The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-01-22
JANUARY % Is

may ne peTnllttet 10 nave some Gcfr,..
knowledge Of the offer made ~ the social.
New York Syndicate il. relation Ia ~
Western North Carolina Railroad. Vario-
versions of that offer are current amono no.
sons supposed To have reliable i~nformaiio,
but we are not disposed to credit all thu.
reported on the subject. The fact tba, or.
delegates IN Congre :, With one or two a.
cepti0nS, united 10 commend the matter.
the consideration OF the Governors; and ~.
further fact that nearly one half of III.
directory of the road voted for il, are sn-g
cient to satisfy us that the offer was mo-.
reasonable than a few papers would hav.
Us believe. We are no advocate for -.
Syndicate; in truth. have never seen, hear
from, nor heard of, except in common 70.
port. any of the parties. But we consida.
the Western Road an elephant on the hand,
Of the State. which ought in common nm
dence to he given away before he eats hi.
head off and ruins his keeper. If it he trp4
that the Read will do so much for the Stat
and for the West, the sooner we get it the
better for all concerned. If the Syndic,,s
will bind themselves to complete il in
twelve months, why wait twelve wears 10
complete 1t at the slow rate the State i
moving Many persons suppose the wor,,
is over, now that the Blue Ridge is Inn
Delled. Far from it; the 47B miles from
the Asheville depot to the Tennessee line
embrace some of the severest features N
mountain engineering. We have it from
good authority that Major Wilson himseI.
cannot promise the completion of this con
nectlon under SIX years, with present re,
sources, viz, the $4,000 a year, and the
earnings Of the finished portion. BE il
remembered that on reaching Asheville, one
bali the convict force must be taken from
the "~thronSh' line and started on the long
route toward Ducktown.
1t is not pleasant to think of siying away
the vast sums thus far spent, and were there
q reasonable hope of ultimate reimburse
ment, 1T might be the part of wisdom to
cling to the property, even though it appear
to be throwing good money after bad
But who among us anticipates the return of
a single dollar to the State Treasury from
any of the State Roads There is not the
slightest hope of it. And we cannot see
the Justice Of claiming that the road is
worth tour millions, when it is scarce two
years since McAden & Co. were glad to oct
rid OF it at $3.50, 900.
Like the Observer, we should prefer to
see the read pass into the hands of North
Carolinians, -Wilmingtonians if YOU will
but are there any of our people willing
to duplicate the offer of the Syndicate 2 We
doubt it.
AprOpOs the subject, we have received
since the foregoing was In type, the follow
ing letter frem an influential gentleman.
long and warmly interested in the compile
ton of the ROAD. He writes:-
- have just read your article, in the
Farmer and Mechanic of the 18th, en- the
proposition to sell the Western North Caro-
INA Railroad. 1t seems to me you have
perceived, and presented, the two leading
lIpaS h II on L. i- "
cussed IN the consideration of the matter
to-wit: 1st,--That it is sound policy to Sc
cure the early completion of the Road as
contemplated by its projectors, as a means
OF increasing our population and wealth;
and "a, III elimination of the Railroad
trom our State politics. | entirely agree
with you in the opinion that, in the way Of
direct revenue, the Road will not for many
years, If ever, be of benefit to the State. /
believe that when completed. in the hands
OF men who shall operate solely with a view
to profit, it will be the most valuable raj
road property IN the South; but / doubt if
the State can ever make it so, because OF
inherent and unavoidable defects in it's svs-
tenn of management.
II find public sentiment here almost a
unit IN favor of the sale, provided ALWAYS
that there are sufficient guards to the States
interest, and the completion of the Road as
proposed. While we SO think, we recog-
nize there are other interests to protect a.
well as those which affect this locality.
we know that our friends in the middle
and Eastern parts of the State have borne,
and Will continue to bear, the burden of
taxation necessary to complete the Road
under existing legislation, and will have to
Dear whatever of odium and u%npopularity
may attach to 1t IN those sections; hence
UflI1o yrn .c,-S IL
Tor them, to sell, we shall cheerfullv submit
10 what may be their views"
The ROJsontun says Neil McFavden caught