The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-05-03

1oat1I
90 : GEO bushels OF salt. The ordi-
nary cost in the Eastern markets was
forty to fifty cents; when It reached
IredelI the cost was Sl.5o. Inc loss
on this item alone. to the state. WAS
estimated at $1I2.5O0, while the
ties on the Roanoke, Neuse and Tar
Rivers paid on transports, annually
bv a Of their extra difficulties,
s335,00O.
Several conventions were held. The
citizens Of orange urged a Central
Railroad. Forty-eight counties met
in convention at Raleigh IN 1873, ana
nernorialiZed the Legislature in be
| half of Internal improvements for the
State: Her wasted fields. her de-
serted farms, her ruined towns. her
departing sons all r%eproach us with
! supine neglect. The immense tax
which North Carolina now pays III
the way Of extra expense in trans
portation of the fruits Of labor to
| market, and bringing back necessa-
| ries in return, are sufficient 70 palsy
the arm OF industry and weigh down
the spirit OF enterprise
The Memorial Of 1898. in support or
a subscription to the Fayetteville and
Iadkin Railroad has this bit Of in
teresting Information: IN year
Of 1897, the n entered and
cleared in the foreign trade from
Wilmington exceeded that OF Norfolk,
1884 tons. and exceeded both the
ports OF Richmond and Petersburg
together 1854 tons.
w are informed on high author
ity. that the coasting trade Of viii
nington employs a greater tonnage
than her foreign trade.-it would FOL
low that the onnag in the trade OF
the port OF Wilmington is greater
than the three great ports Of Virginia;
Norfolk, Richmond and Petersburg
The two GREAT ;ntcrn4 lT1DrDIa-
ments OF the decade were then being
pressed to npletion. The Raleigh
and Castor Railroad Company vas
chartered. 1885, with a capital OF 81
100000; S7OO.O 600 was subscribed and
nearly paid. In 1888 it had expended
$~823,939.T4. and completed fifty miles.
of which forly-tWo miles between,
Henderson and CASTOR were in oper-
atien, and was indebted about 5000
900. An increase Of its capital stock
to $500. 900 was authorized, and the
State endorsed 100000 Of it's bonds.
upon the security Of a mortgage upon
al its property. The o. was COM
pleted To Raleigh in April. 1910. and
had cost $1.343,S80.44. The charge
for carriage Of passengers was limf-
ted to ten cents per mile. In its con-
stfuction labor was employed al ar
average price OF about so per an
mum. Bacon was seven to eight
cents: beef two to four cents, and
corn forty to fifty cents per bushei.
The rails cost about $40 per ton at
Castor. There were few higher
bridges in the world than the TX
over Tar River. It was ~ninety-four
feet above the surface OF the water.
The Wilmington and Raleigh Rail
road Company. later Wilmington and
Weldon. was chartered IN 1888. It's
capital stock was 100000. after
wards increased to s1.5oo,ooo, the
I 80 3 - i--- A-@ ~ "a
were exhausted and the State en-
dorsed $4,000 0 OF its bonds 1t was
the longest railroad in the world, con
structed under one charter. The
iron plates "lrails1 are two inches
wide by SIS Of an inc thick, fastened
to the rails by spikes 5 inches long
and 3-S Of an inch square, driven
through countersunk holes Is inches
apart These two roads were for
c~heapness. length and rapidly OF con-
~struction comparable to any in the
world
Two waterways engaged the public
mind during the decade. I. A ship
canal connecting Beaufort harbOr with
the NeHse River. thence via Plymouth
and Edenton to the point where the
feeder enters the Dismal Swamp
Canai. so as to open a direct COM
munlcation for vessels drawing eight
rect or water, from Norfolk to Beau
" Tic ieOpcIlDS Or Roanoke
Inlet, the natural mouth Of Roanoke
ttlFef. to connect Albemarle Sound
directly with the ocean. General
Armlsfead. L. S. A. thought it feas-
lole and estimated the cost at $500
wv. n Legislature urged it upon
me attention Of the General Govern
ment.
ABOUT 1884 the affairs Of the Roard
OF Internal Improvement began to
prosper. h banks were again nm
aeI way and paying dividends. The
u1s.riDution Of the Fedora, Surn,ns ~
1888 gave it s533.757.ss. which 80
otnef collections Increased its funds
mar year to $S9S.368.51 Of which
Sovo,ooo was invested in stock Of the
Company. halitoao
ota1e IAN and Banks
IN the PreSidentia1 n.-