Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-11-01
Projects for Cheapening and NationalizIng s
Railways.

On Thursday night meeting was held
at the Cooper Institute, New York, to con-
slider what action should be taken in rela-
t1on to the expression of pubic opinion on
the three national railroad bills now before
Congress. At eight o'clock the chair was
taken by Freeman Clark, of Rochester
On the platform were many leading citi-
zens, including Peter Cooper and Judne
DAILY. The chairman introduced Sher-
wood, who stated that the bills now before
Congress, introduced by Senators Harlan,
Nye and Henderson, are designed to take
the initiative in the establishment of ma
tlonal system of cheap freight railways, un-
der Congressional legislation, whereby the
great natural freight thoroughfares of the
country may have common trunks laid
down from the interior to the seaboard, and
whereby the local roads already built may
extend their commerce to the sea. That
the common trunk roads be open to free
competition in transportation, as much so
as the Erie Canal any other company or
individual being allowed to put on inspect
ed rolling stock and to engage in the bust
ness of carrying freight and passengers by
conforming to the rules adopted by the
proprietors. The trunk roads provide a
sinking fund to reimburse the cost, and,
like the Erie Canal, be ready in less than
forty years to be dedicated to the free use
of the public. These roads to be built for
cash, to have no fictitious stock. Resolu-
tions were adopted appointing a commit
tee to Investigate the subject and to report
at the next meeting. Letters approving
the proposed project were read from Sec
retary Seward, Governor Fenton, A. Cans,
President of the Cincinnati Chamber of
Commerce, W. F. Otis, President of the
Cleveland Board of Trade, and several
others.
The bills now before Congress propose,
first, a road, 800 miles common trunk, to be
called the Galveston, Kansas and Little
Rock railway - second, a freight thorough
fare from the Mississippi to the Atlantic,
with termini at New York, Philadelphia
and Boston-ultimately to be extended to
the Pacific third, coal thoroughfare
from the Eastern Shore of New jersey to
the mines of Pennsylvania.
Bills are also being prepared for intro
duction at the re-assembling of Congress
for q railway on the freight plan from the
harbor of Beaufort, S. c., to Raleigh, n.
c.; thence to Cumberland Gap, branching
from some proper point to Wytheville, Va. !;
a railway connection with the Georgia
State road at Atlanta, and then to Savan-
nah or Brunswick.
Inc SuDJecC OF an AtId1t1G DfauCn OF Gne
Union Pacific railroad, or an airline road
from the Atlantic Ocean to st. Louis, Mis-
souri,, is also discussed. The proposition
is to start this line from a point on the
southern side of James river to Petersburg,
thence in direct line to Lynchburg,
Campbell county. Pattonsburg, Botetourt
county, Covington, Allegany county, (Va.,)
Lewisburg, Greenbrier county, Boone
Courthouse, Boone county, Anacoina coun-
ty and Burning Springs, Logan county,
West Virginia. Logan county adjoins Ken
lucky, and is about $50 miles west of Rich
mond. From Burning Springs it is pro-
posed to pass through johnson county,
Kentucky, through Winchester, Lexing-
ton and Louisville in that State from
New Albany to Vinness, indiana, and
through Illinois Ito ST. Clair county, and
thence to ST. Louis.-Baltimore Sun.