Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-01-24

should so determine, there would lie no
obstacle 10 such action.
We have already expressed our approval
G. the appointment Of delegates TO attend
the meeting of the stockholders Of the
Western Railroad, and regard those Sc
lected by the President Of the Chamber as
most eminently fitted TO represent the in
terests of Wilmington. aud sincerely trust
that they will accept the important duties
which will deyolve upon our representa-
tives i'll that meeting. We should by all
means have delegates present, for fayette-
vile is not more interested III the western
terminus of that road than Wilmington
an interest which is not ut present SO fully
Appreciated because neither terminl are
within The corporate limits of our city, but
which must force itself upon every one who
gives the subject the least thought.
While not differing with The report of the
Chamber of Commerce as to the great adj
vantages of Salisbury as the western ter
minus of the road, we ara not prepared to
urge upon our people the very great dis
advantages that must inevitably result from
the choice of any point east OF that, as
such terminus If we take the naked adj
vantages to be derived from Il connection
with Salisbury as compared with those OF
High Point or Thomasville, there certainly
can be no question as to the very great SUI
DeriOrity of the former, but there are ute
rior circumstances which We think render
one or other of the latter, if not preferable,
at least as not attendant with disadvantages
to either Wilmington or Fayetteville, to
which we respectfully desire to call attcn-
ton.
The distance from Egypt to High
Point or Thomasville. is about fifty five
miles, while it will be necessary to build up
wards Of eighty miles OF railroad to reach
Salisbury, half of which distance, on ac-
count of the depression necessary to avoid
the Uwharrie mountains, must be parallel
to, and but ashort distance from, the North
Carolina Railroad. The question of cost,
very serious one at all times, and more SO
now, is not to be weighed against the i'm
mensc advantages to le derived from a con-
nection ut Salisbury with the Western Tex
tension) North Carolina Railroad at pre-
sent inviGorated with new life, and under
the guidance of competent officials, making
all earnest, and, we trust, successful effort
to reach the Tennessee line ut Paint Rock,
ria Asheviile.
But cannot and will not these advantages
be reached by other means equally expedl-
tiOuS and costly more economical To en-
able the Fayetteville and Western Railroad
to extend its road from Egypt to some
point on the North Carolina Railroad, the
State gave the corporation power to mort
gage its road and property. A similar priv
ilege was astel and obtained by the Will
mington, Charlotte and rutherford Rail
road, and the same state of affairs that will
enable the former to secure funds upon
their mortgage bonds, will also give Sue
cess to The like efforts of the Wilmington,
Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad, with pos
sibly greater chances in favor of the latter,
as much the Larger and weather. corpo-
ration. If the former, then. can push its
road westward, by means of the recent act
Of the Legislature, the latter will also,
and before the Western Railroad
could reach Salisbury, the Wilmington,
Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad would
be finished to Charlotte, which would give
an unbrOken connection with Lincolnton,
at least. From Newton, on the Western
North Carolina Railroad, but forty miles
beyond Salisbury, to Lincolntcn, it is but
Grelre or. fifteen miles, along a level ridge
By the building Of this short connecting
link we could reap all the advantages, with
the exception of the country Immediately
around Salisbury, that Il direct connection
with that town would give us, and to con-
struct eighty miles of road to secure this
for the advantage of either Fayetteville or
Wilmington, would be fishing in the tub
to catch the whale.
The people of Salisbury already have
competing lines and markets, and now are
only interested in securing their western
connections, and will give us no aid and
but little encouragement in this undertake
ing; and if, at great expense, we complete
the road, we will have but share of the
trade, which must be divided between
Richmond, Norfolk, New Berne and More
head City, Fayetteville and Wilmington,
and probably Charleston.
The extension of this road to and beyond
High Point or Thomasville, in the direc-
ton of hit. Airy, in Surry county, a dis
lance of eighty-five miles, the length re-
quired to reach Salisbury, would complete
it beyond Germantown to a point near the
corner of Surry, Forsyth. Stokes and Yad-
kin counties, and only twenty to TWEEN
ty-fve miles from tho Virginia line
We published, some two weeks since, the
proceedings of meeting at Mt. Airy, show
ing that the people of that section were
alive to the Importance of railroad con-
nection with the seaboard, and were deter
mined to connect their country with the
North Carolina Railroad On Tuesday last.
Mr.. Volt. the delegate from Carroll coun-
ty, in the Virginia Legislature, introduced
into the House of DELEGATES q bill asking