Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1853-04-27
r,o,,5-e of Tie CASTOR and Raleigh
RAILROAD.
rCorrcspondencc of the Baltimore Sun
R.nR1aH. N. c.. Anril 2Otl

4
.Tbe ,sxc"rsiouis,s left Portsmouth, Va, at half
INST o'clock Yesterday mornings IN an extra train
being accompanied by the Marine pa.u llo.n we
S, receiving ship Pennsy vana, anc the members O
the Cannon Council of Norfolk and Portsmouth,
and other distinguished citizens. Ex President JOIN
Tyler also Joined the party ana made one OF the com
nsnv Passing out OF Portsmouth, with flags flying
I'd The hand PLAYING, we soon speedily on oul
,yav over the Seaboad and Roanoke Railroad, TO
wards Weldon, NC. The road is an exceeding y
level one, passing through portion OF me bls',a
SWAMP a country covered with stunled pine a:Id a
thick growsh Of small bushes, rendering many rlaces
impenelrahle 10 and the larger kinds OF animals
Vegetation was in a more forward state Dy seer"
weeks than in and around Baitim"It' ana 'o'" ,'i-
standing the barrenness of the soil, presented d
like and inviting aspect. There Is very little
improvement any portion OF THIS ROAD lot me
first twenty miles the land being exceedingly barren
and reproductive. -.
A few miles from Portsmouth the following invi-
tation was handed to each of the eXcurtionIsts
"RALEIGH, April I4th, 1853.
The undersigned, committee on behaH oil the
citizens of Raleigh take great pleasure IN extending
to you the hospitaies of our city, and respectfully
re0nest yonr presence al a supper to be given on
Tuesday, 10Th inst. at the Marlborough House: :.
(Signed.) William d. Cooke. william H. :, ocot''
son, Lyuleton Waddell, jr., w. WhitakeT' H. J"o'
C. Partridge, J. B. G. Roulhdc, w. IL. H.. Iucker'
f. Yarbrough, ST., James Liichio'd, b: w. tecE'
J. ]. Biggs, J. ]. w. Tucker, j. g. Williams A NJ
McpheeterS, N. w. feteIslI'I"' ""'+N0 NN'--' -
W. Vass, James D. Num-"
This was If course accepted men, CON-, each one
anticipating the pleasure 10 De eIiJoytu az ' ~ ~
board We arrived at Suffolk, Va, distance OF Sc
venteen miles from Portsm outh, in about forty MIN
utes the train proceeding at slower rate than usual
We only remained al this little village minute OF
two, and then sped on our way FROM |unU'N uP
towards Weldon the country mas some" i'"l
aprearance, the pine timber being larger, ana the
land, in several localities, rather better tiIied. ne
wood is nearly all pine, very little oak OF other kinds
being seen en- the route.
We arrived at Black Water river, thirty seven
miles from Portsmouth, at o'clock, and here found
two small steamers lying just below lLe fdiiF0au
bridge, tied trees shore the stream being aoou'
forty feet wide, and presenting the anomaly OF ne!i@
some twenty feet deep. The steamers l-oHed like
thew were in the woods but the depth of the water
enables them TO ply regularly from this head OF nav
igaton to Edenton and Plymouth N: C'-'he one
80 and the other 100 miles down from the spot
The river cont ins fish. and the hands on one Of The
steamers were engaged, as passed. In cutting up
a very large sturgeon they had just cAught. Inc
ground nut merchants-old " dhaFldateo women
and sallowcompl ,ghostly looking gris drought
supply Of this staple to the cars ana me exc
lists laid in quantity for the route. Some few mad
knit stockings which they found purchasers lor al
fair prices. more detected, fororn, sickly sci oil
females never laid eyes on In any locality Inc
SwampS much disease thdI He1HH - dIH'ost
unknown 10 the Inhabitants.
We soon passed the Virginia line, and were on the
soil of the old North State and rapidly going through
reached Weldon at IL o'clock. This headquarters
of chs, fe7ers and bilious diseases. is so miles from
Portsmouth, and is only noted as being the locus from
which radiates several rallroads-the wilmington,
the CASTOR, the Roanoke, and the FeerSOurg W e
crossed the Roanoke river just before we reached the
village, only remaining few minutes, started up the
Weldon and CASTOR railroad-the new connecting
link between the Seaboard and Roanoke road-the
completion of which we were Pr'nclPaiiy proceeding
to celebrate. From Weldon we passed over the new
road, which is IA miles long, and tonnd built very
substantially, being all laid with heavy L rail-. AT
different intervals, the Irish laborers employed in It's
construction seen apparently much edted at the
finishing of the enterprise. No matter in what Sec
ton of the Union-N orth, South, East or W. est
where the railroad is 10 be built or the canal dug, the
hard working sons of the Emerald Isle called up
on to expend their time and dbor-hey are the phys
lcal internal improvement men OF the day.
From Weldon to CASTOR, the country IS more roll
ing and billy, and of better quality, the oak, syca-
Inore dogwood, &C., beg inning TO show itself In the
place of the almost intermlnable pine The new road
passes along the south bank of the Roanoke river
considerable portion of the distance, the river being
deep and wide. Opposite CASTOR, "a very pretty
village the north bank said to be one OF the most
sckly places in the whole untry,) turned off,
and on TO the CASTOR and Raleigh railroad, which
connects with CASTOR by long bridge over the Roam
oke. We sped up the Raleigh road and found the
country getting more and more rough rolling and
billy, and now and then very fine farm would show
itself. Generally however, the land vas very, very
poor. The Raleigh road is ST miles from Gdstcn to
the capitol of North Carolina. Several handsome
little villages on the line Of the road. Ridgeway,
in the'county of Warren, is oasis in this barren
land. We reached Henderson, another smart
village, Cat 20 minutes past o'clock, AZ miles east
OF Raleigh, where we dined AIessrs. j. Il. Dehnen,
and other hotel propretors, setting out the best their
larders afforded, and the excursionsts, swelled
10 over two hundred, doing the edbles full Justice.
AT ten minutes past o'clock, having treated the viii
Iage to the music OF the band, and giving the ladies'
(rosy checked ones in this insance,) hearty cheers
we again moved on in the wake of the iron horse.
Seven miles below Henderson We passed over
wooden bridge crossing the Tar river, which is 95
feet high from the track to the water. 1t appears to
be very solid structure and is protected ON each
side by parapet. Two other bridges Of the same
material and design were likewise passed on the road
between this point and Raleigh.
Franklin, 90 miles east of Raleigh, is quite a |
pretty place, and attracted attention. We had inc
view also of Wake Forest, Wake county, where is |
located fine old ancient looking collegerknown as
Wake Forest College," standing in the centre of a
the Of the village. The place has an appealing
sreverental appearance, asst has been a seat Of
learning of considerable celebrity in that section of
country.
Another hour and we within short distance
OF Raleigh. About S O'Clock, at out water and
wood station We were met by large delegation Of
the citizens, who received with enthusiastic cheers
and getting on the escorted US 10 the citv Al
the depot large crowds had collected to receive The
guests Here we we're formed into line, and all beino
ready, Mayor Haywood, of Raleigh, stepped forward
and welcomed the guests in neat and pertinent ,
speech, extending the inequalities of the civ f. -
the corporation of Portsmouth, J. T. ALVIN. ESQ. m
the of he of rc,,tl, |