Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-01-10
Wilmington.

| nugatory. Well situated upon the Cape Fear
river, in close proximity to the ocean, 1T might,
by display of enterprise. energy, and perse.
veranCe, build itself up commercial mart oil
more than secondary Importance, in the attain
ment of which end this "coast-llne railway"
would materially assist. An old town, it has OPP
portunities for regeneration, and will, have no
doubt, soon take position in the van OF ener-
getic progress.-Cor. of the Nat. HteRtgenscer.
It is we'll occasionally "to see ourselves
as others see u.s. that we may profit by
observations and advice of strangers, which
at least has the merit of impartiality. Our
people are not unacquainted with the adj
vantages possessed by our city, nor are they
Indifferent to them. That they have not
been improved is not from an earnest APP
probation of their magnitude, but from the
necessity of employing all our capital,
time and energies in our ordinary bust
ness pursuits. Our people have been, and
still are, actively engaged in clothing and
feeding their families, and cannot turn their
attention, as yet, to the development of the
advantages of our situation.
Whenever our business men can once
more become "foot-loose," Wilmington
mart which her situation entities her to,
aided and increased by the enterprise, en-
ergy and perseverance of her public-spiri
ted citizens. The greatest drawback under
railroad communication with the West.
The great trunk line through our own
State, the completion of which was greatly
aided by the iberality of Wilmingtonians,
and which was supposed would be of vast
benefit to our port, has the tendency,
through its northern connections, to drain
from, rather than addto, our commerce. The
roads south Of us, except the, one which
has its terminus here, are controlled in the
interest of another State and port. With
the completion of our own line to the West,
uia Charlotte, most of these difficulties will
be obviated, and then may we expect our
city to stake position in the van Of emf
ergetic progress.
No one familiar with the past history o
Wilmington can justly make nugatory the
praise of our enterprise and progress by
mingling with it blame for present lethargy.
When our city had the ability, she did not
want the energy, to take care of herself.
To build the railroad from here to Weldon,
the citizens of this place subscribed more
than the taxable value of the real estate of
the town, and with no outside influence,
and with little outside aid, the road was
completed, and when finished it was the
longest railroad in the world, and remained
SO for seven years, and was then only
outdone by the Gar of all the Russias
with the wealth of his Imperial Treasury.
To the iberality of our citizens and to the
municipal government, the completion Of
the Wilmington and Manchester Railroad
is principally owing, while equal enterprise
in behalf of the Wilmington, Charlotte and
Rutherford Railroad gave it much of the
than an hundred miles into the interior,
and which, but for the late war, would now
connect our port by direct line with our
western borders. We have already refer
red to the fact that much of the stock of
the North Carolina Railroad was subscribed
for and is still owned by citizens of Whining
ton. One-tenth of the entire stock held by
individuals in this great work, is owned in
this city.
But it is a useless task to review the
history of our city as connected with the
internal improvements of the State. The
record is proud one, sufficiently, at least,
to prove that our people are fully alive to
the importance of our situation, and fur
nishes the best evidence what will be done
in the future, when returning pros
perity and wealth again reward our
industry and enterprise.