Wilmington journal., 1876-08-18

opened and developed long ago at any
cost. Throughout this whole region,
from the lowest valleys to the tops of
the mountains with the sides and
| slopes Of them. appear one continuous
bed of fertility, covered by trees and
other vegetation in endless variety and
immense growth, which, with the mild
salubrious climate adapts> it to the
! production of tobacco, wheat, oats,
rye, barley. corn, fruit, anything,
| everything in the greatest perfection
that can be produced anywhere else.
This is said to be the finest tobacco
region on the continent. and / believe
it. then why should this rich store
house of our State remain closed to our
people, a sealed book as now it is? Let
our Legislature and the administrators
of our government answer In the
early days of the republic, in the days
that tried mems souis, 1T was said we
had men in North Carolina Where
are their descendants Have they all
died out =? Have we no men now in
North Carolina, of mental aud physi-
cal power, wisdom, force lst, Integrity
and PATRIOTS to our beloved State to
protect her interests in the soui-trying
days of the present moment? IF there
are any such, let them now step to the
front. Now Carolina needs their SER
vices, and at once.
THE WESTERN n. C. RAILROAD,
now owned exclusively by the State, is
we'll located between Salisbury and
Wolf Greek, the East and West termi-
III, and is about ono hundred and sixty
miles In length, of which about one
hundred miles are finished, stocked
in ful LII
ance of the road, [ understand, is far
advanced toward completion, a con-
siderable portion of the grading, stone,
bridge abutments, culyerts, &C., are
done aid only waiting the completion
of the tunnels through the Swannanoa
mountains. This work, I understand.
Is progressing ns we'll as it can with
the meager force at command. Un-
fortunately, portion of the convic
labor, intended to be used in building
this road, and so ordered by the Leg,
1slature. | believe, has been hired to
foreign railroad company.
[ understand that if ali the convict |
labor was concentrated upon this road it
could be put in readiness for the iron IN !
about one years time. whereas, if the |
present course of disposing of the |
labor is continued the completion of |
the road may he delayed for years.
The policy of hiring ont these convicts
to build railroad inimical to our own
for the paltry sum of $50 per annum
appears unwise III the extreme. If not
criminal. Here is our own great State
work at q Standstill for the want of
labor sufficient to push 1T through the
that the whole line may be
utilized at an early day, and thus
bring its earnings into the State treas
ury, to say nothing of developing this
rich and interesting portion of our
State; and the very labor intended to
accomplish this desirable object is
being used to build rival road. What
must people think of such course,
policy it is not, certainly no public
policy?
predict brilliant future for this
road when it shall be finished, pro-
vided it shall be protected from being
made a political machine of, and It's
falls into it's honeHt,
wise and ju3icious hands, and the
sooner finished the better, for every
lays delay costs the State thousands
If dollars. and these dollars are ex-
'ctly what our people, our whole peo-
pie want at this pre- 'ent writing. N
Hot AND WARM SPRINGs,
Madison Co.. N. c., August 4th.
10 the Editor Of the ,JOu17,ak: In a
former letter [ stated that the Western
North Carolina railroad was work of
vast Importance, particularly to our
own State, in fact state work in the
most enlarged sense; L promised for
it a brilliant future under certain
qualifications, when it shall have been
l propose briefly, to make
4 partial sh )wing, at least, of its inns
portance and the reasons which induced
me to believe it would prove brilliant
success. 1st. 1t opens to market and
develops one of the most rare, rich
and wonderful sections of our State;
rare in its different organization from
any other section of this, or any other
State, rich in the fertility of ITS soil
and climite, rich in it's vegetable pro-
auctions which qualify it for stock
raising, rich in it's variety and growth
IF timber; rich In it's mineral deposits,
rich in everything that makes nation
great, saving and excepting popula-
ion; wonderful in it's great variety and
happy combination of mountain,
forest and river scenery which lend a
charm to the whole section from Nor
canton to Wolf Creek to be found no.
where else, and which MUST prove
peculiarly attractive to tourists and
pleasure seekers, invalids anil the
general traveller; add to this the happy
ocation of the road, up and down
water courses the entire distance ex-
sept through the tunnels at Swaunanoa
thus avoiding all those
|
so detrimental to the
peace of mind and happiness of trav-
,Iers; hence my conclusion that this
must become one of the most popular ,
rou es in the southern coun-
Try.
End. It connects the great Missis-
,ippi valley with the sea coast of our
)wn State by shorter line than il is
to obtain anywhere else,
md places our own seaports in posi-
ion to compete for, not only tie tr affic
If the Mississippi valley, but that of
he contemplated Southern COntinen-
al road terminating at Memphis.
If these points are we'll taken, and
liink they are, / submit, whether this
Western North Carolina road, as also
.he Carolina Central road ought not to
De regarded rs important works, pure
v North Carolina works, and as such. {
:eceive the fostering care and atten-
ion of the State. I
BY the way, / see, and hear from
others, that large portion of the
-oad from Swannanoa to Wolf Greek
has been graded and the bridge abut- {
nents constructed. and am informed 6
Dy parties who seem TO know, that
ibis whole line of sixty miles might
De finished up and put in opera .
ion In few months with proper ap-
lliances Iallude to this matter, with
he view of calling the attention of the ;
managers of the road to this subject. I
Would it not be better, and more inth