simmons, of North Carolina, 
 and His Excellency Governor Kitchin. Rev. Dr. J. J. Hall, Capt. 
 Earl I. Brown, United States Army; Mr. Wade H. Harris, E'Mtor of 
 The Charlotte Observer; Assistant United States Engineer Merritt 
 and Col. A. D. Watts, were the other honored guests sitting at 
 the cross table. 
 
 Besides the guests of honor, those present at the dinner were: 
 
 Anderson, J. H.; Armfield, J. F. L..; Broadfoot, C. W.; Blount, 
 W. F.; Boyd, J. R.; Beattie, W. J., Jr.; Bullard, Mayor V. C; Cook, 
 H. L.; Currie, J. H.; Culbreth, J. H.; Cooper, C. J.; Cooper, S. W.; 
 Clark, Dr. F. S.; Dixon, A. E.; Ellington, J. O.; Gaster, David; Hale, 
 E. J.; Hale, L. B.; Harrison, R. G.; Hawley, W. L.; Home, H. R.; 
 Huske, B. R.; Highsmith. Dr. J. F.; Jennings, E. H.; Lilly, Dr. H. 
 W.; Lyon. Terry; McAlister, C. C; McCaskill, A. L.; McDiarmid, W. 
 J.; McKethan, E. R.; McKethan, Alfred; McMillan, Allen; McDuffle, 
 R. H.; McNeill, George; Murchison, I. A.; Mills, J. A.; Moore, J. A.; 
 Newton, J. Sprunt; Poe, E. A.; Rose, F. R.; Robinson, H. McD.; 
 
82 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 Rose, C. G.; Stedman, F. H.; Shaw, J. G.; Slocomb, A. H.; Schenck, 
 J. Sliiifulon; Sinclair, N. A.; Shuford, M. F.; Tolar, John R.; Under- 
 wood, John; Underwood. J. B.; Williamson, L. A.; Williamson, 
 Banks. 
 
 It Was A Great Day. 
 
 The wave of progress inaugurated by the paving of the streets 
 which in turn has set the people of the county to bestir themselves 
 in behalf of good roads, reached its climax in last night's wonderful 
 demonstration. The leading citizens of the town and county con- 
 stituting the very backbone of the community, and who were 
 present are rejoicing over last week's big events. 
 
the Cape Fear River 83 
 
 VII. 
 
 POPULAR SUBSCRIPTIONS IN AID OF 
 
 THE PROJECT. 
 
 The Fayetteville Observer of December 6, 1907, contained the 
 annual report of Secretary P. R. Rose, for 1907, in which he said: 
 
 "At this meeting, {.lanuary, 1907,) the Chamber appointed a, 
 committee to raise a fund of $300.00 to aid the splendid work of 
 the River and Harbor Congress, of which our distinguished mem- 
 ber, Major E. J. Hale, is a director and prominent officer. I regret 
 to say that from various causes, this matter was neglected until 
 Major Hale (a co-operating member of the committee) took it in 
 hand himself — his efforts resulting in raising $500.00 instead of 
 $300.00. I am glad to say, however, that members of this Cham- 
 ber were conspicuous among the contributors to this very impor- 
 tant fund." 
 
 The Observer of February 14, 1910, contained a list of those 
 who had made money ccntributions in aid of the promotion of the 
 project, as follows; 
 
 Armfield, J. F. L., $25.00; Atkinson, H. C, $2.00; Anderson, 
 .1. H., $13.00; Ashley-Bailey Co., $25.00; Broadfoot, C. W., $20.00; 
 BuUard, V. C, $1.00; Eevill & Vanstory, $10.00; Blount, W. P., 
 $10.00; Culbreth, J, H. & Co., $25.00; Cooper, C. J., $25.00; Cooper,' 
 Sol. W., $25.00; Clark, Dr. Franklin S., $20.00; Chamber of Commerce, 
 $225.00; Carolina Grocery Co., $5.00; Cook, H. L., $10.00; Cum- 
 berland, County of, $300.00; Ellington, J. O., $15.00; Polb, Mike. 
 $5.00; Fayetteville Ice & Mfg. Co., $20.00; Fayetteville, City of,, 
 $300.00; Green, W. J., $10.00; Georgia Pine Turpentine Co., $20.00;' 
 Hale, E. J., $1,498.95; Harrison, J. P., $25.00; Huske Hardware 
 House, $25.00; Hedgpeth Brothers, $2.00; Home, H. R. & Sons, 
 $35.00; Hawley, W. L., $6.00; Hollingsworth, J. W., $8.00; Holt- 
 Morgan Mill, $35.00; Holt Williamson Mill, $30.00; Highsmith, Dr. 
 J. F., $5.00; Judd, Dr. .T. H., $1.00; Lilly, Dr. H. W., $45.00; Lamb, 
 J. M. & Sons, $5.00; MacKethan, E. R., $4.00; MacKethan, A. A., 
 
84 Hi^ory of the Canaliz ati on of 
 
 ?25.00; McNeill, W. D., $5.00; Murchison, I. A., $5.00; Martin- 
 McKethan Co., $5.00 McDiarmid, W. J. Co., $20.00; McNeill, Dr. J. 
 W., $5.00 McMillan Brothers, $10.00; Matthews, M. McL, $5.00; 
 McCaskill, A. L., $5.00; McAlister, C. C, $5.00; McKethan, Dr. D. 
 G., $2.00; Nimocks, Q. K., $5.00; Newton, J. Sprunt, $5.00; Gates, 
 J. A., $5.00; Observer Linotype Department, $5.00; Prior, Warren 
 & Sons, $5 00; Prior, Major J. N., $5.50; Poe, E. A., $5.00; Rose, 
 F. R., $25.00; Ray, D. H.. $25.00; Russell, C, S., $10.00; Robinson, 
 H. McD., $10.00; Rankin, A. E. & Co., $15.00; Smith, W. F., $25.00; 
 Sinclair, N. A., $15.00; Stedman, F. H., $25.00; Shuford-Rogers & 
 Co., $10.00; Sedberry, H. S., $5.00; Sheetz's Sons, $5.00; Souders' 
 Pharmacy, $5.00; Shaw, J G., $5.00; Smith, Hunter G., $5.00; State 
 Realty & Insurance Co., $5.00; Tolar-Hart-Holt Mills, $25.00; Tolar, 
 J. R., $10.00; Underwood, J. B., $10.00; Underwood, John, $5.00. 
 Total, $3,213.45. 
 
 Compiler's note: The above represents the money subscribed 
 or paid for sundry specific purposes, and is given as evidence of the 
 good will exhibited by our people. The cost of promotion other- 
 wise, however, was much larger. This was borne by Major Hale; 
 and, including his payments above given and his payments from 
 Costa Rica of Fayetteviile's dues ($100 per annum) to the National 
 Rivers and Harbors Congress for our Upper Cape Fear Improve- 
 ment Association, it has amounted to over five thousand dollars. 
 A part was borrowed by him, and he has just now (May, 1917.) 
 paid off the last of it. 
 
the Cape Fear River 85 
 
 VIII. 
 APPRECIATION OF THE WORK. 
 
 (Fayetteville Daily Observer, February 25, 1914.) 
 
 Ttie banquet given by the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce 
 last night, in F. I. L. I armory, was splendid and most successful. 
 
 * * * ^i * * 
 
 Following is a list ot those speaking: Maj. H. W. Stickle, U. S. 
 engineer in charge of the canaliztion of Cape Fear River; Col. Fred 
 A. Olds, of Raleigh; Mr. B. E. Rice, agricultural agent of the Norfolk 
 Southern Railway; Mr. Bion H. Butler, of Southern Pines, editor, 
 agricultural writer and farmer; Mr. Hubert Ramsaur, secretary and 
 organizer of the State Chamber of Commerce, and Mayor Underwood. 
 
 Major H. W. Stickle, the first speaker, was introduced by Toast- 
 master McAlister. Major Stickle's subject was "The Canalization 
 of the Cape Fear River and Its Benefits." He handled his subject 
 well, and interspersed valuable information and practical sugges- 
 tions with some mighty good anecdotes and much fine wit. He 
 said that Elbert Hubbard claimed that transportation was the second 
 greatest thing on earth, but he did not explain what was the greatest 
 thing. Transportation is a great thing, said the speaker. It is 
 the connecting link between agriculture and commerce. And water 
 transportation is the most important. But transportation to be use- 
 ful must be permanent, and after a water channel has been estab- 
 lished it should be utilized. That it was up to Fayetteville and the 
 Cape Fear section to make the most of the canalization of the Cape 
 Fear River, which would assuredly give a minimum depth of eight 
 feet the year round and would amazingly develop the farming lands 
 along the river. Nature has been lavish in her gifts of water to 
 North Carolina, and chief among that water power is Cape Fear 
 River. Major Stickle paid a high compliment to Major Hale, as 
 the originator of the canalization project and the man who stoutly 
 fought for it until he will in a short time be gratified at seeing its 
 completion. That this project of Major Hale had been followed by 
 another — the inland waterway — ^which would do much to reduce 
 
86 Hi^ory of the Canalization of 
 
 rates. The speaker said that the first lock in the river would have 
 a lift of eight feet and the second a lift of 12 feet; that each would 
 be 40 feet wide, and would permit the passage of vessels 200 feet 
 long. He said that on completion of the work, the surface of the 
 water at this point would be so slight as not to be noticeable — only 
 about 6 inches. The speaker said that the transportation of freight 
 on Cape Pear River in 3 906 was 136,000 tons, valued at $3,600,000, 
 while in 1912 it was 213,000 tons, valued at $5,000,000, an increase 
 within six years of 39 per cent. 
 
 (Fayetteville Daily Observer, May 14, 1915.) 
 
 CITY GOVERNMENT THANKS MINISTER HALE FOR CAPE 
 
 FEAR CANALIZATION. 
 
 RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Whereas, our distinguished townsman. Major E. J. Hale, United 
 States Minister to Costa Rica, is now in our city on a brief vacation, 
 and 
 
 Whereas, we desire to express our esteem for him and our 
 appreciation of his valuable public services and to welcome him 
 back to our native city; therefore, Be it Resolved by the Mayor and 
 Board of Aldermen of the City of Fayetteville, 
 
 First, That to Major E. J. Hale, the diplomat and patriot, we 
 the puWic representatives of his old neighbors, extend a hearty 
 welcome to our city. 
 
 Second, That we take this occasion to thank him for the untir- 
 ing efforts he devoted to the canalization of the Cape Pear River, 
 now nearing completion, and to express the hope that he may be 
 present to rejoice with us in the celebration of that auspicious 
 «vent. 
 
 Third, That a copy of these resolutions be spread upon our 
 minutes and the City Clerk be instructed to present a copy to 
 Major E. J. Hale. 
 
 Adopted May 12, 1915 
 
 H. J. McBUIE. City Clerk. JOHN C. GIBBS, Mayor. 
 
 (Fayetteville Daily Observer, May 13, 1915.) 
 CELEBRATION OF CANALIZATION OF CAPE FEAR RIVER. 
 At the banquet last evening given to Minister Hale, on motion 
 of Mr. John Underwood and a unanimous vote of the company as- 
 sembled, an organization for celebration of the completion of canal- 
 ization of Cape Pear River was formed with Dr. Franklin S. Clark as 
 Chairman and Solicitor A. B. Breece as Secretary and Treasurer. 
 
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