| Annual Report of the Western North Carolina
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| as of July 1, 1863, |
| Chief Engineer's Report |
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| Chief Engineer's Report |
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| Chief Engineer's Office |
| Western North Carolina Rail Road |
| Salisbury, N. C., Aug. ??, 1863 |
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| To the President and Directors of the
Western North Carolina Railroad |
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| Gentlemen, |
| {I'm missing my copy
of the first page. I'll eventually get a copy and add it.} |
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some of its officers, monopolize all the mills, I am now as far from
it as ever; for, notwithstanding contractors agree to furnish lumber,
they always fail. The stringers on the viaducts should be speedily
replaced with new ones -- these structures were not only a novelty,
but almost an experiment on this Road, yet I am gratified to be able
to inform you that they have stood the test and are now as firm as
they were the day they were finished. The culverts and drains require
some attention, especially from section masters, to see that their
mouths are not choked by drift and trash. The Rolling stock of the
Road is that necessary and indispensable attribute which gives
vitality to the whole, and to this important agent of success has our
especial attention been directed. The history of Rail Roads informs us
that under ordinary circumstances, when the different kinds of labor
were abundant, and the facilities for obtaining all the varied
supplies for keeping the wheels in motion were much greater than at
present, the stock sometimes runs down, yet I have the satisfaction of
informing you that, although we have done nearly $163,000 worth of
work, being almost 140 per cent. more transportation during the past
year than we did the year previous, whilst the increased cost of
operating the Road was only 50 per cent. on that of last year, our
locomotives are in better condition than they have ever been before,
as well as our passenger and freight cars, although we have at present
not as many freight cars, but this is owing to the fact, growing out
of the difficulty before referred to, in procuring lumber to replace
them. The Swananoa, the first locomotive this Company ever owned, is
now, and has been in the shops for several months for the want of
tires, it being impossible to obtain wrought tires in this country. I
made arrangements to get cast tires in Richmond, but unfortunately,
about the time I expected them, that establishment burnt down. I then
tried and expected them from Augusta, Ga., but failed, finally we
prevailed on the North Carolina Rail Road Company to make them for us,
and in a short time we expect to turn her out in better condition than
ever, she having been thoroughly overhauled and put in complete order.
You will see, therefore, we have been doing all our work with four
locomotives only. The Catawba will also require new tires in a short
time, for which provision has been made by the time they may be
needed. Great difficulty has been experienced in obtaining supplies,
although I have been comparatively fortunate in getting supplies from
the Government such as wheels, axles, steel, and a few other things,
which we could not have been supplied with elsewhere.
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The Shops, all well managed Roads should not be without
an establishment so indispensably necessary. Yours have been improved
by alternations and the addition of machinery, this, however, has been
principally leased from the Manassas Gap Rail Road Company, through
the agency of the North Carolina Rail Road Company. We have also made
other additions and improvements, which enable us the more promptly to
meet the wants of the Road; we have experienced great difficulty in
getting coal for the Foundry purposes, but great as the inconvenience
is, I deem it highly important that we should make arrangements to do
all the castings, such as wheels, &c., that the requirements of
the Road may demand. Without this shop and machinery, at this time, we
should have been unable to continue the ordinary business of the Road,
to say nothing of the work done on other Roads. In this connection, I
beg leave to state that the present master machinist, although a young
man, eminently comes up to the standard of the position he was engaged
to fill. Since the last annual meeting, I have built for the
Confederate Government a Store House 260 feet in length and 40 feet
wide, and so located it on the lands of the Western North Carolina
Rail Road as to make it accessible from the Western Road as well as
the North Carolina Rail Road, and so built that it can, with very
slight alterations, be converted into a very convenient Car House, and
by an agreement with the Government authorities, a copy of which
accompanies this report, that building may revert to the use of the
Company upon payment of the cost of materials used only. I now beg
leave to call attention to the contract entered into with the
Confederate authorities for the transportation of army stores between
this place or Charlotte and Richmond, by which it will be seen that
the Government becomes paymaster, so that we find no difficulty in
making settlements.
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The Treasurer's Report presents the gratifying fact, that
over and above the net earnings on the Western Road, he is in receipt
of over $66,000 from other Roads, besides uncollected claims now
against them, showing that it is from this service that you have been
enabled to declare the maiden dividend of 4 per cent. for the
Stockholders of the Road. I now beg leave to call attention to an
abuse of authority which I think demands your serious consideration; I
will, however, premise, by stating that unless Rail Road Companies can
get labor and supplies at reasonable rates, neither can their Road be
kept in order, nor its stock kept in motion without charging
corresponding rates for service rendered, Government officials claim
pre-emption rights, and further, in some cases seem to be unlimited as
to the amount they may pay for what they want -- to illustrate, we
have been called upon to transport the article of wood a distance of
thirteen miles on the Road, purchased at $5 per cord, whilst we have
only paid $1.50 per cord, this obliging us to pay the same that they
may choose to give, for that or any other article we may happen to
want. When we consider the number of passengers carried through and of
freight transported, the different Roads on which our trains have
passed, together with the condition of the country at the time of
operating, it is a source of much gratification to know that no
accident of serious importance has occurred, a fact creditable to the
employees of the Road as well as to its management. I, therefore,
flatter myself that no Road in the Confederacy has been managed more
successfully, more economically, or more satisfactorily to those who
choose to have proper information on the subject, than the Western
North Carolina Rail Road. During the past year some changes have been
made, I am satisfied for the better, and it affords me great pleasure
to be able to state that the employees of Road are generally alike
creditable to you and themselves.
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I have the honor to be very respectfully,
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James C. Turner
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Eng. and Superintendent W. N. C. R. R.
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