Historical Tidbits

[NW Mailing List]

Combing through the Library of Virginia online newspaper archives has
turned up some interesting tidbits, both about the V. P. I. and come
connected to the N&W and Virginian (although at the point I'm at, it's
still the Tidewater).

This first article mentions the railroads' need for engineers from the
V. P. I. along with some other happenings in Blacksburg that touch on
Tidewater construction:

V. P. I. COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS SELECTED

Heavy Demand From Railroads for Engineers and Chainmen.

(Special to The Times-Dispatch.)

BLACKSBURG, VA., March 5.--The public speakers for the commencement
exercises of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute have all been
announced, except him who will address the graduating class, and
Richmond is well represented among them. Rabbi E. N. Calisch, of
Richmond, will speak before the literary societies, and Mr. H. M.
Smith, of Richmond, will deliver the alumni address. Dr. H. M. Vines,
of the Freemason Street Baptist church, Norfolk, is listed to preach
the baccalaureate sermon.

The address before the graduating class will be delivered by one of
Virginia's most distinguished sons, but his name has not yet been made
public.

The Norfolk and Western and the Tidewater Railroads have been making a
number of unusual demands of the institute for chainmen and
experienced engineers, and the supply of men is not equal to the
numbers asked for. There seems to be active operations in the chemical
and mining industries, too, for the demand for chemists in excess of
the institute's supply.

The looking for men is not confined to the engineering and chemical
departments, however, for many flattering calls have been made by
reputable universities and technical schools for men from the academic
department to take up instructorships in the colleges.

The Richmond Club, of the institute, gave a very delightful banquet at
Tutwiller's Hotel Saturday night. Thirty-six plates were laid, and
after two hours' of rare pleasure the men departed for their rooms
fully satisfied.

There is a business move on foot by which the town hopes to overcome
the scarcity of ice by building a plant for its manufacture. It is the
idea of the promoters to make the plant sufficiently large to supply
the Tidewater Construction people, Christiansburg and other small
towns. It is also proposed to operate a steam laundry and an
electric-lighting system.

Sixty head of horses passed through town Saturday for the construction
department of the Tidewater Railroad.

Mr. George C. Willson, V. P. I.'s all-Southern tackle for two sensons,
and formerly the captain of the foot-ball team, has been announced by
the Institute Athletic Council as the manager of the team for 1906.

The Lee Literary Society held its annual public debate in the college
auditorium on Friday night.

The ticket was as follows: C. B. Powell, president; W. H. Ulrich,
orator; L. E. Guy, declaimer; W. B. Martin, declaimer.

Debate: Resolved, That the policy of colonial expansion is desirable
for the United States. Affirmative, C. R. Kent; negative, M. H. Eoff.

Times Dispatch (Richmond), Number 17, Tuesday, March 6, 1906, pg. 9

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This article, which I found adjacent to one that mentioned V. P. I.
touches on both the N&W and Tidewater:


LOADED WITH LOOT
KILLED BY TRAIN
Robber Run Down on Railroad Track and Skull Crushed.

(Special to The Times-Dispatch.)

ROANOKE, VA., March 17--With a ticket of leave only ten days old from
the West Virginia Reformatory, Lee Carner, of Prunytown, that State,
was found dead on the Norfolk and Western track near Vinton this
morning, with a sack filled with stolen property, near him letters
from mother and sister begging him to reform, wearing a suit of stolen
clothes, and pennies from the Vinton postoffice scattered about.

The store of J. H. Upson was broken into and a lot of stuff stolen,
and the postoffice entered during the night. The postmaster was
careful, and left only a few pennies out. An attempt was also made to
enter tho drug store, and several citizens of Vinton heard some one
attempting to enter their homes.

The suit of clothes and overcoat worn by the dead robber were stolen
from a Tidewater camp near Vinton. Carner's head was badly crushed,
but no other bones were broken. He was evidently walking along the
track when the train struck him. The coroner's jury decided that death
was caused by a westbound train. The body was turned over to the
railway company, and telegrams were sent to relatives.

Times Dispatch (Richmond), 18 March 1906, pg. 39

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Bruce in Blacksburg