The tri-weekly standard., 1867-09-03
NORTH-CAROLINA RAILROAD VS.. PETERS
BURG AND NORFOLK MERCHANTS.

sgd inst, savage editorial, evidently de-
signed as an advertisement for the Raleigh
and Castor Railroad Company.
We do not propose to defend Wilmington
as business community against the unjust
assertions made in the article referred to-
She needs none. Her skirts are clean and
her escutcheon untarnished.
The language of the writer is not the kind
we would prefer to deal with. Such express
sions as Brute F0rce' and Wo1thlessness"
may stand alone, unanswered, and as the
Wilmington merchants had no more to do
with the matter complained of than the fa-
nous "man in the moon," we will simply
state few facts, (and they cover the whole
ground) and leave the Petersburg and Nor
folk merchants to judge of the "poliey" re-
commended to them to pursue, whether it be
good or bad.
The writer evidently does not understand
the subject upon which he is writing-for
we desire to give him credit for candor. We
submit the following facts, and we know
them to be facts.
The North Carolina Railroad is from
Charlotte to Goldsboro', distance of two
hundred and twenty-three miles, three
tourths State road. The question with the
Stockholders of that Corporation, that was
decided at Greensboro, was one of interest
to themselves, and not for any city or place.
1t is this, 1" How could they increase the re-
ceipts of their road without increasing it's
expenses 2" 1t was found that by an old ar
rangement, made when the State owned a
large interest in the Raleigh and CASTOR
Railroad, that the bulk of through freights
to and from Northern markets, passed off
their road at Raleigh, while their freight
trains, with few cars, kept on to Colds
boro
1t was also found that the cars left off at
Raleigh to go by Raleigh and CASTOR Rail-
road would, if they had been carried
through to Goldsboro, have yielded them
about fifteen dollars per Car. Admitting
they had carried ten cars per day each way
for three hundred days, equal to six thou
sand cars per annum, which would only
have cost them the "aoheelage' on the cars,
extra, or more than it would if they had
left them at Raleigh. and we have gross re-
ceipts from this source of ninety thousand
dollars that went to another Company. This
sum may be more or less than the actual
amount that would have been realized last
year, if the present plan had been in force
but it illustrates the principle on which the
Stockholders, without dissenting voice, de-
cided this question. By the present rates on
through freights both ways, we understand
thatCompany receives about an average of
fifteen dollars per car between Raleigh and
Goldsboro', which is sufficient to make the
plan permanent one The difference in
distance between Raleigh and Weldon, by
way of Goldsboro' and CASTOR, is twenty
nine miles, and the longer distance is over
road with few grades and curves. upon which
any speed can be made; hence no difference
in time.
The cost to the two Companies is no more,
because this is increased business" and no
train is run exclusively for it-which Rail-
road managers understand to mean nearly
all net profits. The great and essential mis-
take this writer makes, and into which all
the Norfolk paper have fallen, is that he and
they ere discussing this question as applica-
BILE to freights going to the markets of Pc
tersburg, Norfolk or Wilmington, when the
facts do not justify his conclusions.
The question is purely this, what route
shall goods from Baltimore, Philadelphia,
New York or Boston, going to all places in
North and South Carolina, supplied by this
line or from these points to those cities, take
as regards the Railroads between Raleigh
and Weldon. Nothing more-nothing less
The Stockholders of this State work say
travel over the longest distance of our road,
as it will give us the largest income. Is
there anything more natural or more reason
able
Should corporation. any more than an
individual, give away profitable business
to gratify an outside party, in which it had
no earthly interest And especially so
when by helping themselves they can bene-
| fit friend Look at it in every way, and
nothing unusual or unreasonable can be
! seen.
| AS regards the produce to, and goods from
Norfolk to the interior, we are informed by
those who know best, that not sixth of
the freight that passes over the Seaboard
Railroad, originates in Norfolk, or goes to
that market for sale; and much, very much,
| less from Petersburg 1t has been said that
scarcely two cars per month, of goods and
produce to and from Petersburg, go to or
come from beyond Raleigh. on the North
Carolina Railroad Hence our position that
this is a question entirely of transit of
freight, through portions Of North Carolina
and Varginia, and not business to the mar
ket towns of either State. True, great
deal of produce goes to Norfolk and to Pc
tersburg from North Carolina, but by far the
largest portion of it originates on our own
Wilmington and Weldon Railroad, and seeks
these more northern markets in preference
to Wilmington, not because their merchants
show more energy or zeal as merchants, but
because these cities are nearer the great
commercial centre-New York-than Will
mington.
Now, we suggest to the merchants of Pc
tersburg and Norfolk that the recommended
ton of the Iader and other newspapers of
both cities, that their merchants send all
their goods to Raleigh, ola Raleigh and Gas
ton Railroad, is bad "policy."
If the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
is their best feeder, as it unquestionably is
they, in return, will show very bad spirit
if good meign5orhood deprives it of all the
business they can. Would it not be better
to divide their business between these Rail
roads that equally serve them.
Our people will soon find out where their
friends reside, and the interest all our people
have in the North Carolina Railway as
great State work, and as a helper to pay tax
es and debt commends this subject favorably
to their attention.
The new policy the State has inaugurated
in the manag agement of her principal Railroad
will soon enable it topay dividends into the
Treasury of the State. But if defeated in
this result by citizens of Virginia because
they are stockholders in the Raleigh and
CASTOR Railroad, which has so long enjoyed