Virginian in 1908--Princeton depot

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Bluefield Daily Telegraph
December 3, 1908

PRINCETON WILL HAVE TWO-STORY DEPOT
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Interesting Gossip About Virginian Railway--General Manager Stirs Things Up

    The many reports which are given to the public concerning the Virginian Railway are all of interest.  A Daily Telegraph representative was able to learn last night that the road is practically finished with the exception of the half mile of track to be built on the bridge which spans the river and the railroad tracks [N&W] near Narrows.  It is expected that this bridge will be finished on the first of January or shortly afterwards.
    The company, as has been reported, has ordered a number of engines for the road, and as a result of the trip which the general manager has just made over the line it has been learned that all of the engines, which are at present being used on the Deepwater division, will be sent to Norfolk over the Norfolk and Western tracks and in their place larger engines will be sent to this end to take care of the business.  This change was caused because it was reported to Mr. Dupuy that the engines in use on this division cannot haul long passenger and freight trains and make time.  When Mr. Dupuy learned this he is reported to have said that the company would take all these engines from this division and replace them with the larger ones which can do the work.
    Regarding the passenger service which will be maintained on the road, it is learned that during his visit to this division Mr. Dupuy stated that his company has already ordered parlor and observation chair cars and new coaches for the through trains which will be run between Page and Norfolk.  According to the report heard by the Daily Telegraph man the new road will have real palace trains which will be equipped with every modern convenience in the way of coaches, dining cars, parlor cars, sleepers and observation cars.  It is said that no expense has been spared to make the equipment the best and most modern and that the new road will enter into keen competition with the Fast Flying Virginian, the palatial Chesapeake and Ohio trains.
    This is undoubtedly the plan of company as they and the Chesapeake and Ohio have been at loggerheads since the inception of the new line, and even recently the courts in a right-of-way suit in which the two railroads were participants decided in favor of the Virginian [The fight for possession of Jenny's Gap.].
    Regarding the work at Princeton, the new depot will be two stories and will be 57x100 feet, with waiting and baggage rooms on the first floor while for the present the second floor will be devoted to division officials.  The bridge which is being built over the present county road so as to give a grade crossing [Doesn't make sense.] is being rushed and will be finished as quickly as possible.  It is said that when Mr. Dupuy was at Princeton he speeded up everyone connected with the work at the county seat and said that it must be done within contract time, even if it became necessary for the railroad company to send additional forces of men to hurry the work.  Grading on an immense scale is being done and everything about the town of Princeton feels the hustle and bustle of work that must be done and is being pushed as rapidly as engineers and trained men can do it.
    Work on the Winding Gulf route has already started and the blasting of the workers can be heard for miles around, while the businessmen of that section are already feeling the increased business as a result of the influx of population which will be with the Winding Gulf section for the next two years.
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Gordon Hamilton
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