Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-11-19
W.tnlInStOn and the West

quite a number of our citizens me
Pearson, the other Commissioners c
t the Western North Caro- lima Railrord
and the other Western gentleman, i
the reading room of the Purcell House
A bountiful repast in Colonel Davis
usual style was served. After some
time spent III social converse, MI
William Calder, of KerchEer & Cald z
Bros, il behalf of the citizens of vii
mington, we coined the Commissioner
and their friends. He said,
Major Rollins and Gentlemen iron
IiesteTn North CaTOtiaa :
Il gives Us pleasure as business mel
and citizens OF Wilmington to gree
you in our lnid-t, and extend cordia
! welcome to yea for yourselves, and az
| representatives of that future of oul
Sta'e with which we have long desired
closer and more Intimate relations,
both business and social. Poets have
had much to say about "the mountains
kissing the sea- and there are Doubt
| lesS those GmOG2 us more competent
than myself to speak iu eloquent terms
of the gree;lf gs sent from 'shores of
ocean to til. peaks OF Otter, but 1t re-
| mains with US, practical business men
to ceystalize into facts these dreamiugs
of poets and orators, and unite in a
practical! way, and by the indlssolu bic
hond3 of ii common interest, toe two
sections of our State. We feel the
citizens of Eastern and Western North
Carolina have never known each 9TH
er, and we think 1t should be so no
longer. It has long been "a cherished
dream of Wilmington and her people
to push her railroads across your
mountains. By uutlrlLg efforts, by the
exp -nditure of much money, and by
the aid, pecuniary and otherwise, Of
gen .lemeu from other sections who
have lent their time. and their money
and their talents to this work, We have
completed our Carolina Central Rail
way to It's present terminus, and by
connection with the Western North
Carolina Railroad have 'ached the
foot of the mountains. TO you. gen
tleman, Commissioners of that nall-
road, we say that the people of the
East are as determined as those of the
West that that road shall be completed;
but we want it completed ID the inter
ests of North Carolina and of North
Carolina's port. We are determined
that you shall find in this metropolis
market for your products as good as
any the Atlantic seaboard can offer
YET, and we are satisfied that we can
lay at your doors as cheaply as can
market to which the boundIess waters
OF the ocean give access.
In this spirit, and learning that
there are about three miles of your
railroad which you and your people are
especially anxious 30 complete, as they
Will take you over and beyond the
Dark Hollow Pull, the most of the
wagon road from Old Fort to Ashe-
ville,-1 allude to that portion of the
road from O!d Fcrt to Malone's stor",
which we learn is all graded and ready
for the iron-an3 learning also that
your Commission are embarrassed for
means to purchase the iron necessary,
owing to the restrictions placed upon
you by Legislative enactment; in this
spirit, [ say, and with an earnest de-
sire to convince the people of your sec
ton of our hearty goodwill and CO.
operation III their cherished scheme,
the merchants, bankers aud business
men of Wilmington have come togeth-
er, and by a united effort have raised
sufficient money ~ purchase iron for
three miles of railway Immediately,
and have deputed me, through the
com mittee, to tender you the loan of
this iron until such time as yonr re-
plenished Golfers enables'you to pay for
it, or until the meeting of the Legis-
lature, W zen such Legislation can
had which viii put it in your power to
repay us, and push your road over and
beyond the Blue Ridge. We trust you
will accept this offer as frankly as 1t is
made, and we assure you that we have
been spurred up to the endeavors we
have made lot only because of the ad
vautages Of trade we expect to derive
from yOur section; not only because
we desi re to reach a portion of cur coun
try famed the wOrlC over for its beauty
and grandeur, but because that coun
try is North Carolina, and we are
North CaroIiniaus.
In reply Major Rollins assured onr
citizens of the great interest which the
people of Western North Carolina felt
in Wilmington as home port. Assem-
TALLY. North Carolinians in all their
sympatbies and feelings il was their
wish as it was their interest to build
up city OF their own. They only ask
to be met huff way, and the CONNER
cial re ations between the sections
would be as close aud as lasting as
their kindly feelings. He spoke of the
prosp cts OF the Western Railroad
and the completion c, of that portion
now ready for the iron, which he was
glad to know would be secured by the
aid Of the business mon of Wilmi ,g-
ton, wolld give that Dad the entire
business of one of the rery finest sec
tions Of the State.
Colonel Pearson rose to toast IL
Western North Carolina, in which the
kindly sentiments of Major Rollins
were reiterated.
He proposed "Onr City by the Sea-"
trusting it would do as much for itself
as the Government aud its Represen-
tatjve s in Congress hnd done for it.
This Cal ed Hon. a. NJ, Waddell to
his feet, who IN hls happy style, res
ponded.
Colonel WaddeH proposed the for
eign trade of Wilmington, to which Mr..
Alexander Sprunt, the English Vice
Consul responding. giving some valu-
able and interesting fects in regard to
our fo1eign trade ard its prospects.
"Our Grocery Merchants" brought
Mr. Kerchncr to his feet, who is ready
for any a d every duty which devoIves
upon him.
Captain G. D. Myers was called upon
to respond to the Ocean Turnpike,
and did it well.
DR.. Roberts was called out in res
ponse to the Carolina Central Railway.
Captain I. B. Granger responded to
toast to the Financial interest of
CoroIino