<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;">Gordon<br><br>They must have gotten this off the 'Wire' because June 26, 1909 was the date of the 'Official Announcement'. The ACL contacted N&W President Johnson in March 1909 and asked him to buy out the Southern's half interest in the Southbound. Sam Spencer had entered into an agreement with Col. Fries, who had built the Roanoke & Southern, and the ACL in May 1906 to help build the WSS. After he was killed and because of the 1907 financial crisis, Mr. Finley was not willing to spend any money. Col. Fries had been given the go ahead the day before, June 25. The formal contracts with the N&W and ACL were signed on July 20, 1909. Construction contracts were let in August and the final spike was driven 15 months later on Nov 23, 1910.<br><br>Dick Kimball<br><br>"<br><div><font face="Trebuchet
MS">Bluefield Daily Telegraph<br>June 26,
1909</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div align="center"><font size="4">ATLANTIC COAST LINE TO HAUL POCAHONTAS
COAL</font></div>
<div align="center">------</div>
<div align="center"><strong>Contract With Norfolk and Western Furnishes Short
Route From Cincinnati to the South</strong></div>
<div align="center"><strong></strong> </div>
<div align="left"> It has become known from an official source
that the Atlantic Coast Line railroad has entered into a contract with the
Norfolk and Western railway to connect with the latter line at Roanoke and
thereby establish a short route from Cincinnati, Chicago and the west to
Charleston, S. C.</div>
<div align="left"> It is understood that the contract has been
signed by both roads and that the Coast Line will soon award contracts for the
construction of secondary road links.</div>
<div align="left"> At present the Coast Line owns a branch road
from Wadesboro to Charleston, running through Cheraw. It is reported that
this road as far as Florence from Wadesboro will be straightened out, the grades
reduced and ninety-pound rails put down.</div>
<div align="left"> This road will be extended from Wadesboro to
Winston-Salem. At Winston-Salem the road will connect with a road now
controlled by the Norfolk and Western to Roanoke and at Roanoke the connection
will be made with the Norfolk and Western.</div>
<div align="left"> It is reported that the Norfolk and Western
has agreed to route port shipments over the road to Charleston. It is
reported further that the road will haul coal from the Pocahontas fields.</div>
<div align="center">------</div>
<div align="left">[<em>The road between Winston-Salem and Wadesboro became the
Winston-Salem Southbound Railway, controlled jointly by the N&W and
ACL.</em>]</div>
<div align="left"> </div>
<div align="left"><font size="6" face="Script">Gordon
Hamilton"</font></div><br></td></tr></table><br>