Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1857-01-07
For the Standard.
To the Editors of the Standard:

- $500. ~. For the Standard.
To the Editors of the Standard:
notice that bill is before the Legislature to incor-
porate company to build railroad from the Central
road in Davidson county along the valley of the Yad
kin river and across the Blue Ridge through Ashe
Watauga counties to the State ne the direction of
the salt works and plaster banks in Virginia This is
certainly an important project for North Carolina be
cause it proposes to penetrate large section of the
State rich in undeveloped resources, and that has
heretofore been shut out of market and because it
would give stimulus to industry and remuneration
to the farmer and because it would afford them ia
clites for obtaining that important food for plants
(plaster much needed in the agricultural districts
of the State. But in pushing these works through
the great backbone of the country it is matter of
much importance to find the best most practicable
and cheapest passes. There are known to be sever
al gaps in the ridge that might be passed with rail-
roads. The Fancy Gap is in Virginia and is too far
east for the range of the proposed road Reddies'
River Gap is in North Carolina, where the road
county and the Deep Gap, where the road crosses
from Wilkesboro' to Boone. in WaAuga county
either Of which are in the direction from Davidson
county, of the point proposed to be reached; and
either would; likely, be practicable for railroad.-
However, of that cannot speak, no surveys having
been made that am aware Of; but supposng you
across at either of these Gaps, you then meet
the Allegheny range, very formidable, but per-
haps not an insurmountable barrier, which must be
overcome before you reach the plaster banks and
salt works. A little further west is Cookies Gap,
between the head waters of the Yadkn, Watauga
and New rivers that has been ascertained by actu.
al survey to be accessible with a railroad with easy
grades, and without tunnelling and has thc further
advantage Of having track cut by the great God
of Nature through the Allegheny range, in the di-
rection the improvement proposes TO take-the Wa
tauga river having done more to open way through
this range than an expenditure of millions would at
other points. Cookies Gap is few miles east Of
the Watauga pass, surveyed in 1854 under the di-
rection of Maj. Gwynn; and the top of the noun
tain in that pass has been ascertained by actual
measurement to be only twenty feet higher than the
bottom of the immense tunnel reported by him
being necessary at the pass he surveyed [see his
port 5th December, 1854, Watauga pass. TO reach
this gap with the North Western Railroad, from
Davidson county, you have only to follow the beau
tul valley of the Yadkin route affordng as great
facilities for making cheap railroad, and of fur
nishing produce to load cars WITH as any in the
State
venture to assert that road would be built from
Lexington or Salisbury, up the valley of the Yad-
kin and across the ridge at Cookies Cap at less
pense than any where else for the distance, in
the whole range of country ntersected by the Blue
Ridge.
Maj. Gwynn estimates the cost of the road from
Salisbury the Tennessee line by the route which
he surveyed, at S7,l53,o24. Well, it has been as
certaned by survey and calculation by competent
)
Gap for million of dollars less than his estimate
for Watauga Gap.
Another view of it: The people of Charlotte and
Lincolnton are anxious to have road from Lin
colnton, the Wilmington and Rutherfordton
Road, to Jonesboro, Tennessee. Cookies Gap is
ust in the right direction. Now, if you will unite
he two projects at the foot of the ridge the east
side, half the expense of crossing will be saved
each company, and all sections of the country viii
be accommodated. After crossing the ridge one road
could 60 in the direction of Jonesboro-the other
the plaster banks and salt works. 1t would fully
swer the purposes of both interests, and save mil.
lion of dollars in cost of construction.
Ought these roads to be built? w ould they paw
have no hesitation in answering in the affirmative
The western portion of North Carolina is, or would
be if properly improved, the best country on the
face of the earth-rch in mineral and agricultural
resources-capable of sustaining population as
dense any part Of the world-with an atmos-
phere as pure as that of Italy-water as good as
gushes from the earth any where--nhabited by
healthy vigorous men, who only want facilities of
getting their produce to market and facilities for pro-
curing tn csc concentrated manures for the soil, to
work wonders.
Afford them proper encouragement for industrial
enterprise and the results will be astonishing. Mil
lions of tonsthe rich products of those valleys and
hillsides-will pass your State works, seeking
market. Millions of tons of guano plaster and
other concentrated manures will pass to and fro,
making profit for your railroad companies and swell.
ling beyond calculation the amount of agricultural
products of the country. Why, sirs, l venture to
say, that if these roads built, two hundred
thousand tons of plaster alone would pass them
the first year of their operation, to say nothing of
salt, bacon and all the various products of that ex-
tcnsive region Of country. The pcople-the farm
ers-need plaster to feed their plants. Does it feed
plants? you may ask. Yes, srs, it does. An ex-
pertinent has been made the past year by an exten.
sve and intelligent farmer i'll the county of Cald-
well, that shows conclusvey the Importance of plas-
ter as food for plants in western North Carolina
Gen. S. F. P, obtained few bushels at consdera-
BILE expense for hauling, and sowcd it on part OF
his clover field. and though the writer did not see
the field, but was told by those who did, that the
effect was marked. AS far the field could be seen
the difference was not only perceptibe, but aston.
shing. Then give the farmers access to it. and they
will soon show to the world that North Carolina is
something more than strip of unoccupicd terrific.
ry between South Carolina and Virginia.
A FARMER.
December &C. 1856.
CONGRESSIONAL.
noo