The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-08-22

1dIttcI ->tIoulu udNt pctit -
lowed when once a railroad system
was adopted for North Carolina
Beginning at Beaufort which, with
It's accessibility 10 the { An and
with It's fine harbor. Vas 10 have
made the great Shipping port OF the
run to Newborn, thence bv the
most direct route to Raleigh, thence
to Greensboro, Salisbury and west
ward to Asheyille. The motive
power to be steam, then IN It's *
irene infancy for land transporta-
ton in Europe. and altogether I'M
known in America. The boldness
of all these exceptions Is very
striking, and their sagaclty equally
so. At the time all the towns
named in the above order were
mere villages; the State was poor,
economical, with an annual reye
nue. of 500, 900 altogether unused
to public debt, and except IN some
visionary efforts to improve the
navigation of some of the rivers
unused to the question of internal
improvements, and its incidents of
| appropriations and provisions for
carving on public works; and
moreover, the motive power relied
upon was at that time not only un-
known in North Carolina but upon
the Western continent.
Fifty years have passed away
| since the letters CT Carlton were
written; and DR.. Caldwell had
been in his grave full twenty years
before the links Of that chain which
he had forged in his fervid brain
were united in II extended line.
But before the day arrived for the
realization of his ideas other States,
impressed with the value of the
new mode of transit, and cOvetOus
to retain and enlarge the trade al
ready existing with North Caro-
lima, began those works which at
once threatened to counteract the
patriotic purposes OF DR.. Cald-
we'll. In 1888 Petersburg con-
structed a railroad to Blakely on
the Roanoke. Portsmouth follow
ed a few years after with a road to
Weldon. Charleston pushed up
the South Carolina road from Co.
lumbia to Charlotte; and North
Carolina was again tapped and
drained as it had been under the
previous primitive SYSTEM OF wagon
transportation. And for some
years the policy of legislation and
the energy Of individuals and com
munities seemed concentrated upon
the purpose of thoroughly depict
ing North Carolina by favoring
those outlets, and constructing
transverse lines at right angles with
the longitudinal direction of the
State, making it more and more
tributary to adjoining States, anc
postponing still farther the day o
u~nifcation when at length the
germs of the ideas Of DR.. Caldwell
dormant for SO many years, as
serted their vitality through the
chan ter of the North Carolina rail
road company. A road was au
thorized to be constructed by thu
Joint aid Of the State and Of pr
vate individuals from a point OF
the Wilmington and Weldon rail
road to the town of Charlotte, tn,
. northern terminus Of the Columbi;
branch Of the South Carolina rail
road, a distance of 223 miles, an(
passing through Raleigh, Hills
boro, Greensboro, Lexington, Con
cord and Salisbury, thus u%nitiry
most of the more important int
: rior towns by a common highway
And the charter of this road wa
followed by that of the Atlanti
T and North Carolina road from
! Goldsboro, the new creation of tn
= eastern terminus of the North Car
DINA road to Morehead City o