Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-07-02

at that time any how. and all Of them
should be, and beside these, many Other
| impottant matters could be discussed. The
experience of one another could be given,
and the soil, cultivation, manures, pack
! ing and shipment could be thoroughly de-
bated, and ali would be benefited by the
| interchange of views. We hope some OF
them will take the lead in this matter, and
! have the proposed Convention.
CONSOLIDATING
Tue position of the JOURNAL is vel
| known upon the question of the consOllda
! ton of the NORTH Carolina and the Allan
tic and North Carolina Railroads. We be
lieve We were the first 10 oppose the pro
position when it WAS introduced into the
Legislature OF lSGJ-'6G. From tina: time
to the present we have been firm and con
sistent in our opposition t. it. We take il
for granted that the stock owned by tho
section will be voted soldIy against the
proposition in tho meeting Of Stockhol
,lers TO be held ut Salisbury on the Stl
inst.
ANY consolidation of tue North Carolina
/ Railroad which would initiate against the
| interests of this city would be manifesaly
unjust in the extreme. The charter OF the
! road was advocated before the Legislature
by the representatives of our people and it
was urged that its completion would be OF
great advantage to our port. by the indie
fatigabla labors and abilities OF the Hon.
WILLIAM S. AsHE, then n member OF the
Legislature from New Hanover, the char
ter was secured. So earnest were our citi-
zens in favor of its completion, that in a
railroad upward of two hundred miles i'll
length and its nearest terminus eighty miles
from our city, 0,te-tehM Of tie entire StDch,
| other than that held by the State, 'caS sub
scribcd to by citizens Of IFunington This
stock is yet owned here, for the most Part
by the original subscribers or their heirs.
Still we have never advocated or wished
that the North Carolina Railroad should
be managed for our benefit, much less
would We ask for it to be cOnsoli lated with
roads leading to our city. We have only
contended that we should not be legislated
against in its passenger and freight tariffs.
We have thought practical consolidation
could be effected without actual consolida
ton. We have believed that cars could
aud should be loaded at Charlotte, Sails
bury, yes at Lincolnton and Morganton,
and sent through to WILMINGTON, New
bern, or Norfolk, at the discretion of the
shipper, upon rates equally just to all these
ports, and certainly without discrimina-
ton against those in our own State.
And Just here is an error into which we
are likely to fall. In the enthusiasm of
our opposition to the consolidation of the
North Carolina Railroad with the Atlantic
and North Carolina Railroad we are likely
to be led, or inadvertently fall, into the
opposite extreme of practically consolida-
ting this road with the Raleigh and Gas
ton and Seaboard and Roanoke Railroads.
This is the interest which is making the
chiefest fight against the proposed consoi'
dation, and all opposition thereto is apt to
be regarded as favoring the consolidation
of the operation of this road with those
leading from Raleigh to Norfolk In
avoiding Scylla let us not be drawn into
the jaws of Charybdis. The actual con-
solidation Of the North Carolina Railroad
with the Atlantic and North Carolina Rail
road will be question for the Stockhold-
ers to decide, but the consolidation of its
business with that of another will be
question for the Directors. In opposing
consolidation do not let rs be drawn into
combinations which will be equally de-
structive to our interests and what we be-
lieye to be the welfare of the road. In
looking over the list Of Directors appoint
ed by the Governor we find the names of
more than one who are identified in inter-
est and feeling with the Raleigh and Gas
ton Railroad, and it would be we'll in the
election of Directors upon the part of the
Stockholders that this influence be coun-
teracted by the election of men who will
not at least add to President Hawkins in
f1uence in the Board, but will manage the
road for its own welfare, and not in oppo-
sition to the interests of either Newborn,
Morehead City or Wilmington. We re-
gard this as an important matter, and as
such direct the attention of our friends
thereto.
a body Recovered Through a Dream.
Since the drowning Of the little boy,
Charles Striblen, in Fall Greek ON Thurs
day, an active search was Instituted for the
body, but up to Saturday evening without
success. On Saturday night Mr.. Bess,
who is in tho employ of MIR. Haugh, an I'M
Gle of the boy, and who had been engaged