The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-04-07
North Carolina.

We feel rather gratified than not at the
oriyination of question exciting an interest
In Virginia with regard to the policy o
North eCarolins. Members of the orisina
Confederation, before the Federal Union
they have been ever since companions in wal
and in peace, and generally sympathisers it
politics. But no question of practical im'
portance relating to domestic affairs has ever
before mutually excited their attention. New
at lust, the question Of gauge interests thean
both, and they feel some socitude about
what bears upon their mutual welfare. II
may make them better acquainted as to the
practical interests of one another, and should
only end in making them, if possible, warmer
friends than ever.
The question now interesting both is that
OF the two railroad gauges: four feet eight
and half inches and five feet. Let US eX-
plain:
The North Carolina system of railroads
was built upon the four-foot-e igbtan d.a-halt-
inch gauge. Yet the rolds entering that
State from the South are on the fiye.foot
gauge So are the 70 ads of Tennessee and
Georgia; and North Carolina, as far as her
system 10 completed, breaks with them all,
and her contemplated roads will also break
with all the roads they are intended to meet
The road entering from South Csrolina
and terminating at Charlotte, n. c., is, oil
course, one of the five.foot gauge southern
roads. The road from Richmond .via Fan.
vile to Greensboro, on the Atlanta Air.
Line, is q fve-foot road. From Greensbopo'
TO Charlotte. ninety.six miles, interviewed the
four-foot Observation-Disclosures gauge, and that
caused two breaks in the Atlanta Airline
which greatly obstructed the travel and
freight business on that important noad. 1t
is this ninety-siX miles upon which. under
the decision OF the North Carolina SUI
preme Court. q change of gauge bias been
made, thus giving uniform gauge from
Richmond to The Gulf.
So far as North Carolina is concerned She
change of gauge between Greensboro end
Charlotte transfeSs the break of gauge
(Which has always interrupted her trade ag
that route with the South frors Charlotte to
Greensboro. We have contended that this
was al that affected North Carolina, and that
it did her no material injury.
The Raleigh Neus, which speaks in civil
and reasonable language, replies that this
change separated the North Carolina system
OF roads west Of the Atlanta Airline from
that east Of that line.
One OF these roads is the Western North
Carolina railroad, which departs from Sails.
bury west~ardiy, aud 1t is designed to con-
meet with the East Tennessee and Georgia
railroad, which iR on the five.foot gauge.
This Western North Carolina road is flushed
10 Ola Fort, Ito miles from Salisbury. aud
when completed to join the Tennessee road.
tnere encounters a break, as do all the
North Carolna roads as soon as they near tho
State border.
Another road departs northwestyardly
from Greensboro. /. is built to Salem. and
Is designed to cross the boundary into Ten
nessee, we believe, where it, too, meets the
hVe'toot gauge. But the Atlanta Airline
Nomp'oy' which runs this road, has changed
FIs gauge to tive feet as far as Salem.
theh here is the Wilmiur ton and Ruth
ff1efa foad-as to the condition of which
we nave no information-which CT, >sses the |
Airline af Charlotte. That road. tber, .tore, |
= lo1 IL tae Question. Il canpo, ha s.tso,o,4