The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-11-20
For the standard.


For the Standard
killing three Birds with one Stone---
Or, how to sell Lands, build Railroads
| and put Money in Circulation.
| The fact is universally conceded that the
| people of North Carolina have great deal
more land than they know what to do with.
This was the case before the war, when they
could command the labor of the negro pop
ulation, and the disproportion of lands to
the means of bringing them under cultiva-
ton is still greater now that the negroes are
free. Many would sell land if they could
find buyers; but experience proves that in
dividual capitalists from the North are slow
to make investments among strangers who
were so lately at war with the general gov
eminent.
On the other side, it is well known that
Northern capital was never SO abundant as
at present, and that it seeks investment in
the South, as often as the fear of civil COM
motion and sectional hostility is overcome
by actual observation. What northern men
dread or dislike in coming South, is isola-
ton among what they suppose to be hos
tile, or at least, an unfriendly and unsympa-
thizing population. There is also the feeling
of helplessness in individuals, acting sepa-
rately, in view of any improvement of the
country. The great need, therefore, is a
practicable plan of concerted action by
their funds in the soil of the State, thus dis
seminating money among our own people
and at the same time opening the way for
an extensive immigration.
1t is believed that this may be done by the
adoption of an expedient which will at the
same time add to our internal Improvements
and triple the value OF real estate To this
end, it is suggested that several much needed
Railroads be chartered and that temporary
Directors be named in the charters, to whom
authority shall be given to receive subscrip-
tions IN lands at fair valuations near the lines
of the proposed roads. When a sufficient
amount of lands shall be thus subscribed to
build the road, if converted into money, the
Board shall proceed to advertise and sell
them, under powers of Attorney, in the
Northern markets, and credit each stockhol-
der with the amount his land sells for They
might then proceed to organize the company
permanently under the charter.
In order to give effect to an enterprise of
this kind, it would become necessary that
the proprietors of land on the proposed line
of railway should consent to the sale of Dor
ton of their estates, say one third or one
half, at reasonable and even moderate prices
They might count with certainty upon the
two or three-fold incl ease in the value of the
unsold muiety, soon the road should be
completed, with an annual augmentation in
the price of their productions so that after
dispOsing of that which they had no use for,
in exchange for ready money, the es-
tates OF the landholders would still be as val
liable as ever, and more useful to them. The
buyers in like manner, would find their &C |
count in the enhanced value of the lands |
purchased. They would buy at the present |
low prices, in the absence of roailroad facil- |
tiles; and the purchase money would be in
vested by the sellers in a way to triple the
value of the lands sold
The Legislature is now in session, and this
is thrown out in the hope that if
It should meet public favor that that body
will not withhold the authority for testing its
feasibility.
There are already several favorite Railroad
enterprises on foot in the State, and if char
ers be granted them on the plan here pro-
posed, it will cost but little to make the ex-
pertinent of raising funds to build them by
he sale of individual lanGs. 1t will be re-
collected that Railroads have been built all
'ver the Northwestern States by selling al
ornate sections of the adjacent lands to
european and Northern capitalists Those
ands were given to the companies by the
United States government; and while the
have been enriched, the govern
nent has been Unidentified for the donation
" the enhanced value of the ungranted
ands. The individual proprietors of land
n this State, can accomplish similar result
without giving away any portion of their
property. They may sell half or a third of
heir lands for money to invest in Railroads
which will give three-fold value to the re-
lainder.
1t is obvious that the same plan for rails
ng capital may be applied to the making of
turnpike roads, the erection of factories,
&C. MURPHY.