Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-01-21
TIE Western Eassssssa:


and considered tie bal, in sobassnee providing 10
make more active the faith Of the Safe in relation
to the Western NORTH. Carolina Railroad Mr.. Avery
took the doorsand spoke at some length, and with
much iorceahd abiIity Tin favor of the measure
= the original charter of the Western N. c. R. r.
Company provides for the construction of railway
by sections, Of no specified distance but the wes-
tern ternini respectively 10 be at such point the
line IS may be indicated by the exhaustion of the
funds subscribed aud paid for the building of each
section. The sum Of $780, 900 was authorized to
be subscribed for building the first section, and of
$500, 600 for each subsequent division-the State
taking o-thirds when individuals took one. third
and paid in five per cent thereon but it was further
provided that the first section should be equipped
and put in full operation before books were opened
for stock in the second division and SO on seriaim
1t is this latter restriction. involving long delay,
which has engcndered dissatisfaction in the west.
The N. c. road and the Atlantic road each have open
charters, without any restriction whatever Of the
kind referred to- and the entire line Of both these
roads was let to contractors and put in progress at
the same time. As the Western N. C. Road is an
extension of the trunk formed by these two roads,
the western people cannot comprehend why an in
vidious distinction should be made against them, by
imposing restrictions on them and on their Road
which were not imposed on the N. c. and Atlantic
Roads,
The amendments now pending before the Senate
still preserve the section feature of the original char
ter but provide that two or three hundred thousand
dollars additional stock may be at once subscribed
by individuals towards building the first section,
the State subscribing double that sum; and this
subscription would build the Road to Morganton, in
stead of stopping twenty miles this side, in the
woods As soon as the five per cent is paid in on
this latter subscription books to be opened for
the second section, which is to extend to within
ten miles of the top Of the Blue Ridge, at the Swan
annoa Gap. Upon the subscription of stock to the
amount of one-hrd the estimated cost of this Sec
ton, and payment Of certain per cent thereon the
State is to subscribe the entire amount of the esti-
mated cost of the Mountain division of ten miles
her subscription therefor not to exceed 81 2Oe 900
and charge is to he levied on freight and passen.
gers to refund one-third of the above sum to the
State. Books are to be opened for stock to build
the section from this point to the French Broad
river, near Ashvile, as the State subscribes
to the Mountain division.
Maj. Gwynn estimated the cost Of the Road from
the town of Salisbury to the French Broad river, at
upwards of six millions of dollars; and the com.
pany were authorized to increase their capital stock
to that amount, the State pledging her faith and
credit for two thirds Of that sum- The company
organized, forty miles of the Road are under con.
tract, and over hundred thousand dollars worth
OF grading and masonry have been done within the
ORIGINAL estimates A nau cury.y 81 &ho IL. L..
been made, and much time devoted to the Noun.
tain division. route has been discovered by
which the mountain may be passed with 9, 100 feet
less of subterraneous excavation and unneling than
that originally estimated and the result is, the
Road can be constructed at less cost, BY million
and half, than that supposed when the charter
granted.
The State, therefore, after paying two-thirds of
the cost of three sections and the entire cost of the
ten miles Of the Mountain division, will have, of the
four millions now prospectivey appropriated to this
work, the sum of four hundred thousand dollars
uncxpended: which it is proposed to appropriate to
aid in building road from Asheve to the Paint
Rock on the Tennessee line. This, if done, would
complete at once the connection with the Roads of
the Western and Southwestern States, and con-
mind of the State when the scheme Of Central
Railroad adopted.
Tennessee has now Railroad in progress of con-
struc:ion, with view to this connection; and she
has suspended operations on the Eastern end of the
line, only because she has that North
Carolina will meet her. within any reasonable period
at Paint Rock.
The entire section or division at the mountain. is
4
cerned and there can, therefore, be no mistake in
the estimates. There is, perhaps, no approach to
the Blue Ridge, from where looms up on the North
ern boundary of the State to where it loses itself in
the South, which presents such advantages for con-
structing railway found by pursuing the
valley of the Catawba on the East and the valleys
Of the Swanannoa and the French Broad on the West
side of the Ridge. Hence it will be perceived, on
making calculation, that the Western Extension
can be built at less cost per mile than any Road
which has yet been constructed or projected for
piercing the Allegheny chain of mountains
1t seems to US that the friends of the Western
Extension are asking only what is just and reasona
be at the hands of the Legislature. Here is work
of incalcuable importance to the State, as we'll as
to the West-to which the faith of the State is al
ready pledged; and oil that is asked is, to make
more active that faith, that the Road may be ad-
vanced more rapidly to completion. No addition is
asked to the existing State debt Let it oe renem-
bered that that portion of the State west of Sails
bury, has never, until the passage of this charter,
received any appropriations worth speaking of from
the Legislature. There other reasons which
may occur to some Of our Eastern friends, why
these proposed amendments should be granted, or
why at least something should be done to facilitate
the Western Extension but we will not name them
here The people of the West are patient true, and