Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-01-03
For ths standard.

notice that bill isbeore the Legislature to inccr.
porate company to build railroad from CeDtral
foadin Davidson county alongthe valley Of the Yad
kin river and across the Blue through Ashe or
Waanga counties the State line in the direction OF
the salt works and plaster banksin Virginia. This is
certainly an important project for North Carolina; be
it proposes to penetrate large section Of the
State rich in undeveloped resources, and that has
heretofore been shut out of market and because
would give stimulus to industry and remuneration
to the farmer and because it would afford them IA
cities for obtaining that important food for plants
(paster) 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. Reddes
River Gap is in North Carolina, where the road
crosses from Wilkesboro' to Jefferson, in Ashe
county and the Deep Gap, where the road crosses
from Whkesboro' to Boone in Watauga 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 supposing you
were 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 Yadkin Watauga
and New rivers that has been ascertained by actu.
al survey be accessible with railroad with easy
grades and without tunnelling and has the further
advantage Of having track cut by the great God
of Nature through the Allegheny range, in the d.
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-
onfsn pnfM INV mud iho tor nj fho NM
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 as
being necessary at the pass he surveyed see his re-
port 5th December, 1854, Watauga pass To reach
this gap with the North W estern Railroad, from
Davidson county, you have only to follow the beau
tfu valley of the Yadkin, route afordng as great
facilities for making cheap railroad, and Of fur
nishing produce to load WITH 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 Gap, at less
pense than any wh2re 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 to the Tennessee line by the route, which
he surveyed, at 81, l53,O24. Well, it has been
certained by survey and calculation by competent
engineers that the Ridge be crossed at Cookies
Gap for million of dollars less than his estimate
for Watauga Gap.
Another view of it: The people of Charlotte and
Lincolnton anxious to have a road from Lin
colnton, on the Wilmington and Rutherfordton
Road, to Jonesboro, Tennessee. Cookies Gap is
just in the right direction. Now, if you will unite
the two projects at the foot Of the ridge the east
sde half the expense of crossing will be saved to
each company and all sections of the country will
be accommodated. After crossing the ridge one road
could go in the direction of Jonesboro-the other to
the plaster banks and salt works. 1t would fully an
the purposes of both interests and save mill
lion Of dollars in cost of construction.
Ought these roads to be built? Would they pay
have no hesitation in answering in the affirmative.
The western portion of North Carolina is or would
be if properly improved, the best country the
face of the earth-rch in mineral and agricultural
resources-capabe of sustaining a population
dense as 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--inhabted by
healthy vigorous men, who only want facilities of
getting their produce to market and facilities for pro-
curing til concentrated manures for the SOIL to
work wonders.
Afford them proper encouragement for industrial
enterprise and the results will be astonishing. Mil
lions Of tons-the rich products of those valleys and
hll-sdes-will pass over your State works, seeking
a 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
p'ouoStS VI SuS SouhItJ. SuS, SSututc "
say, that if these roads were 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-
tensve region of country. The people-the farm
crs-need plaster feed their plants. Does it feed
plants? you may ask. Yes, sirs, it does. An cx-
pertinent has been made the past year by an. extern
sve and intelligent farmer in the county of Cald-
well, that shows conclusivey the Importance of plas
ter. as food for plants in western North Carolina
Gen. S. F. p, obtained few bushels at considera-
BILE expense for hauling, and sowed it on part of
his clover field. and though the writer did not
the field, but was told by those who did, that the
effect marked. As far the field could be seen
the difference was not only peIceptible, but aston
ishng Then give the farmers access to it, and they
will soon show to the world that North Carolina is
something more than strip Of unoccuped terrific.
ny between South Carolina and Virginia.
A FARMER.
December 26, 1856.