The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1847-12-29
From the Columbia 4 slegrdph. ;
THE CONNECTING LINK.

MeSSrs. Edit0rS:-As the subject OF Inter-
nal Improvement in this State; seems to be,
the absorbing question of the Legislatuer,
as we'll as the people generally at the pres
ent moment, 1t may not DO inappropriate to
offer few remarks for consideration in re-
lation to one of the projects under contem-
plation-I mean the Wilmington and Man.
chester Rail Road. These remarks are ncc-
essarily called for, from the fact that the rise,
progress and future prospects of this COM
pany seem to be little understood. 1 pro.
pose, therefore, before entering upon the
merits of this project, to offer brief history
of the Wilmington and Raleigh Rail Road
Company, which gave rise to this.
AS early as 1880, the necessity of a r. road
communication through North Carolina, con-
meeting with the Rail Roads of Virginia and
South Carolina, for the transportation of the
mail and passengers, and thus opening con-
tnuous line of communication between the
North and South presented itself to the people
of Wilmington, who Immediately commenced
devising the ways and means Of accomplishing
SO desirable an object at the session of the
Legislature of 1888, a charter was obtained
tor Rail Road from Wilmington to Raleigh,
but owing to some difficulties OH the route,
not before discovered, the charter was not
accepted, until the session of 1885, when it
was so amended as to authorize the construc-
ton of the Road from Wilmington to Weldon
on the Roanoke river, the state becoming a
stockholder to the amount Of two-fiftls Of the
capital stock, (G0O,000). On the 18th March,
1886, this company was organized, and with
spirit and energy unparalleled, believe, in
the history of our country, pushed the work on
to completion in four years time, the first To-
comotive passing over the whole line of 162
miles, OH the 9th March 1910. Thus, you, sec,
the town Of Wilmington at that time, with
population OF less than 5000 souls, all told,
whose entire property was valued at tr-
fc over S30O,OO0, opening line Of COM
muncation 322 miles in length, (1G2 by
Rail Road to Weldon, and l60 by steam
boats to Charlcston.) Was it to be expected,
in line of this extent, complicated by two
separate interests governed by raw dircc-
tory, uninitiatcd in the arts Of managing
work of such magnitude and complication,
with skill and economy. The Road passing
through perfectly now country, where the
people on the line were entirely unacquaintd
with the labor required Of them, and at Il
time when the whole country was flushed
with prosperity, that every thing for the use
of the company had to be purchased at the
highest ratc-was it to be expected, say, un-
der all these disadvantagcous circumstances,
that no missteps should be taken, no awk-
ward blundcrs committed! ! And furthermore,
the State of North Carolina, who had large
interest in this company, and whose fostering
care and protection should have been spread
over it-who shonld have nursed it with a
mothers scrutiny and mothers love-the
State of N. Carolina say like an unnatural
mother, looks upon the dcath-stluGgle of this
her noble offspring, with cold indifference!
yea, more, she even binds her with more scve-
rtY than she wonuld a stranger so that, what
ever of censure or derison may be expressed
Of the Legislature Of North Carolina, by her
sister States, in regard 10 her rigid exac-
tlons OF this Company, any allusoh to the
poverty or condition of it, is as unkind as
unjust
But what is the true condition of this Com
pany! From documents and information placed
in my possession, and which may be relied on,
1t appears that from the commencement, Oc-
tobcr, AZ, there has been received into the
Treasury, for stock paid in and present deb,
of the Company, fraction less than two mil
lion OF dollars, when there has been actually
paid out Of the Treasury, for construction,
boats, real estate, interest losses, misfortuncs,
&c, &c, a sum little short OF three millions
OF dollars. Thus showing in nett profits,
over and above its expenses Gin which are in
cludcd the re-laying Of about twenty miles Of
heavy iron, the addition Of several locomo-
1--WE, SodClCS, W., anu tIi expenditure Qu-
ring the past year of over $4,000, in repair
ing and improving their stcamhoats,) a sum
not far short ol a million of dollars, bcing
near scvcnty-fve per cent on the original
amount OF stock sIIbScribcd-and had the
Company been enabled to have commenced
operations without debt, constructed and ma
nagcd with skill and economy, have no hes
itation in saying, that at this moment it would |
have been as good stock as any in the coun-
try.
The travelling pnblic, however, are dssatis-
fled with the sea route between Wilmington |
and Charleston, and demand, in tones that
cannot be misunderstood, r. Road connu-
ncation between those cities, or some point |,
of connection OH the Charleston Road. The !
citizens Of Wilmington and that portion of ~ |
G., demand that the wealth aud the rcsour
ccs OF the counties of Brunswick, Bladcn,
Columbus and Robcson may he developed. |
The citizens OF portion of South Carolina |
require that the wealth and resources OF the
districts OF Sumter, Darlington and Marion |
may be developed. VIII it be denied them |
We shall see.
But then it has been said, that this Road,
forming junction at the Hamburg Rail |
Road at Branclvic, will take the travellers
through from l5ranchyllc, and thereby lim
nisll the receipts OF that Road TO the amount
OF 90 miles on every passenger who pursucs
that course, and if it be allowed that the
Manchester connection will not increase the
number OF travellers but remain mt the pre-
sent number, then this argumcn, will hold
good SO far as The Charleston and HAMBURG
road is concerned; but will not the State al
large be doubly reimbursed by the transit OF
the same or greater number Of passengers
over roads within her borders, now in opera
ton and TO be constructed, 100 miles in
n1iI ,,.lli.,l,