Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-06-16
Railroad from Wilmington to the West.

1t is quite natural, and highly commendable that
Wilmington should desire better connection with
lie Weston rart of North Carolina to say nothing
Of the Mi>sis>ppi than that which she now has,
will have when the n C. Rail Road shall have been
completed. All her enterprises have proved to be
productive of trade. wealth, and population. And
those already completed will be as nothing compared
with the results of direct connection with the
West
The question is in what direction shall that con-
necton be made?
We had an opportunity recently of hearing from one
of the most liberal and intelligent merchant which
that or any other community can boast of, that he
favors rail road from Wilmington to Fayetteville,
to connect with our Western Road TO the Deep River
Coal Mines, and thence to the N. C. Road, at the
Eastern terminus of the Western extension And we
learn that correspondence has been going be.
tween himself and gentleman here on the subject.
And further, understand from the paragraph
which we quoted in our last from the Wilmington
Journal, that such views were presented to the
late meeting that town to consider of the proposed
road to Charlotte. These facts induce to say a
few words which in their absence should consider
wasted, in support of the connection via Fayette-
Vile.
There was a time when we thought the idea of rail
road from Wilmington to Fayetteville was supreme
1y ridiculous. That when no successful rail
road existed in the State, and when the experiment
of running rail road the banks of naVigable
stream had not even been made, much less shown to
be better employed than in opening channel where
Nature had already placed one which answered the
purpose tolerably we'll, to say the least But that
time is past. We should be glad to see such a road
connecting these two towns. Not that we suppose
much aid would be given here to build it. All the
means that Fayetteville command, and much,
more, would be more judicously applied in endeav.
| oring TO reach the West.
! We will suppose that Charlotte is the point desir-
ed to be reached from Wilmington. The distance, by
| Nd &c h. O.
is 168 miles But to go by WhitevilIe, Rocking,
ham, and Wadesborough. as proposed is 174 miles
From Wilmington by Fayetteville. Rockingham
and Wadesborough, to Charlotte, is 1877 miles; DIFF
ference only of l3 miles. And for this difference will
| Wilmington forego the advantage to the projected
road of present trade and travel 10 say nothing
of the coal to come by the Western Road, and the
teeming produce Of the West, which the extension oil
that road will pour down upon US first, and after.
wards upon that place, (be 1t Wilmington Beau
for) which shall open her arms to receive It Beau
fort is 100 miles from here Wilmington Is. AL
our intercourse is with Wilmington, and there is bu
little reason why should desire it to be otherwise
except that Beaufort Cor Carolina City rather) may
come to US, and Wilmington may elect TO 60 by u.s.
We regard il fixed fact that the n. c. Road il
to be extended West from Greensborongh, Lexing
ton Salisbury, Charlotte. other point to b.
decided on by the next legislature 1t is not less
certain, We think. that our Western Road to Deer
River will be extended 10 that point OF connection
Greensborough be reached. via Fayetteville and
Deep River, in about los miles from Wilmington
Lexington in 1856, Salisbury in 143 and Charlotte
via Rockingham. &C., in 1877.
4 1t is tor Wilmington TO consider, whether, in en-
deavorng TO reach the West, she will come by FAY
eteyile, and secure the advantages of both her pro
jected Road to Chariot and of that to the NJ C.
Road, at its point Of extension West whether she
will risk the less of the present and prospective trade
OF Fayetteville by adopting another route 1t is
consideration of great interest to both places but