Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-03-07

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other to extend their iron rails around the old NORTH
! State by union at her western limits, by which
without similar connection she would be ditcheo
round and drained of her commerce, and become
instead of sovereign Independent State, tributary
to her sister States revived something Of the spirit
of her Revolutionary ancestors, determined at al
hazards that she would be no longer the Rip Van
Wrinkle of the South, but would assert and maintain
commercial and political equality-that what other
States with less means had done she could do. So
strong had this feeling become at the last August
election that the Democratic party that has al
ways claimed to be equal to the emergency lnscrlo-
cd their banners from the seaboard to Georgia,
"a prudent austen Of internal improvements ,oiM
Sta te aid and chose the;i standard bearer Gov.
Bragg. Under this influence democracy triumphed !;
and his Excellcncy, true to his declarations made
during the canvass has in his Inaugural Address to
both Houses at east defined in part what was
meant by the Democratic party in advocating Ju-
dici0us xystem of improvement" That it at least
meant the completion and extension OF the North
Carolina Railroad east and west.
And for the first time in the history of the pres
ent political parties find them united in carrying
out that recommendation, and in the passage OF
Revenue Bill corresponding with the system OF III
ternal improvements they have united to accomplish.
The principal difference of opinion that is found to
exist is as to how far the present Legislature can
prudently extend the system, and that opinion Is
not confined to any party; some are OF opinion that
the extension east should embrace the whole line
from Goldsborough to Newborn and Beaufort Har-
Deep River improvement-the completion OF the
portion of the North Carolina Railroad from Colds
borough Salisbury, and provision for the compile
ton of the survey for Railway from the French
Broad River to the Tennessee line at the Duck Town
copper mines in the direction Of Chattanooga, eav-
ing the extension West from Salisbury to be effect
ed by future Legislatures. At the head OF this class
of politicians is the honorable Senator from Martin,
whose arguments show that to some extent he is
influenced by the duty imposed on him by his COLI
stituents who like other portions OF the State hay
ing obtained all they require to furnish the cheap
modes of transportation feel but little interest in
the extension of the same advantages to other por-
tons of the State But the discussion on the ques-
ton has demonstrated that the Senator from Martin
in his opposition to western extension is also lntiu-
enccd bv another consideration for which neither
he his constituents to blame but the blame
falls members from the west, who prefer the
French Broad charter to the extension, and sat
listed with charter instead of Railroad.
The extravasant calculations made 10y the Senator
from Martin the cost OF constructing the road
from Salisbury west shows conclusvcly that he has
contidcd in tho statement often made by PROM
inent member from the French Broad valley, that
from the French Broad river west to the Tennessee
line at the Duck Town copper minvs ''hree n,o"n-
tainS are to be encountered like the Blue Ridge"
And Maj Cwynns estimate of the latter is referred
to- fixing the estimate the former. which gives |
sum total about equal to the estimated cost OF the
western extension by the Senator from Martin whose
candor in dScharging his duties to himself and his i
constituents is admired if not approved by his OPP
Donents on this question. And really he docs not !
seem to be so much to blame for his cxtravagant ,
IDEAS of the cost of constructing Railway through !
he Allegheny range of mountains, those upon
whose representations his opinions founded
But to show the absurdity of these representations
lpon which the strength of the opposition to ex-
ension to be predicated, it is only necessary
~ way of Introduction to further explain that those
were made without a personal
knowledge of large portion of the projected line
or Railway west from the French Broad. And ex-
,erence has proved with regard to similar repre-
entations emanating from the same source, based
Ike the present upon alledged creditable authori-
y turned out upon investigation to be unfounded
nd scarcely to have existence any where except
4 the excited imagination of the propagators of
hose reports.
As an explanation of the weight such reports
nght to have upon the question of extension OF the
orth Carolina Railroad it is only necessary to ad-
similar reports put in circulation to prevent
le people of South Carolina from engaging in the
of the Blue Ridge road by professed
lends 1t represented in communication
gncd "a citizen of Henderson" which was said to
I. founded d" on good authority" published i'll the
papers and afterwards in those of the
ty of Charleston, in which it was stated among
hers things equally incorrect, that OF the Ten
.ssec River where it cuts through the smokey
ountan, there in mile ritLL Qt three hun-
rel feet, granite rock. The instrumental
rveys of the same river by Engineers, Lythgoe
I'd Griffin who located the Blue Ridge Railroad
that the fall in the river at that point
as about thirty feet instead Of three hundred,
lily mistake Of go feet, and the enormous
st fell to $1S7CO per mile. And survey of
c entire line from the French Broad to Duck Town
i'll demonstrate the incorrectness of the present
presentations And it will furnish additional
asons why reports should be sustained by some
rsonal knowledge on the part of those who vouch
their correctness,
As the report of Maj. Gwynn furnishes ali esti-
natcof the cost of constructing the road from Sails
Try to the French Broad River, hundred and forty
lies, it will not be necessary to do more than to
vert to his report as furnishing dates upon which
constructing that portion of the western exten-
IN.
1t will be perceived in reading Maj. Gwynn's re-
TT that he has been careful not to under estimate
G cost of the work-preferring. he states, rath-
to " over estimate than to under estimate the cost
the work.
The estimate is based upon the present high price
provisions and labor, which will very probably
reduced more than twenty per cent. against the
ne the work would commence.
The dmunition of the railroads in progress of
Instruction will necessarily tend to lessen the de-
md for labor, and increase the number employed
agriculture, which will reduce the price of the
mer, and also the agricultural productions of the
ter. He has estimated the land damages agreea-
to Virginia prices, at 900 per milc when it is
freely probable that it will cost 800.
Looking forward therefore, to the certainty of
lucton in the price of labor, provisions materials
the road, ninc-tenths reduction in the land dam
rs, and twenty per cent. in the reduction of the
antty and price Of the rolling stock, it is fair to
,sume that the twenty per cent. added, and which ,
MS part of the estimate will not be required.
I'd by making a deduction of the twenty per !