The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-02-05

The following from the Charleston
News and Courier will be read with
deep interest by Wilmingtonians:
"YorkviIle, January 29.-Indications>
now point to the conversion of the
Carolina and Northwestern railroad
marrow gauge) into a standard gauge,
~up-tO-date railroad from Chester to Lee
noir, n. G.. and its over the
mountains beyond Lenoir into Tennes-
see, where it will connect with one OF
the great western systems n thus
c-Onsummate the fond hope hat
been in the minds of the people along
its present route for more than twenty
five years.
Practically all the arrangements
necessary for changing the gauge OF
the road have been completed. All the
bridges and trestles. with the exception
of the bridge over the south fork of Ca
tawba river. between Dallas and Lin
colnton. N. c.. have been changed to
meet the requirements of a standard
gauge, and the increased traffic that
will follow. The roadbed has. pee
~brOadened, the necessary ties puT-
chased and are being delivered along
the line as rapidly as possible. and ar
engagements have been made for the re-
quired number of o of standard steel
rails to take the place of the light iron
rails that have been doing faithful
service since 1876. and some of them
since 1852. II is the expectation of the
management to commence the work of
putting down the new track during the
next few days. and il is their hope to
have the entire change made by early
fall from Chester to Lenoir.
The change is to be made without in
any way interfering with the operating
of trains. and it is to be accomplished
by substituting gauge ties
for those now in use and laying the
new iron on the outside leaving the
present narrow gauge track intact un-
til the entire change has been effected,
when the old rails will be removed.
Tine present management has ac-
complished a great deal and is to be
congratulated on it's wonderful success,
especially in view of the fact that il
has had great and thoroughly organ
lied opposition to deal with in the man
agement of the Southern railway,
which completes with the narrow gauge
at every important point except Lemon
and seeks to monopolize the business
that originates at hat point, which is
very great, as against the Seaboard.
The opposition of the Southern is nat
ural and no doubt based on business
principles, but 1t has awaited but little,
and after the change of gauge has been
eeffcted will have still less effect.
Two urvey rave been made from
LenOir to the junction point beyond the
mountains. but it has not yet been de-
cided which route will be adopted. The
estimates as to cost of each route have
been forwarded by the engineers to
President Barber. in New York, and
the matter of selecting the most Ieasi-
BILE route Will be decided in a short
time, when it is expected that work on
the missing link will be commenced.
1T is said that the company has pur-
chased its steel rails at a saving of $40
per tOn, as compared with the price
quoted it one ear ago when negOtia-
tions were first commenced. and that
this item alone will amount to more
than $3.50, 600. 1t is also said that nine
new standard gauge locomotives have
been ordered and are to be ready for
service as soon as needed"
The change of II of the Carolina
and Northwestern is a matter of special
concern 20 Wilmington and the re1G-
erS OF The Messenger will remember in
this connection that this scheme has
been exploited more than once in these
columns. TIL change Of gauge means
thai the scheme for extending the road
from Lenoir by way CT the Cranberry
iron mines in North Carolina to the coal
regions of Tennessae will be carried
out The main purpose of changing the
gauge was in view OF making that con
nectior and when It IS ria!a i will
give Wilmington i short I0ute to the
west by way Of the S-aboard Air Line
which extends from this city N con-
meets with the Caroline and Western
at Lineolnton. n. 4. Tha fact that ave
are to be brought into close contact
with the coal and iron regions is mani
portant from an industrial point OF
view, but the commercial advantages
will no doubt be Of greater conse-
Quence TO Wilmington. 1t will give
our city a direct western Connection and
will ensure this port minimum freight
rates from the pork and grain regions
of he vest. The fact is this connec
ton will make Wilmington the nearest
and most natural port for all the ter
ritory reached by the Carolina and
Northwestern n its Tennessee COR
nections over a wide scope of country.
II we mistake not. General Hoke is
promoting THE scheme for the connec-
ton from Lenoirs to Tennessee. and at
any rate it is hoped that Wilmington
will lose no opportunity to take advan-
tage of the prospects which the new
route holds out to us as q port and
distributing point
Death OF an AGED Lsdy
This friends and acuuaintanceS Of