Weekly North Carolina standard., 1856-06-04
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
QuALLA Town, April 10, 1856.

SuALLA AOWNs hPih AVs 1o0V'
To the Editor Of the Asheoile Ne,cs:
SlR-With view of aiding in producing harmony
of action upon the question of internal Improvement
west of the Blue Ridge, as opportunity offers may
desire to occupy small space in the columns. OF
your paper, upon Railroad improvement g.:
At the last session of our Legislature the parties
united in favor of internal improvements, and much
was done to redeem the Old North State from the
reproach Of being the Rip Van Wrinkle of the South
Provision was made for constructing Railroad from
Wilmington to Rutherfordton, and another from
Salisbury the French Broad river leaving its I'm
al location from the latter point to be determined by
future legislation. There are but two routes which
NAV be regarded as practicable One down the
French Broad river, to form connection with the
E. Tenn and Virginia Road the other west, through
the valleys of tho Pigeon and Tuckasege rivers, to
form connection with the Blue Ridge Road, IN pro-
gress of construction, to be continued to the Duck
Town Copper Mines, where connection would be
formed with Cleaveland, Chattanooga, on the Ten.
nessee Memphis on the Mississippi river, Little Rock
on the Arkansas, and by divergng lines with every
portion of the Mississippi Valley, and finally with
the Pacific Ocean.
1t must now be obvious that the amount of stock
necessary be subscribed the part of individuals
cannot he obtained to carry either of the Roads ter
minatng at Morganton and Rutherfordton beyond
the Blue Ridge.-And it is quite probable that the
people of those villages will oppose the extension
west and the stockholders in these roads being
mostly unacquanted with the mountains, will, for
many years to come, be disnclined to INCUR the
heavy expenditures necessary to form Railroad con-
nections west of the Blue Ridge Such has been the
course of policy of most of the Railroad companies
in the Atlantic States. Massachusetts,, New York,
Pennsylvania, Maryland. Virginia, and South Caro-
lima have all constructed Railroads to the foot OF the
Blue RIDGE and only made provision for extending
beyond the Allegheny Range of mountains after
long delay, and when compelled to it by actual
necessity.
A question arises of much importance to all the
portion of the State west of the Blue Ridge Shall
they wait patiently for time to prove the necessity
of extension shal! they unite under an indepen-
dent charter to construct the Road in the western
portion of the State? The latter is no doubt the
best policy. An independent charter to construct
a Railroad from Duck Town to form connection
with the Railroads terminating at Morganton and
Rutherford!en, with the privilege of forming
tions and constructing branches wherever the com.
pany deemed it necessary, would very probably pro-
duce harmony west of the Blue Ridge, as by that
policy all the necessary improvements would be
made and conflict between local interests avoided.
The next question is-Could such plan succeed
in constructing the impl dCs ed across and
west of the Blue Ridge?-A few intimations upon
the plan to be adopted to lead to success must suf
flee Tor the present. Strone objections vii! exist to
increasing the State debt Consequently. that must
be avoided And this can only be done in one way.
AS substitute for the issue of bonds let the State
authorize transfer Of stocks i'll other improvements,
dL InaIheI value, " eAtcuL vi tNo Vi
the requisite amount to construct the whole Road,
as fast one third shall be subscribed by indvid-
uas. Let the work commence west and east of the
Blue Ridge, provided the requisite amount of stock
be subscribed and let the State undertake the
struction of the Tunnel, upon the plan adopted by
the State of Virginia, a State work and soon
as completed let it be turned to the company,
and the company be bound to pay to the State
bonus of fifty cents travel and forty cents ton
on freight, to renuncrate the State for her expendi
ture, and afterwards to relieve the citizens of the
State FROM direct taxation. AS most time would be
required to construct the Tunnel and the approaches
to 1t, that work SHOULD be commenced soon as the
necessary legislation can be obtained
This policy being adopted by the State, general
confidence would be given to the enterprise, and its
final completion secured
When time and opportunity again offer, l may
endcavOr to demonstrate that all the citizens of the
State, we'll all the improvements east of the
Blue Ridge deeply interested in this project and
that it must prove profitable investment of capital,
and that the State has ample means to effect it, with
out increasing the State debt taxes.
w. II. Z.