Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-05-09
OUR RAILROAD SYSTEM NORTH
CAROLINA AND VIRGINIA.

IetefSburg Idcr and Norfolk
)iryinian on the other, about the
proposed change of gauge Of tie North
| Carolina Railroad between Greensboro
and Charlotte. 50 as to conform 10 that
OF the Richmond and Danyiilc Rail
road The Richmond papers. while
holding for the legal right under the
lease to the Richmond and Danville
hallroad to change the gauge are
candld enough to confess that they are
influenced i'll the matter by what will
be for the best interest OF Richmond.
We admire the spirit and honesty of
the confession.
On the other hand, our Petersburg
and Norfolk cotemporaries, with less
candor, talk feelingly about g the
'lnterests of North Carolina, whose
property it is attempted to divide
and laboriously berate I" the scheme
"of subordinating the railroad system
"of North Carolina to foreign de-
signs" And what is little singular
there are papers in this State weak
enough, or are SO blinded by preju-
dice as to bite at and swallow the bait.
This cheap display of brotherly-love is
published with approval
In this little quarrel we sympathise
with our Richmond friends, and for
reasons similar to those which they
confess prompt them. In this railroad
fight 1t happens, singularly enough,
that Richmond's interests and those OF
Wilmington are identical, and since
the Legislature of the State has shown
a spirit hostile to our local interests,
and we believe to the best interests of
North Carolina, i'll chartering the New
York. Norfolk and Charleston Rail
road, we make no secret of our purpose
to take care of ourselves, more
especially when the welfare of
Wilmington is not ininlical to, but
identical with, that of nine-tenths of
the State
President Caldwell, of the Univer-
sity, in proposing a North Carolina
system of railroads, which has in part
been carried out, had III view the
building up of the Eastern sea-ports of
the State. And Influenced by this
consideration, the citizens of Whining
ton, although eighty miles from its
eastern terminus. subscribed and paid
for more than one-tenth Of all the
| stock taken by individuals in the North
Carolina Railroad. The State, to place
all of it's seaports on an equal footing,
| built railroad from Goldsboro to
Newbern and Beaufort harbor. and
began to pierce her Western noun
tains that the wealth of its valleys and
mines might find its way 10 her own
seacoast This magnitioant work, re-
tared by the civil war, has been almost
stolen by the tI,i"r- = -,.vvE1...-
HoiGen i,'....,s, .., ,--:.---.. - II after is
close.
It was believed :Ilat Ills vas outlay
Of money, completing IL ,,s.rt tie
''North Carolina system of railroads, "
would rapidly build up our own sea
ports. But Norfolk saw her opportll-
nifty and took advantage of it. Tha3
city completed her connection with
Raleigh by building short link be-
tween Weldon and CASTOR. and the
work was accomplished. Tie back
bone Of the ''North Carolina system"
was I,rol=o.. ..G nuleign, ana orr rail
roads west of GOldsboro were united
by apparently " ind;solublc bonds to the
"Nirginia systems" Freights, since
the war. from points ten and fifteen
miles west OF Goldsboro' have been
transported to Raleigh, to mingle
there with the Virginia current which
hurried them to Norfolk ndPetersburg.
Richmond grew restive under this
operation. It may then have been her
turn to talk about tie Standardization
of the North Carolina system. Any
how, session after session OF the Legis-
latrre,. futile efforts were made 10
, build II railroad from Danyille 10
/ Greensboro. Taking advantage OF the
imperious necessities of the service
I during the war this link was built, and
/ the backbone Of the "North Carolina
system" was again broken, this time
, very near the neck. Since then there
/ has been a fierce contest between Rich
mond on the one hand, and Petersburg
and Norfolk on the other, for the
/ spoils, and the interest of the North
I Carolina ports in the "North Carolina
SYSTEM" having disappeared, our
people felt little concern in the issue.
So persistent has been this Virginia
attack upon the North Carolina system
of railroads. that not content with
turning our trunk line into that State,
efforts have been made to tap interior
lines as well. Last Winter when the
Railway Company, for the purpose ol
giving Wilmington a direct and short
connection with Western North Caro-
lima, was pending in the Legislature
i'll less than five minutes after the bill
was read, an amendment was introduced
in the interest of our Petersburg ano
Norfolk friends who now SO Justify
proclaim against the piracy on the
rights and interests and property o
North Carolina The amendment
proposed to prevent all discrimination
!. against Virginia corporation whicl
was to connect with the Wilmington
. Railroad at or near Rockingham, ant
make the Carolina Central tributary t.
the Virginia system. Fortunately 70
: Wilmington this effort was defeated.
, Eut nov cone, a new complication
, Richmond is not satisfied. 4 differ
ence of gauge at Greensboro, CAUSING
a reshipment, gives Norfolk an