Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-03-26

the head waters of the Catawba river. The
distance over which the track passes, from
the foot of the ascent to the summit, is
thirteen and half miles, with an average
grade OF one and three-fourths feet in every
hundred feet, or a total perpendicular rise
Of about twelve hundred and forty -eight
feet These figures are gathered from
contractors and not from the engineers,
but are presumed to be nearly correct
The means used to procure elevation and
climb these mountains are curious to those
not used to the engineering of such re-
gions. For instance, the road crosses
"Mill Greek on an embankment twenty
feet high, curves Immediately to the right,
round the base of little mountain called
Round Top" runs round for nearly two
miles and crosses back over Mill Creek on
the same culvert on which it crossed be-
fore but, in passing round "Round Top"
it has attained an elevation Of one hundred
and forty-four feet, gaining in elevation
one hundred and twenty-four feet Now
| the question is. how to get off from
Round Top ?" If you cross your former
track you have valley to fill to get to the
main mountain again. It is solved by
curving right back, crossing little valley
to spur, and running back round Ground
Top" again crossing ''Mill Creek :" above
Ground Top" and coming nearly back
the right, up the Cawtawba, to the three
tunnels mentioned in my former letter.
| I have q diagram, but it is diff
cult to describe it in words. The
direct distance from Old Fort, at the
foot to the summit, is six miles. To OBJ
tain the elevation the track passes over
thirteen and-a half miles. One of the tun-
neis near the foot is through soft slate and
will have to be arched- preparations are
being made to make the brick for the pur
pose. The other tunnels are through solid
granite from which drill flies off as if it
struck against cast steel. The upper tun-
mel cannot be finished within two years ::
but I understand it is the purpose of Col.
Tate to lay a temporary track over the
mountain, which can be used for convey
ing material and supplies to the other side,
but would be unfit for passenger Or freight
trains so that it may be possible that
considerable portion of the road Oh the
other side of the Blue Ridge will be run
ming before the tunnel is done. From the
zeal and energy evident i'll the manage
ment and among the contractors, l am sat
iSfed the work will progress as rapidly as
circumstances will permit.
And now let me say something Of the
gold mines. Several are being worked in
Burke county with variable success some
have been abandoned. If the same labor
that I saw in one had been directed by a
Wayne or Edgecombe farmer on the fields
which lay around it, unmanured and half
cultivated, more sold would be the result.
The state of agriculture is alarmingly low.
The lands are fine, the material for com
posting plentiful, the markets accessible,
and yet the same old ben scratching sys-
tenn of blowing Is followed. No attempts
are made to improve tho land, but wien a
man gets through with one piece he clears
another and throws that away. \ few
acres in a valley subject to overflow is Of
ten esteemed more highly than Land or the
hillsides. which would give certain crop
with cultivation and manuring. Nevertbe-
less, the time is coming for Burke, Cataw-
ba, Iredell and other counties up here
when no farmer will be satisfied with less
than thirty to forty bushels Of wheat per
acre. All these farmers will pray may it
come speedily, but they won't do anything
to bring it about.
Yours, In Transit.