N&W in 1904 -- Coal Pier and Sunday Trains

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NORFOLK & WESTERN MAY BUILD NEW PIER
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    The construction of another pier at Lambert's Point will involve a large expenditure of money, and of course, give Norfolk additional prestige in the maritime world.
    Norfolk and Western coal trains will no longer run through the city on Sunday.  A letter from the mayor addressed to the officials of the railroad has been answered and the order has been issued discontinuing the trains on Sunday.
    Some time back a number of local ministers addressed a letter to the mayor, complaining of the long line of coal trains that were being run through the city from the Pocahontas mines to Lambert's Point on Sunday.
    The mayor took the matter up and called attention to the state law which prohibits the running of freight trains through the state on Sunday.  The following letter has been received:
    "Referring to your letter of August 1, addressed to the general superintendent of the company, in reference to running coal trains on Sunday through the city of Norfolk.  Instructions have been given to stop the running of such trains on Sunday, and I will see that the orders are carried out.  Signed by N. D. Maher, general manager."
    It is not known just now to what extent the order will affect the coal shipment at the piers, although it is believed there will be no interruption to the loading of vessels.  Many thousand tons of coal have been passing through the city each Sunday from the mines, and this coal has been dumped into the holds of waiting vessels early Monday morning.  However, there is always a lot of coal in the yards at the Point, and the discontinuing of the trains will not, it is believed, cause any delay in the loading of ships at the piers.

Bluefield Daily Telegraph
August 10, 1904

[As an example how one cannot trust predictions by newspaper writers, Coal Piers 1, 2 and 3 were in service at Lamberts Point in 1904 when the article was written and Coal Pier 4 was not built until 1914.  Also, I wonder how long the order prohibiting Sunday coal trains was effective?  Finally, N. D. Maher became president of the N&W in 1918.]

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