Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-11-19

IniS culsuie wiz DO greatly disappointed
have labored early and late in trvinc,
| to encourage this new business for tLe
mutual benefit of our people and raiIroe5s
and am sure with some success aIresJ,,'
and with good prospects of largely in
creased prosperity from this source in tho
not distant future.
| LOCAL AND THROUGH FREIGHTs
| There seems to be a great deal Of mic
understanding about the principIo tLnt
governs in fixing the local aud tbromr%
| freight rates.
In my annual report for 1866 | exnloin-
ed the principle that governed in mSEina
charges for long and short distances 20
the same road, and in my annual renort
for 1867 I more fully discussed and ~
planned the whole subject, and the reasons
that governed in making freight tariffs.
respectfully refer you to those rcno,ts
and the report of the committee to wbon,
they were referred in 1867, sustaining NV
views on the subject.
The whole principle may be stated in q
few words. Local freight and passenoor
rates are made just high enough to paw fba
cost of operating, and a reasonable div
dend to the stockholders. If it were no4
so the road could not be operated for any
| great length of time.
Suppose there are persons living at q
distance that desire TO send their freight
or to travel over your road, if they can 90
it as cheaply as they can by some compc.
ting line, there being two or more linne
competing for this business.
If we say we can only carryfthcm or their
goods at focal rates, we will fail to take any
portion of them, and our road will continue
to run empty, or partially empty, cars.
If on the contrary, we will carry theln
| H. L., Al Al
get some additional business at rate tbat
will pay profit, large or small, ACCORDING
to the rates We are able to obtain.
We will thus be enabled to build un Il
through business that will yield IL profit,
which amount can be substractel from the
amount we have been real zing from orr
! local business and thus be enabled fo r..
duce the local rates.
On the other hand, II we insist upou
certain high rate for the business, which
must be competed for, We may lose it alto
gether, and the local freighters must con
tinue to maintain their lines Of railway
themselves. unaided.
SURFACE RAILWAYS.
In my last annual report called atter-
| ton to this subject, and I desire 10 recur
to it here.
! 1 think one Of the surest means of IN
creasing the receipts Of this Company is
! by construction Of lateral branches d,
points that will be certain 20 be rcmuncr-
ative. Such as branch 70 jacksonville,
Onslow county ; another to Greenvilo and
Snow Hill, in Pitt and Greene counties
another from Warsaw to Clinton and Fay
etteville and another 20 KenansVile, 10
connect ut the best points on the main
road which can only be determined hr
surveys.
These branches may be constructed
cheaply, using light rails and the grading
may be very light, almost passing over thu
natural surface OF the country.
The people who are tilling tho sol!
should take this matter in hand, and bv
supplying cross ties, and by grading ana
subscriptions of alternate sections or tracts
of land, money may be secured for the
purchase of the iron rails, &c.
I estimate the average costs Of such
roads to be not greater than $1,000 per
mile.
This Railroad should supply the noccs-
sary equipment III connection with the
main stem.
The branches can be constructed by
separate Companies under the charter
which gives authority to build branches.
It is our duty and should be our purpose
y
creased productions Of the soil along our
line, in order to multiply the receipts OF
the Company from that source, and to
make the country prosperous and thrifty,
and all additions to the wealth Of country
adds to the business of its railways ]
know of no way that will be more likely
to make our country prosperous and the
business of the road large, than by sys-
tom of judiciously located surface branches
as feeders Of the main line.
OUR CONNECTIONS.
The Railway Bridge Company has com
pleted its work, and as soon as tho vii
mington and Manchester Railway has
laid it's track TO Meares' Bluff The conncc
ton will be complete with the three Com
panies forming the Bridge Company
This will no doubt be done before the lSt
of November, and soon thereafter our
freight and passengers can be passed that
way. Our relations with the connecting
Rail Roads are harmonious ana profitable
in the exchange of cars and transporta-
ton of freight without breaking bulk.
CONCLUSION.
The trains have during the past year
run with the greatest regularity, and con
sidering the speed they make, with great
economy. Very few failures to make the
terminal connections in schedule time
have occurred.
No accident to any train has occurred
involving the loss of life or limb.
No train was thrown from the track dur
ing the year.
The several reports from the Master OF
Transportation, Machinery and Road will
be submitted with this report.
Our mileage this year has been 3Gj,35I
miles we have transported 81, G7J passon.
gers, and AZ, S76 tons Of freight.
The Officers and Agents generally under
my direction have been diligent and faith.
full in the discharge of their several dutic:,
Respectfully submitted,
S. l.. Fremont,
Chief Engineer and General Supt.