Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-10-08
North Carolina Railroad.

NOrtn CAFO2kHo LAAIEO"u'
After reading President SMITHS lengthy
letter, which we publish elsewhere, we
would no longer wonder at his success as a
Railroad man, il his energy of character
and untiring industry were not we'll known
to us before. Any one who could toll
through nearly two columns of unlm
portant statements and meaningless gen
eralities to answer q direct charge, sub
stantiated by facts and figures, without
faltering, with an honest pride seemingly
in his labor, displays the pertinacity and
determination necessary to succeed in
what he undertakes. And we are free to
say that if he WAS not restrained by an I'M
fortunate contraCt, entered into in the
"green leaf" of his administration, and
by overpowering preiudices against this
section and it's Railroads, which we fear
warps his Judgment, his services as Presi-
dent of the North Carolina Railroad would
long have been remembered to his own
credit and the welfare of the Road.
There seems to us to be but one point in
the letter of President SMITH. He evil
IDENTIFY surrenders the original issue be-
tween us, and we'll he may, for We write
with the printed copy of his Freight Tariff
of September 1st 1869, before US, and if
we can multiply correctly, the rates are as
we stated in a former article, which he
does not attempt to controvert, except in
the very general and rather uninteligible
closing paragraph of his letter. Turning
the issue from his heavy charges upon
freight from Hillsboro' to Wilmington, he
brings up the old question of transporting
freight over his road ria Raleigh or Ella
Goldsboro', and contends that on his action
in this matter lies all the complaints
against him in this section of the State
This is the only issue raised by the present
letter.
| If We believed that President SMITH can
make more money for his Road by stop
ping freight at Raleigh We do not blame
him for doing so. But he ought not to
let the line between Raleigh and Goldsbo-
cannot stop the expenses upon it, OF the
interest upon the cost of those forty eight
miles. If he cannot run it proftably in
connection with the balance of his Road
let him try to lease it to other Roads which
can operate it to MISUNDERSTANDING
ously to the State, the citizens of Raleigh
and those living along the line, and to
themselves. Under the present manage
ment of the North Carolina there is virtual
ly but one Railroad from Raleigh to the
North, although in fact, too lead by that
city, one only twenty-six miles longer than
the other; but by reason of curves and
grades the cheapest, if there was the same
cordial cooperation between the connect
ing roads as there is on the other line
Again Wilmington is f0rtvJfve miles
nearer Raleigh than Portsmouth and fo,tv-
nine miles nearer than Richmond. If the
North Carolina Railroad would unite with
the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad and
our Steamship lines to the North in as low
tariff as with the line by the way of Nor
folk, it is easy to perceive that at least one
half of the Raleigh freight could come and
go through this port, and over forty eight
miles Of that road, from which President
SMITH does not receive a single cent. Is
he not by this very means driving bust
ness away from the eastern end of his
Road Does this result from prejudice to
US, Partially to DR.. HAWKINS, or is it the
honest conviction of his Judgment as to
the best interest of his Road ? If the
latter, President SMITH ought by all means
to lease or give away the section of his
Road between Raleigh and Goldsboro'.
We will not at this late day repeat the
facts in regard to the transportation of
freights by Raleigh and by Goldsboro'.-
The people of middle and western North
Carolina know to whom they are indebted
for decrease in the rates of through
| freight, and the Stockholders of the North
Carolina Railroad know to whom they owe
an increase in their receipts from this
source. The officers of the Wilmington
and Weldon Railroad by their energy, in
telllgence and good management, forced
the Raleigh and CASTOR Railroad to allow
the North Carolina Railroad the same
AAOASoo "o ANoAolSu DIS IL III Weut On TO (IOlQS-
boro'. This Was before Major SMITHS presi-
dency, and he may not have had time to
investigate the history of this transaction.
But we are credibly informed that even
now President SMITH has been offered
rates by the way of Goldsboro' which
would be vastly advantageous to his Road
if he would or could accept them.
In conclusion, after reminding Major
SMITH that he forgot to explain why, un-
der his liberal tariff, much freight from
this city to Charlotte went over longer
route, across the river, into an adjoining
State and over three Railroads, we will ask
him:
First. could he not on some of his
freight get the same rate to Greensboro
as to Raleigh FROM President Buford
And, second, has he not been offered rates
by Goldsboro', over and above what he re-
ceiyes by Raleigh, sufficient to pay hand
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