N&W in 1908 -- Norton

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Bluefield Daily Telegraph
August 12, 1908

NORTON NEWS NOTES
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    Norton, Va., Aug. 11--(Special)--The time has come when Norton must have an overhead bridge or an archway under the Norfolk & Western tracks.  The city council has taken the matter up with the railroad company, and has met with good encouragement [ but see the next sentence].  The railroad company has just about replied, "If you want an overhead or underhead bridge let the town build it."  We would like to know if Bluefield built the several bridges across the railroad?  Did not the Norfolk & Western build all of them?  If so it looks as if they might put one in at Norton.  The company owns the heart of the town, the best property in it, and yet the Norfolk & Western was penurious enough after forcing the council last Fourth of July to put up $200 cash guarantee before it would run an excursion train that day, charged them $10 for the use of their grounds.  The company made hundreds of dollars on its trains that day, all due to the enterprise of the town.  Beside this the town last year cleared their grounds of its brush and logs, making it look respectable and which cost the town around $100.  What do you think of that for appreciation?  A $10 fee this year for the use of the same grounds which the town cleared up.  One good thing about it all, there will be another railroad in Norton after a while [ the Interstate Railroad was completed into Norton in 1909].  Maybe they won't be quite so exacting in some things.  If the town expects a safe crossing over or under the Norfolk and Western tracks better let the state corporation commission see about it.
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[Because the Interstate Railroad ran parallel to the N&W through Norton, wouldn't that have complicated the problem of providing  a bridge or underpass?  Did either ever get built?]

Gordon Hamilton
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