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

mile which would gain the cost OF that part of the
road 81, 100000 And to make this connection up
on a suppositon that the State betrayed the whole
expense of constructing it would give as the cost Of
the entire line from Salisbury 2O4 miles, the sum oil
81, S26, $50, 40 100.
1t may not be improper (as the next Legislature
be called upon to decide which OF the routes Is
to be adopted for the main trunk of the road to de-
vote short time to the comparison of that route
with the route west respecting which such extrav-
agant calculations have been made apparently to
prevent it's adoption.
Of every part of this line I do not propose to
base my opinion upon the representation of Others
but upon a personal knowledge. When youth l
traced foot the trails through the mountain pass
cs made by the Elk, Buffalo, and the Indian. The
former have passed away and given place to domes
tic animals and the latter is fast disappearing, and
in like manner succeeded by the Ango-Saxon
race of men, who mostly constitute the pioneers oil
the west.
From the French Broad river by an air line to the
Tennessee river to the location of the Blue Ridge
road, is As miles. BY following the courses OF the
valleys of the waters Of the French Broad and Ten
nessee rivers, which rise in the divide between
these within less than two hundred yards of
each other the distance from the French Broad to
the Tennessee river would probably be increased to
rs miles. The elevation of this pass i'll the only
ridge worthy Of making mention of between the
French Broad and the Tennessee river. Prof Mitch
ell ascertaned, by his Barometer, to be little up
wards of six hundred feet fIom the valley OF the
Pigeon, with gradual ascent of 10 miles through
the valley of the Richand creek the east, and
forty miles descent on the Tennessee would b,
marked at or near the mouth Of Nantahala, W t.; a
maximum grade of exceeding 60 feet to the mile.
Estimating the cost of constructing the road from
the French Broad to the Tennessee river at $50 600
per mile which is probably than it would
cost gives the total cost Of that division of the
road 81 $50 600. Add to this the estimated cost of
portions of the road to Salisbury, S., 9O6 $780, 4OlOO
and gives the total cost of the road from Sails
bury to the Tennessee river, or Blue Ridge Railroad,
Ill Iah sI 70 form nR
nrction with the Nirgi and Tennessee road would
be only 81, S2G, 290,4O, making difference in the
cost of construction of the two lines dverging from
the point on the French Broad river of $4,000,
but very different results to distance in reaching
Chattanooga. The estimated distance to Chatham
olga by the route uia Greenvile is $50 miles of that
distance 81 miles remains to be provided for, with
an increased distance tunnel OF about half mlc
by the Tennessee river route from the point on
French Broad to the Tennessee river 10 miles from
its junction with the Blue Ridge road to the point on
the Tennessee river where that road DIVORCES north
to Knoxville, Cincinnati and Louisville, branch
dlverses west to Chattanooga-disancc forty miles,
from that point to Chattanooga rs miles, n consider
able portion OF that road from Sweetwater valley to
is built and for the remainder char
ers with State and have been secured. making the !
otal distance from the French Broad river by this
-oute $50 miles, making difference in distance Of
~ miles Inch, agreeably to the opinion of Pref
iliaspIe and other writer's upon main trunk rail !
Dads amounts to saving of 500 UUO per mile total,
gained from the point of junction: travellers going
ast would save two hours time by going through |
Worth Carolina, compared to the route through Nir
una or South Corolina ConSe Iuenty, the advan-
ages which would be in favor of the Tennessee and !
Ilrglnla road by connection being made at Green
lille would be transferred to the North Carolina .
DAD ny the connection the Tennessee river.
ana, IL II were desired, to prevent transhpment, to
ontInue the guage of the North Corolina road to
team boat navigation at Loudon and Lenoir,
car the mouth of the Holsten, 63 miles, that could
e accomplished by the expenditure Of $3.50, 600
alu In the construction of double tract to the
enf'essee line, which would be extended to King
ton, at the mouth of the Clinch so miles from the
lnctlon Of the Tennessee river, where the naviga-
on at those three points would, no doubt, be equal
Chattanooga. And, from the junction on the
ennGssee river to the Duck Town Copper Mines,
iihe diverging south through the Red marble
ap IN the dividing ridge that divides the waters of
lc tennessee from those of the Hiwassee, dis
lnce Of IS miles, a connection would be formed
ltn One of the richest mineral countries in the
oliu, containing copper mines admitted to be SUI
error to the mines of England which now employ
their transportations from three to five hun
req wagons and teams. And the estimate of the
clSht of that place alone is estimated at 3O0,OOO
MS per annum.
A large portion of this line would be through the
llleys of Valley River and Hiwassec, situated
Tween the Allegheny and Blue Ridge mountains
ID where they disappear in the valley of the Missls
pp, embracing not only copper but iron in all its
lrieties in abundance with lime for fuxing and
APP stone for furnaces of 4 superior quality, with
alter power equal if not superior to that OF New |
1gland and also containing white statuary marble,
it'll that of the flesh coored and variegated colorS,
nal to that of Italy, which extends along upwards
40 miles, with veins of mang lnise anthony, lead,
yer and gold with a productive soil which produ-
s most of the productions of both the North and
c South the mountains all the grasses neccsSa-
for grazing purposes, for sheep pastures and stock
Using, with southern exposures which will be found
apted the cultivation of the vine and a climate
ore salubrious than that of New England. in con-
1uence of its being equally well supplied with
rings of fine water and free FROM the extremes of
at and cold. And at Duck Town another connec-
ct;on would be formed by Railway with Chatta-
,oga and Memphis by still shorter line and by the
,orgia road, which will be connected in few years;
INJECTIONS would also be formed with Cassvile,
,me, Atlanta and Montgomery. and by the roads |
injected at that point with Vicksburg, New Or /
ms, Mobile and Pensacola, which would furnish a
re through North Carolina between those cities 1
d Norfolk and the cities North of that point, at a
lst 60 miles shorter than by the lines South and
,rth of that line, which would be equal to two
mrs saved 20 the express and mail trains, which !
tn the additional advantage of avoiding during the
miner months the yellow fever the Southern Z
d the cholera the Northern lines, would secure \
t only the transportation Of the United States !
Ill going to New Orleans, Texas and California il
It would secure fair proportion of the through !
vel and with those advantages it would become b
important feeder to the North Carolina roads, for
vel going east. This branch of the road has been b
artercd and will be undertaken separately, if the t
nth Carolina road should not be extended or pro-
ion made for it. The charter provides that the t
tie of North Carolina shall have the right to con-
ct her roads with that road terms of equality o