Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1849-01-05
GOV. GRAHAM AND NORTH CAROLINA
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.


animation of the plan of North Carolina
Rail Road" which was recommended by Cow
Graham 10 the Legislature, and promised to re-
sumo the subject, giving some details with re-
gard TO the drainage OF our State by her neigh
bors, Virginia and South Carolina We would
first ask attention TO this matter as it was as far
back as 1882. The extracts we give below
are taken from Smyth's tour in the United
States, and they will doubtless surprise many
who have not infinitely considered the subject
The extent of this evil has not at all abated
in our day, hut rather increased.
On page IT'S he says -" The trade from
Salisbury is pretty exactly divided between
the towns on James River in Virginia, and
Charleston in South Carolina"
| On page 235 -" North Carolina was COM
puted 10 contain about 100000 inhabitants,
in the late census made by Congress, and to
have larger proportion of whites than any
other Southern province; that is, more than a
third, and nearly one-half'
"ln the Southern parts of North Carolina
they make considerable quantities of rice and
indigo, the chief part of which is shipped from
South Carolina
"In the Northern parts of this province
they make good deal of tobacco, which is
chiefly transported by land carriage into Viz
ginia, and shipped thence
"In the back frontiers of North Carolina,
they raise great many cattle and hogs, and
make very considerable quantities of butter
into Virginia to market, besides the greatest
| Of fha nd fp,rc ich boU
| ly Collect
| "On The sea coast and near it, they make
| large quantities of Indian corn, peas, pitch,
tar, and turpentine, all of which is shipped
from the ports OF this province"
"By this it may be readily perceived how
difficult task it would be TO ascertain The real
annual products of North Carolina, which are
carried every year both to South Carolina and
Virginia, bearing the name and adding to the
exports of these provinces. However, the APP
parent exports of North Carolina are compu.
ted at more than 96s,OO sterling annually,
and for imports at Rl8,O00 at least. This |
do not conceive to be more than one-third Of
the produce of the province, nor one fourth of
the value of the goods brought into it, the rest
of which comes through the channels Of Vir-
ginIa and South Carolina, by means OF land
carriage So that the annual value of the
merchantahle products of North Carolina may
| be about R2 o 900 sterling. and her consump-
ton of European goods R7O.000."
/" In this view, deducling the proportion Of
North Carolina commodities from the exports
of Virginia and South Carolina, this province
will plainly appear 10 be OF more consequence
and estimation than she has hitherto been he'd
in"
Our population, by the last census. in 1910,
was 1853 .419-more than doubled since Mr.,
Smyth wrote Nor is it unfair 10 presume that
our products and imports have quadrupled-
say, however, that they too have only dou-
b!ed, and we have the products of the State
: R42O,OOO, and her consumption of foreign
goods gl4O,O 600; of this, according to our au
ihor's calculation hut 9l4O,OOO of products
and K35 900 imports, are set down TO North
Carolina. Our produce is now not entirely
carried over TO our neighbors by teams and
wagons land carriages" but a Raleigh &
CASTOR Railway bear them swiftly on 10 Pc
tersburg, and steam, too, will soon be rolling
them down to Charleston via Columbia
And how, in 1918, does Gov. Graham pro
pose TO check this long continued and grow
ing evil? Why, he suggests that d channe
OF communication shall be opened through rht
heart of the State, connecting all The great out
lets from our State-the Raleigh & Castor
: and the Charlotte & DanviIIe, and the Char
lotte & Columbia Road, A list Of Countie
are sent into the Legislature with their popu
lat;on and resources set down. On the direc
route would lie real estate valued at 50 900
i 600; within IS miles real estate valued 4
$40, 100000; and within SO miles real estat
TO the value of $34 ,OOO, 900 O, what a tent
ting bait What delightful project for tn
market towns of Virginia and South Carolina
- But what mistake the Governor made i
sending his message TO a North Carolina LIE
: slsature. But ii is hardly necessary to argu
this matter seriously The whole plan is S
absurd in other respects. Two millions {
: dollars are totally inadequate to rebuilding III
e Raleigh & Castor Road and extending II O
d TO Charlotte. The contemplated route must pas
- over most billy and broken country-besde:
i the raising of This amount, in the manner
proposes, is what Mr. Black stone calls a re
mote contingency. The State subscribes
million, and pays half its subscription b
:, transferring Road it will take the other ha
to repair, and the poor bedeviIIed stakeholder
:, of the Raleigh & Castor Road are left wit
the whole construction of g The North Care
:. lima Rail Road,'' from Raleigh TO Charlotte
Can they do it, Mr. Graham? No The fac
is, il anything is to be done, and we are haE
py to hear that the spirit to do something
IL general among our representatives in Raleigh
II throwing away all consideration Of saving
J. broken down investment-let the State engag
. in some great work calculated to benefit tn
" State, and the 1rhole State; and not any one {
= the other peculiar interest. A plan has bee
p" suggested by fellow-,ownsman of building
> line from Godsboro' to Morganton, runnin
d" equally distant, 25 miles. from Raleigh an
: Fayetteville, and passing through SALISBURY
D Out of all the plans and projects, it is to /
, most earnestly hoped that some one will be ;
'e dopted and acted upon A short session wi
be no excuse for neglected duty-and it Wi
III be z most serious npplpct If an adionrproor+