Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1854-11-08
From the Loudon (TenA.) Free Press.
oIINA CENTRAL, RAILROAD.


EaStors Free Press Sir-On recent visit to n.
Carolina attended -aiI road meeting at Frank!n.
Te s,higct Under consideration the construc ton
Of the North Carolina Central Rail Road from sans,
bury West work of vast Importance to the va
North State, and public opinion justi1es the concur
sion that at the next session of her Legislature pro
vision will be made for the accomplishment OF thls
great State Improvement u,--
The meeting was addressed by MeSsrs tho G
and Baxter the former member elected to the Sen
ate from the counties of Haywood, Macon jackson
and Cherokee; the latter member elected to the
House of Commons from Hendel son county.
A resolution was introduced and adopted, IN ia
vor of extending the North Carolina Central Rail
Road by the most practicable route to form ran
road connection with Chattanooga andMemphls, Ienn
As the State of Tennessee is deeply interested Ia
this great work OF internal improvement, ooL. WI
H. Thomas remarks upon its advantages may not
be unnteresting to your readers and the puoiic
generally. He advocates the extension OF the main
trunk of the road from Salisbury West, to some
point on the French Broad river between the VII
I.res of Ashyille and Henderson, thence through
the valles of the Pigeon and Teukasege rivers form
ing a connection with the Raub:n Gap or blue
Ridge Railroad, on the Little Tennessee river near
the mouths of the Teukasege and Nautahaa rivers,
200 miles West from Salisbury. And from the point
of junction he advocates the construction OF rail-
road through the Red Marble Gap, and the values OF
Valley river, Hiwassee and Ocoec, to the Duckton
Copper Mines, IS miles from the Junction. Wnich ne
demonstrates to be in favorable position to COM
mand fair proportion of the through freight and
travel going eastward to the Atlantic: HIS argu-
ments in favor of this route for the central hal-
road and of connecting at the point designated with
the Blue Ridge road will commend themselves to
the consideration of the people, not only OF estern
North Carolina but also of the State OF tennessee
This connection the Little Tennessee river mas,
he contends many advantages over the project OF
forming connection By the main trunk, with the
East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, through the
Watauga the French Broad route. The East
Tennessee and Virginia Rail Road Company having
&IoIr phort arfa
State of Tennessee prohibits the construction OF any
parallel road within twenty miles of their road on
either side, puts in the power of the company to
designate the point of junction with the North Car
olina road and to keep the track separate forcing
transAipments which with the power to discrimin-
ate in favor of through freight and travel with the
advantage of distance in their favor neither through
freight travel would pass over the North Caro-
lima Central road and the capital in vested in it would
become of little value to the State The result he
contends would be different if the route acest from
the French Broad instead of north were adopted and
junction formed with the Blue Ridge road and with
the road from that point to Ducktown and Chatta-
nooga for the following reasons: the point OF juno
ton is midway between Charleston and Cincinnati
and Beaufort Harbor on the Atlantic and Memphis
the Mississippi river. And the charters granted
by North Carolina for the roads with which the
junction would be formed in North Carolina instead
of Tennessee; provided for the union on terms of
quality and prohibited determinations against the
North Carolina road; which with the advantage In
over the Z. T. and Va road would secure to the
North Carolina road, terminating the Atlantic at
Wilmington, Beaufort and Norfolk fair proportion
OF through freight and travel. This, he said would
be demonstrated by referring to the line designated
on the map of the United States and by which the
following facts are exhibited and fncontrovertably
established: Beaufort Newbern, Salisbury, the point
designated on the French Broad river, the point of
junction with the Blue Ridge road the Little Ten
nessee river, the Ducktown Copper Mines, Chatta-
nooga and Memphis along the line of the 35th
deg of lat. Consequently the route designated west
of Salisbury and west from French Brord river, be-
ing almost air line, with favorable grades at
reasonable cost of construction, must have the adj
vantage over any route which after extending west
along the parallel of the 35th deg. of lat, DIVORCES
north to form a connection with the E. T. & Va. road
north 36th deg. lat which line and the Z. T. d Ga.
road then DIVORCES South to the 35th deg. forming
semi-crce, and consequently increasing the length
of the line from Beaufort to Memphis at least 90
miles. This distance being saved by the adoption
of the line west from French Broad to the point de-
signated for the junction the Little Tennessee
river gives the advantage of any line cast of to
the Atlantic Sea-board at harbor suitable and safe
for the largest sized vessels. Col. Thomas also de-
monstrated the advantages of this line in giving
impetus to insuring the development of the mineral
resources of the rich mineral district through which
it passes and the superior advantages afforded by it
for the transportation Of it's metals and rich ores to
the east and to the markets o. the world by direct
route through the excellent harbor of Beaufort But
he advocates the granting charter for the construc
ton of a branch to connect the North Carolina Cen
trail road with the E. T. & Va. road TO accommo-
date local trade and travel, the found to be
most practicable, between Watauga and the French
Broad river, as an important connection with the
proposed extension of the Central read He further
also advocates the policy of North Carolina aiding
to construct the Blue Ridge road from the junction
on the Little Tennessee river to the Tennessee line
provided the company will make a grade suitable for
. double track and permit North Carolina to extend
her guage (Of f. 81 in) to steamboat navigation
on the Tennessee river, and connection with the
Il. I. Ga. K. R., at the mouth of Hoston so as to
prevent transhpments between her ports on the
Atlantic, and steamboat navigation the waters of
the Mississippi. He said, if this plan were adopted
it would lead to the construction of double track
one of five to suit the South Carolina roads,
and the other ofthe English guage of feet 81 inches
TO suit the roads of North Carolina, from the junction
On the Little Tennessee river at least to the Citco
bottoms to point suitable for the junction of these
roads in the State of Tennessee about forty miles.
Col. T. showed by referring to the practical opera
lions OF all the trunk roads that have been construct
ed from the Atlantic to the valley of the Mississippi
hat the North Carolina Central road if located so as
10 command through freight and travel will make at
east nett profit OF seven per cent upon the capital
invested and that the State by borrowing the money
Or by issuing her bonds payable in thirty years and
bearing an interest of six per cent the income of
he road being applied to the payment of the inter-
st and one per cent. of sinking fund to discharge
he principal; the whole debt would be paid off in
little upwards of thirty years. And North Carolina
would only be called to provide for the payment of
he interest while the road was in progress of con-
tructon. And in discharging the liabilities incur
ed by the State for this great work he argued that
IS that line OF road was at least fifty miles shorter
0~~,, s.1.-kt 49,