Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-01-05

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subscribers and that the road would not have been
located as it now runs So much for the past Let
me now call your attention to the statements of
which I complain, and which as l think, does the
present Board of Directors great injustice. You
say " as the minority informed, scarcely bush
ell of wheat barrel of -four is carried at the
price from Charlotte eastward, that is charged from
Greensborough, so no charge is made for the first
SO miles, that the privilege on the last 80 miles
from Greensboro may be exercised. Would it not be
well, if so exercised for the freight to leave the
road quickly possible, if it pays nothing while
on it? And they further endeavored to induce the
produce to leave the North Carolina road and aban-
don the North Carolina ports and markets for those
of Virginia that when it reaches Raleigh it is trans
ported over the Raleigh & CASTOR road to Hender
son or Ridgway before they begin to charge it. 1
know not from whom the committee got their infor-
nation nor whether the statement be intended for
reason or sarcasm; but whatever its purpose or
from whom derived it is equally unjust So if it is
intended to assert that the tariff of freghts has been
formed with the view of forcing the produce of the
country into the Virginia markets. the assertion is
directly in contradiction to what is the fact-he tar
iii is framed with gradual increase to the highest
point and then the same charge to the end of the
road But you mistaken in supposing Green's
borough that point have not the tariff before me,
but according to my recollection, the point is Lex
ington. You are correct in saying Charlotte is |
charged the same as Salisbury, and may be Lexing-
ton for instance, and you might have added with |
truth, notwithstanding this, not bushe of wheat
has ever passed from Charlotte over the North Car
olina road. In the year 1850 when the Directors
were forced in sedefence to reduce the carriage of
bushel Of wheat from Salisbury to Goldsboro' to
IA cents and the price was the same from Charlotte
yet not bushel was sent from the latter place
Salisbury sent some so or 100000 bushels to Will
mington-Charlotte not bushel. Such is our
| sample of your free trade system of railroad and
such would be the case with your Danve road. |
have before the report of the agent at Lexington
for 1857, and what does that exhibits 61S bush
els of wheat, most Of which, says the agent went
East-199S barrels of -four same direction The
agent adds on that 70 thousand bushels of wheat
were sent from Lexington East during the past
year-about 90 thousand from High Point, and 80
; thousand from Salisbury. Here we have the ship
ments from these points of 100000 bushels, and
which doubtless, in future will quite double. And
l hazard little in saying, the freight from these
three points, will be worth more to the North Caro-
lima road, than every possible gain from the Dan
vile connection. The friends of the H. c. road do
not desire to force the farmers of Dan river to send
their produce on their road; but what they COM
plain of is, that this great State work should be
broken down, built it has been mostly by the
State, in order to accommodate those farmers in
reaching those Virginia markets.
As to the principle between long and short dis
tances of which the minority report complains is
principle that is to be found in the tariff of every
railroad so far my observation goes. 1t is at least
principle of which you should not complain, as l
feel certain it is to be found in the tariff of your ia
vorite Danville road, of whose merits you seem to
boast with so much triumph. Of one thing you are
aware that cause of swelling the merits Of the
Danville road it enjoys the advantage of some con-
siderable distance in transporting the freight and
passengers of the South Side road from Lynchburg
to Petersburg: Again your readers will be sur
prised to learn that the tariff first framed for the
\. C. road was reported by the then engineer, Maj
Gwynn, and adopted by the Board, of which you
were the President. And say, if the principle of
discrimination has been enlarged since, it has been
for the benefit of our own roads and markets. But
it strikes me strange that the minority report
should complain of favor being shown to the Vr-
gina markets. when the very measure they recon-
mend proposes measure whose very object and
effect will be to favor the Virginia markets at the
expense of our own. But not little sur
prised to find your report has exhibited the whole
argument in favor of this Danville connection
That argument has been for the great increase of
the Through trarel You say, that candor and truth
compel you to say, when speaking of the contest
between the Wilmington and Charlotte routes for
this through travel" But it is useless to regard
this petty contest between these rival roads, they
are both destined to have the great Southwestern
mail and travel. Let US look to the figures, and
who can doubt it ?" You then adduce your figures
, to prove the advantage in favor of the Tennessee
and Virginia road 10 this you might have referred,
with still greater force against road to the road
now in the course of construction from Savannah to
Charleston, and thence to the Manchester road at
, Florence, which will carry most of the Southern
travel by way of Wilmington. As you admit we
are thus destined to have the Southern travel do
not we beseech you, destroy our chance for freight
As to the idea of turning the produce from the val
leys of the Dan and upper Roanoke from their long
oh ShnI rl-Efc had -
tempt to turn these noble rivers 1t cannot be DONE
and it is nonscnscal to talk about it. So as to the
rich minerals on the Dan to which you refer. It
is only necessary to state they first to be carried
on the principle of discriminating in favor of long
distances against short and in favor of our own
markets against that of foreign. This discrimina-
ton as to distances is the policy which is uniform
with all roads-and such I know is practiced by
your favorite the Danville road And your readers
will be little Surprised to learn whatever its poll
Cyl it first recommended in the first tariff for
the North Carolina road, by its then enlightened
Engineer, and adopted by the Directors of whom
you were one, and whilst the road was under your
control. That it has been revised, and in some
things changed, may be true but the same princi-
pie of discrimination still exists. For the first 10
miles so much is charged and increased progress
sively until you descend the Dan to Danville 60 or
100 miles, and thence brought over the Danvile
road so miles further to show that the calculation
, is entirely futile. 1t Is not to be done-Virgina
would not sanction your Danville scheme for one
moment if she feared any such result regret to
find, as think do, asprit of depreciation running
through your whole report against our North Caro-.
lima road. / intend no dsrespect in any thing |
have said am willing to admit it may be an hon
est difference of opinion between us. You say, you
think the Danve connection will benefit our roads
+ l feel certain it will prove ruinous. RMS
Official Vote of Wake County,
For member of the House of Commons, held 3Oth
| December 1853