Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-06-18
VOL. 81.
CAROLINA CE>yHAL HALLWAY.

completion of this road to Charlotte
and Shelby has already been of bene
fit to our city. Even III the midst O
the dullest season since the war ou
commerce has felt most sensibly til
advantages derived from our new bus
ness friends The radius OF our com
mercial operations have been muci
enlarged. And the prospective com
pletiOn of this railway, at no distan
day, across the mountains, by the way
of AsheviiIe and Morristown, OF by tht
Cranberry Iron Works and Johnson
or by both routes, to Cumberland Gal
and thence by lines about comprteC
| to Louisville, Cincinnati and St. Louis
is Wiimiugton's gfeat,i if not only hope
Of ever being pOputOus and prosper.
Ous city. Our present railroad and
river connections have done and a1e
| still doing for us ali that this irnme-
date sections can. The capital and
enterprise OF our merchants are now
confined to limited and impOv.r-
ished country. We are satisfied that
Wilmington does all the business she is
entitled to within the radius of her
commercial connections. II therefore
we ever expect to add to our pOpuia-
ton and capital we must look beyond
the present termini Of our railway
and river routes, ana take advantage
OF - 4, =, I1
mines of our own State and the rich
granaries OF the Mississippi and Ohio
valleys.
To accomplish this undertaking, as
vast as It is, yet So necessary to our
prosperity, DO other road is even pro-
posed, or will for several generations,
if ever, be suggested. The Carolina
C-ntral Railway has continuous line
completed to the very foot of the
mountains, nearly two hundred and
fifty miles. penetrating already pro-
ductive agricultural So ction.
Those who are familiar with the his-
tory of the Baltimore and OHIO Rail
road and the impetus which it gave to
the commerce of Baltimore can appre-
ciate what one railroad properly To-
Gated can do for a place. That city,
as great and prosperous and populous
as it is, owes more for its past growth
and present prosperity to that one rail
road than to all it's other connections.
Before that road was built, and for years
when the mountains at Gum berland
stood a mighty barrier between its
Western terminus and the Ohio Valley
Railroads, the commerce of Baltimore
laugUished. lis population Increased
slowly and its property commanded
small prices. But as soon as this
road touched the banks of the Ohio at
Wheeliug and subsequently at Par
kersburg, the warm blood of Il renew
ed lite coursed through the arteries of
commerce, population and capital
flowed il, ana property advanced to
almost f;lbu.uus prices Now it Is tie
second city III commercial imp ortauce
III the United States, aud IS exceeded
in population by only ionr.
Wilmington must look to the COM
pletion OF :he Carolina Central Ra1i-
way to unlock for Ler the business of
a vast and wealthy section Of the
Union. We have 10 hope for the
future of onr CITY, disconnected with
the co upletion and successful working
of this great road.
BY ali examination of the map of the
lines as far as completed, our people
can see what the owners Of this work
have already accomplished, and those
familiar with the Legislation of last
Winter known as "Tate's Bill' will
understand how much WAS sacrifc I'D
by the principal owner of this railway
to have the Western North Carolina
Railroad completed to Paint Rock,
thereby giving the State a great rail
way from the seaboard-at its princi-
pal porto the waters OF the great
rivers of the West.
We copy from recent report of the
efficient Chief Engineer and Superin-
tendent of tn , Carolina Central Rail
way, the following in regard to the
connections and distances by this
railway:
There are five railways at presepl
terminating III Charlotte, and radia-
ting North, South. West, Northwest
and Southwest, by which a Large trade
is carried on with the Western country.
This line will tap the system of rail
roads converging at Charlotte, and
draw the rich products of the Great
West to the Wilmingt n market, or
through that port to foreign and do
mestic markets.
The distances from Charlotte to tide
water at the principal seaports are as
follows:
To Charleston, two hundred and
forty miles.
To Richmond, two hundred and
eighty three miles.
To Norfolk, three hundred and
sixty-twO miles.
To. Beaufort three hundred and
twenty eight miles.
To Wilmington one htuadred ana
GiQhty-SeUe1a miles.
| We have thus shown that this is the
sho4 test line to tide-water by fifty
three miles as against Charleston, one
hundred and sixty five as against Nor
| folk, and is ninety-fve miles shorter
thpn to the inland city of Richmond
With a line thus located, and with
arms stretching out all over the West,
beyond the mountains, as well as East
OF them, a very large business and i'll
come are necessarily assured. That
this Will be a great trunk line between
Charlotte and WIlm n2tOn, no one who
examines the map and the agriculture
| resources Of the country, can doubt.
Trace the Southwestern line of rail
road known as the "Air' to Atlanta.
passing through the most productive
cotton, corn and wheat lands of the
States OF South Carolina and Georgia,
and occupied by thrifty and indus
trious population.
Run the eye along the line of rail