| From the Fayetteville (N. C.) Observer |
| |
| March 28, 1861 |
| |
| The Western Railroad |
| We copy the following concluding
paragraphs of the able Report of the President and directors to the
late Annual Meeting: |
| In accordance with a resolution passed at
the last annual meeting, application was made to the late Legislature
for aid to complete the road to a point beyond Deep River, and to
extend it to the N. C. Road. |
| By the untiring efforts of our Senator and
Members, aided by the efforts of the Senator and Members from Randolph
and the adjoining counties, and by the cooperation of other works
which wanted aid, we succeeded in getting the Bill which is herewith
submitted, and which we recommend to be accepted as an amendment to
the charter of the Company. |
| The provision in the bill of $200,000 for
the Eastern division will take the Road across Deep River, and put us
in immediate connection with the Egypt and Taylor Coal properties. It
will also enable us to make the necessary approaches to the river at
this place, and give us as much rolling stock and machinery as will be
necessary for the present. Steps are being taken to put the work on
this division under contract. |
| The State aid for the Western division is
dependent on the iron being made in the State. The Board are of the
opinion that it can and will be made, and that too in a very short
time. Several parties are now looking into the matter, and the
President of the Wilmington, Charlotte & Rutherford Road assures
us of his hearty co-operation. That Road will want in the next two or
three years eight or nine thousand tons of Iron, and they are willing
to contract for it now, at a fair price. A contract from them for even
four thousand tons, with the two or three thousand tons we will want,
will, feel confident, insure the erection of Furnaces and Rolling
Mills. A more inviting field for enterprise and capital cannot be
found; with all the raw material convenient and cheap, and a contract
of a half million of dollars with companies of ample means, success is
certain. Then on the completion of our road to the N. C. Road, the
works will be put in connection with all the roads of the State; the
Western Extension will want at least 10,000 tons, and the Chatham road
four or five, to say nothing of other roads, making in all of new Iron
that will be wanted in the next four or five years some 25,000 tons;
in addition to this, there will be from this time forth, a continual
demand for re-rolling from all the Roads in the State. The iron from
some of our roads is now being shipped to Pennsylvania to be
re-rolled; the freight alone on this would afford a handsome profit to
a mill at home. After supplying the home demand, the iron from Deep
River can seek the markets of the world and compete successfully with
the product of any other place or country. With every variety of ore
in close proximity with each other, and with the best of bituminous
coal, surrounded by virgin forests and in the centre of a fine
agricultural district, with soap stone, sand stone, and every variety
of clay in the immediate vicinity, with water power unlimited, and
with only 40 miles of Rail Road to free navigation; what other element
can be wanted for the production of good and cheap iron? Surely if
there is gold in any iron it must be in that of the Deep River
region. |
| This heretofore shut up region is
now opened by our Road; if capital and enterprise will now come in,
coal and steam and iron will do for us what they have never failed to
do for others, who had them and used them. |
| The Road complete is 41 1/2 miles in
length, cost $831,495.38, equal to $20,000 per mile. The highest grade
this way is 31 feet to a mile. |
|