Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-07-02
Our Rail Roads.

Our Rail Roads.
The publication of @the Directors of the several
Railroads Of the State recently appointed by Gov.
Clark, suggests some deasf in regard to the manage
ment of two. of our Railroads, which may not be
inappropriate a! this time
RALEIGH AND GAsroN RAN. ROAD.
We doubt il there be Railroad in the Southern
Confederacy managed better, if so we'll, as the Raj
eigh and CASTOR Railroad. Ever since the re-
organization and reftting of that Road, 40 matter
who has been President, 1t has been spehddly man
aged. Even when our quondam friend, CASTOR Fl.
Wilder was President whom every body knows is
rather slow COACH it was we'll ll-managed. Gen.
Branch did admirably as Railroad President-far
better than he has eyer done or ever will do, as a
Brig. General. Dr. Hawkins energy and prompt
ness, however, rank him with the first Railroad
Presidents of the Confederaey; and no Road has
better superintendent than Nh. P. A. Dunn.
The great secret of the success of this Road how
ever, does not lie so much in the ability Of its Pres
idents, as in the wise policy adopted years ago. and
rgdly adhered to, to employ none but the most fit
chiefs or subordinates of the several de-
partments. Its employees must be SOBER indus
trious reliable and competent men, or they are dis
charged. The amount of wages demanded by each,
has not been the sine qua non with the managers,
but the question is, they aoorth aohat they de-
mand? The success of the Road is, therefore, to
be attributed more to the efficiency and thorough
competency of the Johnsons, the Vases the Aliens,
the Horizons, the Lpscombs, the Pooles and others
employed on it. than TO any other one fact Many
of them have been on the Road from the beginning
they are as much interested in its success as if it
belonged to them. 1t scarcely ever loses mall a
box or barrel, and serious accident has never oc-
Cured on the Road. We learn that every engineer
at present was raised an apprentice on the Road
Promptness, safety, and the spirit of accommoda-
ton characterize its operations, and the Road is
coming money.
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL) RAILROAD.
We wish we could say as much for the North
Carolina (CentraD Railroad. The State and the
people are more interested pecunary in this Road
than all the rest. Its eminent success ia matter
had good Presidents The lamented Fisher did
much to make the Road an efficient and successful
one, but it has always had some draw backs, from
some cause. 1t is, moreover, long Road, and it is
Herculean task to manage it and keep every screw
tight and in the right place. Mr. Webb, the pres
ent President, is sensible, energetic young man,
and he is doing his utmost to make it what it should
be. Besides, the Road when he took it was in a
bad condition-nearly run down, and time is re-
/! quired to work it up.
But there is manifest incompetency or dereliction
somewhere. Complaints against the Road are be-
coming too common Collisions, running off, loss
of mails, dreadful accidents, enormous losses Of
freight trunks, baggage of all kinds, and failures
as to time are constantly occurring. On the other
end of the Road; some one is always grumbling.
! We do not know that any one is to blame for the
inefficiency of the Road. But it is certain that
! something must be done to produce change in its
affairs 1t ought to have been the most prosperous
Road in the country for the last twelve months and
we learn that the losses have been so great that il
is doubtful whether much has been made. We
hope far otherwise.
We fear the secret of its poor success lies main
ly in the too frequent changes made in the chiefs
and subordinates of the several departments A
penny-wise and pound foolish policy has been prac
ticed too much, we fear. The price of wages and
not the character and fitness of the employees, has
been weighed too much, perhaps. Why is it thai
Capt. Allen, one of the bes. Road masters in the
land, was not kept on the Road' Were he at his
post, there-and he is at home on Railroad
things would work better. Capt. A. is no friend
of the Standard, but we will do him or any Other
man justice. We throw out these hints for the
consideration of the stockholders who are to meet
soon. We repeat it, something must be done tt
make this great interest of the State what il
should be.
IL