Effects of Coal Strike on North Carolinians, December 1919

From The Franklin Times, Louisburg, N.C., Dec. 12, 1919. As the coal miners’ strike limited the amount of coal available nationally, train service was reduced.

Passenger Trains to be Suspended. . . All Local Seaboard Trains Are Suspended. . . Norfolk and Southern Will Operate One Train Daily to Fayetteville. . .  Through Seaboard Trains Do local Work. . . None of Southern Trains in Raleigh Effected by Order

Effective at one minute past midnight Tuesday morning, passenger train service on all three railroads entering Raleigh will be seriously curtailed in compliance with orders issued by Director General Walker D. Hines to reduce traffic in order to conserve the country’s diminishing coal supply. The Norfolk and Southern and Seaboard roads will lose practically 50 per cent of their trains in and out of the city, but none of the Southern trains are so far included in the cancellation orders.

Announcement of cancellations were made last night by J.O. Jones of the Southern railway, J.T. West, superintendent of the Seaboard, and J.S. Cox, superintendent of the Norfolk and Southern. Local trains are cancelled on the Seaboard, and the fast passenger service will be slowed down to take on local traffic over the system.

Seaboard Cancellations

Trains No. 13 and 14 on Seaboard between Richmond and Norlina are discontinued.

Trains No. 5 and 6 between Richmond and Raleigh are discontinued.

Trains No. 19 and 20 between Raleigh and Weldon are discontinued.

Louisburg branch is cut to one round trip daily to connect here with No. 11 and 12.

Oxford branch train discontinued and train between Henderson and Durham will be extended to Oxford.

No. 1 will do the work formerly handled by No. 5 from Richmond to Raleigh.

No. 3 will also do local work between Raleigh and Richmond.

On Southern Railway

Only two trains operated by the Southern Railway are cancelled by the orders issued yesterday, most of the orders being the consolation of trains that have heretofore been running in more than one section.

Trains No. 137 and 138 between Washington and Atlanta are annulled and the Pullmans handled by these trains attached to 37 and 38. Neither of the trains running through Raleigh is affected by the order and virtually the same connections will be made a junction points.

On Norfolk Southern

The following statement was issued by J.S. Cox, superintendent of the Norfolk Southern, in regard to the cancellations on that road:

“Mixed train 35, between Raleigh and Fayetteville, leaving Raleigh at 1:20 p.m. and arriving at Fayetteville 4:55 p.m. and train 34, leaving Fayetteville at 2:03 and arriving at Raleigh at 6:10 p.m., will be discontinued.

“Train 32, now leaving Fayetteville at 8 a.m. and arriving at Raleigh at 10:50 a.m. will be changed same date to leave Fayetteville at 2:30 p.m. and arrive Raleigh 5:20 p.m.

“Until further notice trains 30 and 312 between Raleigh and Charlotte, now (entire line unreadable) except Sunday.

“Trains 15 and 16, now operated between Goldsboro and Marsden making connection with train No. 4, leaving Raleigh at 9:50 p.m. for Norfolk and train No. 3, arriving Raleigh 7:35 a.m. from Norfolk, will be discontinued between Goldsboro and New Bern.”

Louisburg, under the above order, has only one trip a day which leaves here at 12:45 and returns at 3:35.

-=-

From The Hickory Daily Record, Wednesday, December 3, 1919

Hickory Merchants Vote Unanimously to Comply With Closing Regulations

Hickory merchants turned out to the special meeting of the association last night to the tune of 35 or 40 members and resolved unanimously to comply with the regulations of the southern regional committee in regard to opening and closing hours. The association also decided to assist the officers in enforcing the regulations in the city so that some concerns might not take advantage of others.

Coupled with the resolution was a request that the fuel committee modify the regulations so as to permit merchants to dispose of their holiday stocks. This was considered fair enough. The merchants have bought heavily in anticipation of the holiday trade and many will sustain losses unless relief is granted.

President Bisanar, who presided over the meeting, observed that it was the best in many years.

While complying with the order of the fuel administration, the merchants request the public to assist them in every way possible. This can be done by making purchases early in the day. General stores may open at 9 a.m. and close at 4 p.m. on all days except Saturdays, when they may remain open until 9 p.m. Drug stores may not sell drinks, tobacco or cigars after 4 p.m. Grocery and meat stores may remain open until 6 p.m. every day except Saturday, when they may stay open until 9 o’clock.

President Bisanar this morning forwarded a resolution adopted last night. It was prepared by Messrs. J.W. Shuford, A.M. West and J.A. Moretz and is as follows:

“Hickory Merchants Association in full meeting pledge its unanimous support to the fuel administration but ask for immediate modification giving relief in extension of time open stores to move holiday goods, to prevent loss on holiday stocks and give proper service to our trade. Geo. E. Bisanar, President.”

-=-

From The Hickory Daily Record, Wednesday, December 3, 1919

Fuel Order Off

Charlotte, N.C., Dec. 4—Suspension of the order requiring southern stores to close at 4 p.m. and of the order restricting consumers’ use of hydro-electric power was announced in a telegram from Senator Overman. Senator Overman’s message was in reply to one from local merchants protesting to the order of the fuel administration, where no coal is burned after 4 p.m.