Wilmington journal., 1873-07-18
of the Carolina Cen.
trail Railway.

|
1t is extremely gratifying to note tn
energy now displayed in the construc
tion of the Carolina Central Railway
Since last April, now only two months
ago, wonders have been accomplished
and during the next four months still
greater wonders will be seen.
The contract was originally all LEI
out to Col. Wallace Anes, a most en-
ergetic and live man, whose we'll
known character as a contractor is thai
of one who pushes his work vigorously
forward. After Col. Ames had agreed
to do all of the work in accordance
with tie estimates of the Company's
Chief Engineer, Col. S. L. Fremont
| (Which were considered very low,) O
Mr.. AllcOt asked to have a portion OF
the work given to him, but he finally
withdrew, leaving eight sections
(about seven miles) to be let
to others. Nearly all of this, we learn,
has since been let out to others, Mr..
ID. 5. Cowan and Capt. III. NJ Drane
having taken about half of it, and
Messrs. Ellis, Singletary and Veal the
balance.
Our people will appreciate the efforts
being made to push the road forward,
when we inform them that the contracts
especially stipulate that this work is to
be completed as far as Monroe on or
before next November 18th, and to
Charlotte by the 3Oth day of next
April. The Chief Engineer and Su-
perintendent is invested with full and
ample authority to enforce the per-
fOrmance of these contracts, and he will
do it. We may therefore expect to see
the trains dashing thirty miles to the
vest of Wadesboro next November.
Major Whiting has been in immedi-
ate charge of the work temporarily.
His charge expired on the 14th inst, :,
when Maj. Thos. H. Allen, a native of
Newbern, and q Captain of Engineers
and Artillery, in the North Carolina
State Troops during the war, assumed
control. Maj. Allen is gentleman of
fine ability and extended experience,
and is well known railroad man.
Maj. Whitney, the next in rank on
the Construction Corps, is very able
Engineer and thoroughly understands
his business. He is a Virginian, was
on Gen. Rhodes staff during the war
and was distinguished both for skill
and gallant bearing. The four resi-
dent Engineers in charge of ten mile
sections, are Messrs. Chapman, John
son, Nash (of Hillsboro) and Fry, all
experienced and able men, and none
OF them afraid of work So, too, with
Messrs. Cowan and Drane, our more
Immediate neighbors, this latter gen
tleman being favorably known all over
the South, at one time as President of
the Wilmington Il Manchester Rail
road, and since as Il railroad cOntrac-
tor
Thus our readers will see that Col.
Fremont has called to his aid mos
able and Industrious corps of EngiE-
eers and from all that we can learn, no
road III our State, or out of it, for that
matter, has been more fortunate in its
selection O men. But the public ex-
pected this of Col. Fremont, as he is
one of those who possess the rare ca
pacity for selecting the right man for
the right place He is not in the
habit of putting on slow teams.
The force on the work is not so large
as was hoped and expected that it
would be at this time. There are now
only about 800 laborers at work, but
the force is rapidly increasing, and
when We state that the Chief Engineer
has required Col. Ames to fit up his
force Immediately to 1,7O0 men, it
will be seen that the Colonel means
business.
With Col. Ames working a force of
l, 200 men, and other contractors east
of Big Brown Greek employing 600
1900 men, in all, on 30
miles, of road, the merchants Of Will
mington may reasonably look this Fall
for the cotton crops of Union, Stanley
and Cabarrus counties, and one or two
of the border counties in South Caro-
liua. What difficulties may be en-
i'll procuring the full COM
plement of laborers requiI ed for the
work, we are totally unprepared to
say, but we are satisfied that if human
means and money can obtain them
they will lie had.
About cnce week the Chief En-
~inecr goes over the work and makes
a personal inspection of it all, direct
ing his assistants as to all important
His large experience
in railroad management has enabled
HIM to know just exactly what is the
best kind of structure for any part of
the work, and the Directors OF the
road knew this, we presume, when
they placed these great responsibilities
in his hands. II0GesJoi'O Uerdld.