The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1866-07-24
RESOURCES OF NORTH CAROLINA

RESOURCES OF NORTH CAROLINA.
The United States Commissioner of Immigra
tion having recently addressed a letter to Gcv.
Worth as to the resources and capabilities of
the State, the Governor prepared and transmit
ted the information contained in the subjoined
communication
Its publication has been Immediately induced
by'a letter from the President of the American
Enigrapt and Homestead Company, New York,
which will be found below, and which explains
itself:
! American Emigrant Aid and Homestead CO..
NEW YORK, June Sth, 1866
To His Ereettency, the Goreraor of North
= CaTot6Md:
l.. SIR :-Reports have been received by this
Company from Europe, that efforts are made
there to dissuade the Europeans from inimi era
ting and settling in the Southern States, by cir
cniahng Statements that the European settlers
In the Southern States are treated iuhumanely;
which can be reiuted successfully only by re-
ferrlng the Europeans to the statutory laws Of
the respective SUuthsrr States relating to the
mode OF acquiring properly, and to the civil ard
political rights aud privileges secured to the
new settlers or forei gners l0catirg therein. To
enable the Company to do this task effectively
you are most respectfully requested to furnish
it with copies Of Snch laws OF your State, or to
refer it to such other authentic collections
thereof, actually in existence and in force
in your State.
A statistical information Of your State resour-
ces, ct the climate, Of its various localities, and
OF agricultural adaptcdness of their soil, would
be very desirable also; for the misreprescnta-
tlons referred to extend even to these objects
AS the object OF this request is to obtain from
you weapon to enable this Company to defend
the interests of your State and Of its landLo!d-
ers, it is expected that this liberty will be ex-
cu>cd
Herewith you viii te pleased to find our
charter organization, and a newspaper contain
ing the expression Of our determination to aid
the South in obtaining immigrants
l have the honor to be, very respectfully,
your Excellency's obd't serv't,
PC WRIGHT Pres't.
STATE OF N. CAROLINA, EXECUTIVES DEPT, !
Raleigh, June 18th, 1866
p & Wright. Esq Fres't Am T. Il d, H. Co:
SlR:-ln response to your letter of the Sth
inst ant | write you substantially the facts
contained in letter, of this date, to the United
States Com missioner Of lmmi grafton at Wash
lnaeon-
Geographically, Forth Carolina is situated
half way between New York aud the Gulf of
Mexico, being included between the parallels OF
81 degrees and 363 degrees. 1t extends from
the Atlantic Coast five hundred miles westward
stretching more than one hundred miles beyond
the Blue Ridge Mountains, aud ceutains
of 10000 square miles, having therefore the
same extent as the State of New York This
territory divides itself naturally into three well
marked seetions: On the West the mouutan
plateau, having elevation Of 250O feet
above the sea, and being traversed by several
chains OF mountains, many Ut whose peaks at
tain an elevation Of nearly 1000 feet. On the
east lies low plain nearly level, partly all1vi
al and partly sandy, extending about $50 miles
from the coasl; and between these two spreads
the hill county, whose elevation rise. gradually
from 200 or 300 feet, on the east, to 1900 feet
al the base OF the mountains
The eastern section is mostly covered with
piqes 0'lnus auSrraIis aud L. taeda,) the middle
and western with vast forests of oaks COT many
speceS) lnter>pese sed with the poplar, hickory,
walnut maple, &c. Seven large rivers, with
their numerous tributaries, traverse the State,
furnishing unllnlitcd water power thsv flow
down from the mountains through the middle
section; and as they move, with moderate cuI-
rent, across the champagne cnuntry, on the east,
into the chain of sounds which skirt tho coast,
they furnish, with these, an aggregate of 900
miles of inland navigation, which might be
doubled by carrying westward the system of
slack water Improvements already commenced.
With these navigabe waters is nterlaced the.
Railroad system Of the State, amounting to 99S
miles completed, and 400 more in progress,
which, with about $50 miles OF plank roads aud
gturnpikes, brings the sea into ready com
municatlou with every part of the State
Tile iSOii l. very varIpus ailuvia and Deaty
accumuatous abound the coast and along
the rivers, while in the middle aud western re-
gions the soil is mainly OF granite origin, AID
represents every grade of sandy aud clayey loam
Of various fertility.
The thnanfe has also. wide range, being
tempered the seabuard to something like the
mildncss of that Of the Gulf States, while ID
the mountain region 1t approaches the rIgor OF
New York. lu the middle section, which con
st'tutes the larger part Of the State, and repro
y rature is 60, deg (fahrenheiD the mean
Summer temperature 10 deg, mean Winter 10
dog extreme Summer (durnaD 80 degrees,
average absolute maxlmGm SO degrees, extreme
Winter (diurpal) 20 degrees, average absolute
minimum II deg. The annual fall OF rain Is
45 inches Tire number Of cloudy days IN the
year is l3O; rainy days 50
The Tege,abie P-oa-cttons are very vatIous.
The most important wheat corn, oats, rye,
potatoes. sweet potatoes, peas, rice, cotton, to-
bacco, turpeDtine, grapes and fruits. " heat
and corn are produced with facility and abuu
dance in all part; rye, oats, potatoes flourish in
a. i