Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-07-28

to be present and participate in the proceedings of
Convention to be holden in Chorlotte, the 4th of
July, for the purpose of promoting the construction
of Rail Road from Wilmington, n c., to Jones'
boro In Tennessee has been received, and in reply,
very much regret to say that | cannot be with you
on the 4th.
had hoped, until within a few days, that should
be able to 60 to Charlotte the occasion of the
great Railroad Convention but now find that my
duties the public works here-Bar Improvement,
&c.-will not allow my absence at this time.
In the winter of 1847 had occasion to travel
from Charlotte 10 Wilmington via Fayetteville, and
was very forciby struck with the remarkable ia
clties afforded by the country, over which travel
ed, for railroad; and ! repeatedly spoke to my
friends of it and of the original error that thought
had been committed, in constructing railroad
the State in a d1rect line to accommodate the Union,
rather than the State instead of running that road
through Fayetteville and Raleigh TO the Roanoke
thus uniting the three Cat that time) largest towns
in the State, and making at a paying road. In
that CASE remarked you would, long ere this have
hal railroad from Fayetteville west to Charlotte or
Salisbury The reply was, That was our orig inal
design, but those ucould not join us-Raleigh
preferred to unite herself with Petersburg 10 connect
Virginia with the State capital,' &C., &c.
This was then undoubtedly great error, but am
of opinion that it will prove to be of very great
Importance to the prosperity of Wilmington and the
sandy country between it and the Roanoke. 1t has
developed the resources of that "plney woods "
country, and brought to market millions Of dollars
worth of exports that would otherwise now be
lying dormant in or upon the soil That part of the
State could hardly have had a railroad connec-
ton with Wilmington in the next twenty years
but Tor this error on the part of the citizens of Raj
elgh and Fayetteville, and the ndOmable persever-
ence of the Wmingtonians, who resolved to have a
railroad at all hazards, and they have nobly accom-
pished the great work They are the pioneers and
merit success. The whole subject of the railroad
building is now changed. Railroads popu-
lar because they are we'll known, and are known to
be valuable TO the country-to the farmer-the
producer, and valuable to the stakeholder.
am not surprised, gentlemen, that you desire to
reach the seaboard at this place 1t is the shortest
and far the best route from the mountains to the
ocean. No one who has passed over this route, and
the traversed by the Central Road through Hills
boro, Greensboro and Salisbury, but will give it the
preference by far. One is country nearly level
and the other through one much broken and billy.
| Your road will pass through very rich and thri-
wing agricultural and, probably mineral region of
the State and there be doubt but that its
struction will enhance the value of property along
and contiguous TO the route many fold.
| Then, would say, let every county interested sub
scribe the stock-et the counties such take nine
tenths of the stock-and doubt the Legislature will
authorize them to do so-and in three years. at the
farthest, the cars will ply between Wilmington and
Charlotte
This is certainly magnificent undertaking. To
unite the great West with the seaboard by an iron
road the mountains of Carolina and Tennessee
You have caught the spirit of the age! Go ahead
Let us put all our shoulders to the good work NOW
and 1t will go ahead No delay-no waiting for the
moving of the waters. Now is the word-Now is
the accepted time. Press with energy and we
shall triumph
As westward the star political empire takes its
way, let us bind her with iron bands to the star oil
commercial empire which westward yet remains
| am, gentlemen, very respectfully. your obedien
servant, S. L. FREMONT.
To Messrs. Charles J, Fox, John A. Young and Jas
w. Osborne, Charlotte, N. c., Committee.