Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-04-16
u For the jour IA,

NessTs. GajtOTS Il am one Of thosa
who believe ihat by the change ia ,he
gauge Of We North Carolina Railroad
great "ontrage' has been committa5
agiinst the peop.e and the Material
prosperity OF ,he State.
But why do think so, some of Won,
renders may say. Because, with few
sceptlons, the weli-kuown Nor.I
Carolina gGnge is. the gauge of this
county ncI til oi US, and it is not do.
slrabi" to continue the difference. Int
rather to bring all to the .ame puaoe
How can this be done, but by CHANG.
ing the few remaining railroads to the
Old t4ngnsh gauge OF ieet 81 inches.
-nIne-tentEs of lie railroads Id Amer,
lea low being of that gaug,s.
| Again, the State long ago virtually
Ffcd h5s gHdge and required all her
railways To conform to it, erceDt-
nov what were the exceptions! i'hey
were in the cases of the Wilmington
and Manchester (now Wilmington.
Columbia e. Augusta Railroad, the
| Charlotte, Columbia and Augusta, ard
| Atlanta & Richmond Air Line Rail
roads, and the Piedmont Railroad
! Why Were these Railroads. allowed 10
Use i've 90 foot gauge? The answer
10 this question shows the policy aid
interests uf the State, As Indicated by
| her wise aud far seeing Statesmen Of a
former day. These Railroads were
| parts Of long lEas running iuto otuer
| States AID connecting with five foot
! Railways outside, Gu5 they required
tin change OF gauge to be mude at
/ their own doors, their principal towns
| "a ar tue 'jorders of the STATED, Viii
mirgton, Charlotte and Greensboro,
aud ultimately at AshevIlie or Warm
Springs.
The statesmen aud the business
meI OF the day that projected til, sys-
| f. M OF internal improv. ments for this
| great State, saw the great importance
- the growth OF her border towns to
! make this break III the gauge of her
railways as near the border as posi-
| bic. thus giving these places the in
| creased business, incident to breaking
o: bulk III the movement of produce
aid melchaudize through or into OF
| oft Of the State.
| The thing won't do! the matter is
too important. 1t Is not ''seven
days wondfr." to be forgotten in a
week. N! No,l The business men
of North Carolina see it in its proper
| hgut, and will not let it go!
Read the Asheville and Piedmont
country papers and see what they say,
viz: That this change makes it easy to
g. with their crops to Richmond, and
| that Richmond merchants are very
p"hto 70 them. and they doa't see why
| they should not go, &c, &c.
L. 0n a ri
terize the North Carolina press on this
subject? Is 1t right; is it manly to
submit to a gross outrage upon all
that our fathers held dear in the great
public works projected by them No,
| gentlemel,, this will never do. It will
not satisfy our people who nOW see
the case as made up, and ali acitt see
it and will feel it tool
| Why have the people of Charlotte
slept while the enemy was stealing a
march on them Their city is now
q acaY station for the Atlanta & Rich
mDud AIR line" as well asa aUdy depot
on the Augusta 6 Richmond line"
Who will stop in Charlotte with his
cotton nor, to trey that market, when
he eau run the same car, without dam
aging his cotton by unloading, through
70 Norfolk or Richmond
Formerly everything hid to change
at that point. and of coune that WAS a
much greater inducemen, to sell in
| Charlotte, and of course. As q conse-
| qnence, buy goods IN Charlotte. How
will IL be R0tO ! as soon AS he through
| business begins to run in the Few
channel ? Charlotte WILL SEE. Her
| merchants Will, SEE ACIrfZES