The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-11-03
Railroad Rattle and Tattie.

And now the N. =. Midland mot
the Midland n. CO. takes a new
start. The Winston meeting last week
reorganized the company. John Bar
bonr was made President; j. L. More
head, V. p; and the old Board with
three new members added, viz }. W.
Brown, c. T. Holland, and j. I. Cow
ard, Syndicators. Arrangements We're
made to use the county subscriptions,
and mortgage the road to help build 1t.
The route was also located from Dan
vile to Winston and from Winston to
EooresyiIlc.
This. in our humble opinion, is as far
as the road will be built. At Moores
vile it taps the road from Statesville to
Charlotte, only Is miles from the latter
city, so that a train of cars leaving Dan
vile via Winston and Mooresville would
reach Charlotte a good deal sooner than
the train now running from Danville to
Greensboro, Salisbury and Charlotte.
Several months ago when the Rich
mond and Danville II. X. secured a
controlling interest in the Virginia Mid
land (from Danviile to Baltimore) we
predicted two things
list. That it would be found that the
Clyde syndicate had modified their
original schemes, as manipulated by
Buford and Logan, and Instead of try
ing to drain North Carolina to Rich
mond, to build up the Richmond K
Danville Il. r. would hencetorth regard
that as "a secondary consideration, and
would strain every nerve to build III a
grand Through Route from Baltimore
to Atlanta thence to the Mississippi
River.
I'd. That as a consequence of this en-
Ia. cement of project, Col. Buford was
directed 10 prepare to surrender the
lease of the North Carolina Railroad
unless it could be held for merely local
traffic, and at a much less rental than
is now paid.
Every straw of the past two months
points to the fulillment of our surmise.
The syndicate has kept Col. Andrews,
and its attorneys, working night and
day in all directions. Nothing TO com
pare to it was ever known in Southern
railway history. And look at the re-
suits. The Air Line from Charlotte to
Atlanta was first secured. Senator Cor
don, and others, were empowered tc
build a road from Atlanta to Mississ-
ippi. Then the Danville and Bait
more route was secured. This left a
break of 100 miles between Danvillt
and Charlotte. True, the IN. G. X.
r." served as q bridge to cross the gaI
for the present, but it is held by lease,
at high figures, and is liable to logger
heads. SO the gap must be filled il
order to make a consolidated Crane
Trunk Line. But how shall a new
bridge be laid between Danville anc
Charlotte without alarming the owner,
of the old one.-the people OF NORTH
Carolina?
Well, there are several ways of doing
things. The short road from Charlotte
to Statesville has not been doing very
well of late years, so it is easy to lease
it for 90 years. This gives us 20 mile.
Of track to Nooresyille; whence an All
Line to Danville has been surveyed anc
I, chartered via Winston. The charter il
held by a number OF worthy gentlemen
who want the road built. and don't care
who builds it, so that 1t be done at
once. 1t is easy to say to these gen
tlemen-'liere, you are too poor tC
build your road, and 1t would not pay
expenses after it were built unless VT
allowed you to connect with US at Dan
vile and Mooresville. But, now, yol
give us your charter and your county
bonds, and sell us a little more thar
one half the stock. This will give u,
control of the road when built. Their
we will give you enough help to com
plete the gap from Danvlile TO Moores
Vile in less than a year. But you must
mortgage the road bed, and appear t.
be building it yourselves; for the char
ter would be taken away, by the next
Legislature, if we-the Clyde syndi
cate-were known to be building The
road
But won't you be able to control
the next Legislature 2"
well. that remains to be seen.
! They say the friends of Railroads Were
pretty numerous in the last Assembly
Railroad business employs a great many
lawyers, and the fees are large. Their
there are a large number of employees