Wilmington journal., 1876-08-25
VOL. 33.
For the journal
Col. y. L.. EreGhRn1


until their usefulness is withdraw
or they have sought homes in Other
States are our people i'll the habit o.
appreciatlng them as they deserve
This gentleman, being recognised as {
leading citizen of the State, and On one
OF the most useful, and one OF the bes
Of men, has resigned his position a.
Chief Engineer and Superintendent oi
the Carolina Central Railway. This
| event marks All important epoch in the
history of that railroad, and in that
material progress and prosperity oi
| Wilmington which al acknowledge to
be 30 much dependent upon the good
management of the railroads that run
to and through the city. AS he is
| now disconnected with all railroads.
and as his long and faithful services in
the care of internal improvement have
| made him an enviable name as a rail
road manager, and endeared him
| warm y to the people of the State, es-
| pecially to the true men of the Pee DEE
and Cape Fear sections, it is mate that
this resignation shou d be followed
by the following notice of his
| record and high qualifications.
A mans character aud profession is his
estate and means of securing support
for himself and family, aud if he is a
public man, the public should know
him just as he is and has been. Col.
Fremont has been closely identified in
interest, sympathy and residence with
our people for over thirty three years.
In the yenr 1854, then u young man
and graduate of the Military Acade-
my at West Point, he resigned his po>
sitit in the artillery arm of the United
States Army in order to accept the po-
sition rendered him of Engineer and
Superintendent of the Wilmington
and Weldon Railroad Company. He
remained continuously III the service
of the company, faithful to duty and
giving great satisfaction both to the
company and the public until Dacem-.
ber 1S71-just seventeen years. On
the Goth of December, 1870, he was
elected Chief Engineer and Superin-
tendent of the Wilmington, Charlotte
and Rutherford Railroad Company,
and at the request of the Wilmington
and Weldon RAILROAD Company he
continued to hold for one year the
same office on that road, conducting
successfully in this way the affairs of
both roads. In November, 1871, the
W., @. & r. r. Co. desiring Col. Ere
mont's entire services, he rendered his
resignation of his position ON the W.
& w. r. II.
The following is an extract from his
letter of resignation, published at the
time in the JOURNAL (see fiIes) to Hon.
II. r. Bridgers, President thon, rs
now. of that said road:
"DEAR SIR-It has becOmenecessary
to sever my connection with one or the
other of the two railway companies in
whose service 1 am now holding the
place of Chief Engineer and Superin.
tendent. When more than twelve
months ago l accepted the Office of
Chief Engineer and superintendent of
the Wilmington, Charlotte and Ruth
erford Railroad Company DID it with
a full understanding that / was to de- |
vote all my energies to the completion |
of that road before [ gave it up. That |
important work is now about to be |
and the directory very |
properly think a much larger portion |
Of my time will now be required on |
that road; hence 1 must withdraw from |
your service"
To this letter the directors paid Col. |
Fremont the compliment of replying |
by a committee of the Board, consist
ing of the President and two Direct |
ors, Messrs. Wright and Willard. From |
this letter the following is An extract: |
"The undersigned were, by resolution
instructed to reply to your communi-
cation and to express the views and
feelings of the Directory consequent
upon your resignation Of the Office of
Chief Engineer and Superintendent
of this company, which you have so
long and so ably filled. In expressing
our sincere.regret Chat duties on your
part of a paramount character, result
ing from your connection with another
important work demands your with
drawal from the further service of this
we but echo the unanimous
sentiment of the Directory of this
company. Since the month of De
cember, 1854, yon have filled tho very
important position of Chief Engineer
and Superintendent, and during the
seventeen years this company has
passed through more than one ordeal
in which almost its continued
existence was imperilled, and which
required from all who were concerned
in it's direction and management
the utmost zeal and fidelity
IN their respective duties. To the
Office so long filled by you necessarily
appertained the leading duties and re-
sponsibilities incident to the practical
working and general management of
the affairs of the company, aud we
most cheerfully bear testimony to your
eminent ability, energy and attention
uniformly and successfully exerted for
the interests of this company during |
these seventeen years of your service"
X
We know whereof we speak when we |
say Col. f. left the old road voluntar-
lily to build up the favorite road for
the benefit of Wilmington. Nor was
the high character which he achieved |
in the performance of duty all that
Col. Fremont attained. It not only
caused his appointment to the position
on the W.C. 4 r. r. r. and during all
this time he enjoyed the unlimited
confidence and admiration of an ap.
preciative public, and while at all
times enforcing the most effectual dis
cipline, he made troops of friends
among the employees from. Wilmington
to Weldon. and they have stood
by him with manly firmness and affec-
tionate devotion to the present hour,
The officers and employees, on the
company, presented him with a beau
tiful and valuable. gold watch and chain
through faithful officer, who. speak
ing for them (see files of the JoURNAL).
said: "We are not ignorant of yonr
services and the great responsibility
which rested upon you when the dark
clouds of war overspread our land,
nor afterwards of yonr indefatigable
labors in the interests of p: ace and
restoration. We have watched your
course, and have witnessed with pride
and pleasure, your devotion to the
material and industrial interests of
our State, and as citizens and indi-
viduals our hearts are full of gratitude.