Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-03-05
Charleston and the North Carolina Rail
roads.

The Wilmington and Weldon Railroad Com
pany held their annual meeting In November last
and we have before us copy Of the proceedings.
The road seems to have done well the past year
although suffering from the decrease in passen.
ger ansportatiOn-common, We believe, to al
the Southern roads during the past year. The
superintendent speaks in sanguine terms OF the
prospects this year, in freights, more particular.
~ farm products, the trade in which is largely on
the increase. We find, however, the following
| complaint, which, we must confess, surprises Us
" But for the want of harmonious cooperation
on tho part OF the mana cement of the South Gar.
olina Railroad Company, and consequent imper
feet connection with Columbia, q. c., and Angus.
ia, Ga, by which we could reach those cities and
places beyond as far west as the Alabama River,
our receipts this year would have been very con-
sidersbiy larger than they are now"
Is it possible that the management of this road
can expect the South Carolina Railroad Company
to open its tracks to Augusta in order to build
Wilmington and Portsmouth Gould any propo-
sition be more ridiculous, coming az it does from
a North Carolins road, whose charter especially
provides that the gauge of the tracks sh IL be
four inches narrower than the Lailroad tracks in
South Carolina. with q view to hindering South
Carolina roads from drawing produce from North
ehould report to its stockholders that but tor
"the want Of harmonious cooperation on the
part OF the New York and Savannah steamers.
their receipts this year would have been con-
siderably larger than they are," &C., what would
be the reply OF The Savannah STEAMSHIP? Com
pany?
1Q6 16CG ii tndG LIE people OF G01S state nave
allowed condition of things to exist for three
years past, which has wrought untold injury to
the business Of our city and State. So supine
have We been that our North Carolina neighbors
policy OF commercial aggression. BY means OF
the Charlotte Road, they have cut off 20. 600 bales
Of our cotton re eipts; by the Wilmington and
Manchester Read 10, 900 or Is, 600 more and now
the Weldon Road is wroth because our main line
of road does not help them to still further cripple
the business interests of South Carolina by Civ
ing them the free use of 1877 miles Of railroad
across the State to Augusta.
We are satisfied that the South Carolina Road
is too deeply interested in sustaining it's home
business to listen with favor to schemes which
have for their sole object the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of
cities and railroads in another State to the etri-
1ss,et of Charleston 1t is high time that our peo-
pie should realize the extent and power of the
combinations against their city, and prepare in
earnest to thwart them.--Charlestcn Ne,cs.
So far as the South Carolina Railroad
can be operated with advantage to it's
share-owners and the people along its line,
and for the interest of Charleston also, we
fully agree with Our friends of the Ne,cs.
We have too much regard for the intelli-
gent management of that great Railway to
doubt for one moment that anything will
be dono to the detriment of Charleston and
for the advantage of other cities and rail
roads, as matter of choice. But the time
for building "Chinese walls around
States and cities has passed. end freight
must be carried through South Carolina
without passing through Charleston. And
if the So 18th Carolina Railroad refuses to
take it, other roads will be built, and are
building, which will do SO.
There is nothing that is crippling South
ern industry, or retarding the growth and
development of Southern commerce more
than local iealousies and interests engen-
dered by an illiberal spirit on the part
of lines of transportation. We believe
there is business enough for all our roads
and cities, without forcing trade from it's
natural channels. We have toe high an
opinion of the enterprise of the citizens of
Charleston to believe that they have
any fear from generous rivalry with their
neighboring cities, North or South. No
city in the Union proclaimed the principle
of free trade more strenuously in times past
than the metropolis of our sister State.
If the Superintendent of the Whining
ton and Weldon Railroad had complained
of want of cooperation on the part of the
management of the South Carolina Rail.
road merely to benefit Wilmington and
Portsmouth, it would have been lily found