f
IVhole No. 31M).
RAIL ROAD.
From the Norfolk Herald.
Wo publish lo-(ifiy the very
interesting Report of the Com
mittee on the Tarborough and
Roanoke Rail Road, and ear
nestly recommend it to the con
sideration of the good people of
Norfolk, who, we conceive are
deeply interested in the propo
sed undertaking. As we men
tioned in our last, Books for
subscriptions of stock to carry
it into cfluct were opened on
the 31st ult. conformably to the
provisions of the charier, and
with a perfectly reasonable ex
pectation that a large majority
of the shares would readily be
subscribed by the citizens of
Norfolk, from the fact that it
will add greatly to the perma
nent benefit of Norfolk, and in
consideration of their superior
ability over that of any other
town or section of the country
to be benefitted by the work
to say nothing of the moral
certainty of its yielding a hand
some profit on the capital in
vested. Perhaps, and we be
lieve, there are many of our ci
tizens who have not yet given
their attention to the subject,
and have formed no idea of the
advantages to them which it in
.volves: it is for that very rea
son that we are so particular
in recommending the Report
which we publish to-day to their
earnest consideration. It con
tains information from the best
sources from gentlemen of the
highest respectability for cha
racter and intelligence, resi
ding in that part of North Ca
rolina through which the rail
road is to be run and must sa
tisfy all who would be informed
of the matter, of its great utility,
its susceptibility of accomplish
ment with a comparatively small
capital, and, in short, not only
of the entire safety of an invest
ment of money in the enter
prise, but a positive advantage
from it, as well in this enhance
ment of the value of their real
estate as in the profits accruing
from their stock.
The Committee appointed at
a public meeting, at the Ex
change, on the 31st Dec. last,
convened for the purpose of ta
king into consideration the. sub
ject of a Rail Road from jFar
borough to Hamilton, in North
Carolina and whoso duty it
became to "ascertain (either by
personal observation, or thro'
the means of correspondence)
the expediency of establishing
the said rail road, and to report
to an adjourned meeting the
facts and circumstances which
may render the entcrprize judi
cious, and also to ascertain, as
near as possible, the disposition
of our citizens, to aid the ob
ject by subscriptions of stock,"
beg leave to submit the fol
lowing SISPOH :
A correspondence was imme
diately opened with several in
telligent, practical and influen
tial citizens of North Carolina,
from some of whom answers
have been received, which tin
Committee beg leave to submit
as a part of this Renort.
The advantages to arise from
the construction of the road are
pretty fully set forth in one of
Tarborough, (Edgecombe County, ,V. C.) Tuesday, Jlpril i7
these letters: but from a know
ledge of the country by some of
the members of the Committee,
there are other circumstances
favorable to the entcrprize,
which the Committee think it
their duty to present.
The country through which
it is expected the road will pass,
is singularly favorable for its
cheap and expeditious construc
tion, as the expense of gradua
ting, will probably be as small
as it would be over any similar
extent of country in the United
States. Timber of the proper
description for the construction
of the Road abounds on the
contemplated route, and the
Committee are of opinion that
both that and the land which
will be used for the road, may
be obtained from the proprie
tors at a very small cost, if in
deed at any charge at all. The
intelligent and influential por
tion of the community in the
neighborhood of the contem
plated road, are very favorably
disposed towards its construc
tion, and the committee indulge
the hope that this will be mani
fested by a liberal subscription
to the stock. It will be seen by
a letter now submitted, from a
gentleman whose opinions and
statements are entitled to great
consideration that the trade of
fourteen counties, in whole or
in part, will probably be direct
ed to Tarborough, should the
road be constructed, and it is
evident, that for all the purposes
of business, Tarborough will
be, on the completion of the
road, so conveniently situated to
the Roanoke that its trade must
necessarily take that direction,
and the committee think it
equally certain that it will thence
be directed to Norfolk.
At present, the trade of Tar
borough, limited as it is, com
pared to what it probably will
be, would be a very valuable ac
cession to the trade of Norfolk
but, it jjoes almost exclusive
ly to New York, by the route of
1 ar Luver, ramtico bound, and
Ocracock a long, tedious and
angerous navigation, which,
would be readily abandoned,
for the safer and more expedi
tious route to Norfolk. Ano
ther consideration which the
committee feel it their duty to
present to their citizens is, that,
as there are evidences that the
jealousy formerly felt towards
us by our neighbors of North
Carolina, has given place to a
better feeling, and that the pre
judices which existed against
the trade with INorfolk have
been, in a great measure, remo
ved, the present seems to be a
favorable opportunity to estab
lish Norfolk more extensively,
than it has ever yet been, as the
market for the produce of North
Carolina, and for securing a
ncrmanent. extensive and valu
able trade with a section of that
State, with which there has hi
therto been a very limited inter
course, and which, it does not
appear to the minds of the com
mittee, is likely to be increased,
without some additional facili
ty, than which none appears
more practicable than the con
templated rail road.
With respect to the disposi
tion of the citizens of Norfolk
to aid the object by subscrip
tions to the stock, the commit
tee have had no means of ascer
taining the same, nor do they
suppose it can be ascertained,
until the subject shall be fully
and fairly presented to them.
The committee have the
pleasure of stating that the bill
authorising the construction of
the road was passed by the Le
gislature of North Carolina in
January last, and beg leave to
submit a copy of the same, here
with. II. B. Gwathmty, Ch'n.
Samuel D. Raiclins, Sec'y.
Palmyra, Jan. 17, 1332.
II. B. Gwatiimey, Esq.
Sir l had the pleasure to
receive your letter of the 4th
inst. and lose no time in reply
ing to it, and giving you 'my
ideas and opinions on the sub
ject of it. There arc two
points on Roanoke river which
1 think arc worthy the attention
of the committee of which you
are chairman, in recommending
the location of a rail road from
the river to Tarborough, name
ly Hamilton and Hill's Ferry.
I see the resolutions contem
plate Hamilton, as being at the
head of steamboat navigation,
and from which the road should
proceed; but before any thing
be done towards the construc
tion of a road, I presume an ac
curate survey will be made, nut
only of the route from Hamil
ton to Tarborough, but also of
that from Hill's Ferry to the
same place. A survey of the
river from Hamilton to Hill's
Ferrv should likewise be made
and when an accurate report
was made to the committee, and
an estimate of the expense on
both routes connected with the
expense of removing the ob
structions in the river, the com
mittee will then be able to re
commend the location of the
road, and the expediency of
constructing one. 1 he differ
ence in the distances on a
straight line between those two
points and Tarborough, must I
think be four miles in favor ofito naner. which I hone mav be
-
the route to Hill's Ferry the;
1 . f I I I- T1MII
distance oy land from Mills
Ferry to Hamilton is thirteen
miles; by water it may be six
teen to eighteen. I know no
thing of the obstructions in the
river between the two places,
nor of the expense of removing
them, but I am told they can
easily be overcome. The above
remarks apply to the costs and
expenses which would attend
the construction of the road up
on either route. lam told the
road from Hamilton would
cross two large swamps that
Horn Hill's Ferry would cross
none materials are equal on
either route.
As regards the interest of
Norfolk and a large portion of
North Carolina, I feel no hesi
tation in saving that Hill's Fer
ry commands a decided prefer
ence that point, as you will see
on the map, is higher up the
country, more contiguous to the
counties named in the preamble
to the resolutions it has good
roads leading to it from all pla
ces south of Roanoke it has a
Ferry, and a communication
with the counties north of the
river the convenience to any
small craft, which the Naviga
tion Company might sec fit to
employ between the Ferry and
Weldon any boat descending
the river from the upper coun
ties after the looks at veldon
arc completed, all those opera-
183
lions would derive facilities,
from making Hill's Ferry the
depot for the discharge and re
ception of produce and goods,
and I have no doubt that ere
long, many travellers from the
contiguous counties would take
the steamboats for Norfolk, pro
vided the accommodations were
good and reasonable, and expe
dition used. I may be san
guine, but I think, with liberal
efforts on the part of the citi
zens of Norfolk, Hill's Ferry
may be the depot for a large
quantity of the products of North
Carolina intended for the Nor
folk market. Much, however,
nay all, will depend upon the
resources and efforts of the peo
ple of Norfolk.
I cannot answer as to the va
lue or quantity of the produce
that passes thro' Tarborough;
those facts are better known to
the gentlemen who reside there.
That the quantity would be much
increased by facilitating trans
portation, admits of no doubt.
I am quite sure, that Norfolk
will derive great commercial
benefit from the establishment
of the contemplated road, as
well as from every facility and
encouragement it can give to an
intercourse with North Caroli
na. The unhappy jealousies
and selfish policy of the Cape
Fear interest, throw obstacles
in the way of any improvements
in the State, except those pre
dicated on the advancement of
the interest of that section of
'country. These obstacles must
aid the intercourse with Nor
folk I need only to refer to
the map of N. Carolina, to satis
fy you that the products of the
greatest part of the State, will
not be carried to Favetteville,
when facilities are afforded for
i their conveyance to a market
on the eastern sea coast.
I have hastily committed the
above remarks and the few ideas
that the occasion crave rise, to
ii i j
acceptable to the committee,and
I I "111 t
which you will please to submit.
I am, sir, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
John Dcvcreux.
Tarborough, Marched, 1832.
Dear Sir Your respected
favor of the 19th inst. is now
before me, asking information
upon the contemplated Rail
Road from Tarborough to Ha
milton. In reply, I cheerfully respond
first, 1 have shown to the
committee your letter, and have
consulted some other of our ci
tizens on the subject, whose
opinions perfectly coincide with
mine, as to the average quantity
of produce shipped from our
little town, annually. The
amount of course will vary ac
cording to the seasons, but it is
confidently believed the follow
ing schedule will, on actual ex
periment, hold good viz:
4,500 to 5,000 bales Cotton;
6,000 lbs. Lard; 80 to 100,000
lbs. Bacon; 3 to 4,000 lbs. Tal
low; 3 to 4,000 lbs. Beeswax;
from 4 to 5,000 brls. Corn;
4,000 bushels Peas; 2 to 3,000
bushels Wheat; Naval Stores,
from 3 to 5,000 brls.; a small
quantity of Flaxseed, and Staves
and Lumber of all kinds; when
ever a market is open for those
articles, no fair or average cal-
culation can, under present cu
cumstances, be made of the
Vol Fill No. 35.
quality or quantity of those arti
cles; much, of course, will de
pend on the demand, Sec.
The tributary counties, are as
follows: The upper part of
Pitt, nearly all "of Martin, the
lower part of Halifax, Greene,
Wayne, Johnston, Nash, Frank
lin, Warren, Wake, Granville,
and frequently Orange, Caswell,
and Guilford, send produce to
our part of the country; if as
good prices could be obtained
in Tarborough as at Fayctte
ville, this trade would accumu
late. The roads leading from
all the counties above and to
the west of us to Tarborough,
are much better than to Fay
etteville, or Halifax & Weldon,
and the people would greatly
prefer coming to Tarborough.
At present a very inconsider
able part of the produce taken at
Tarboro', comes from the coun
ties above and to the west of us.
It is confidently believed that
the produce from the counties
before named, would principal
ly pass on the rail road to Ham
ilton, should the facilities meet
the expectation of the public,
and Norfolk pay as fair prices
as Petersburg, "much will of
course depend on the prices
paid at Petersburg and the value
of the same articles in Norfolk.
It would certainly seem rea
sonable to expect the Norfolk
market would at all times com
pete with Petersburg," as the
locality of the former is much
more advantageous for com
merce than the latter.
The Committee at Tarbo
rough have every reason to be
lieve the stock vested in tho
road will be profitable, and no
one can doubt for a moment,
that Norfolk will be more bene
fitted by the construction of the
road than any other place. In
deed were I a resident of Nor
folk, I would use every exertion
for the successful accomplish
ment of the object, and more
particularly, the owners of real
estate in your borough should
feel much greater solicitude. I
hope the liberality of your citi
zens will stand conspicuous on
your subscription list.
There are many contempla
ted rail roads now before the
public, and much excitement
pervading all parts of the coun
try; but among all that comes
to my knowledge, there is not
one that seems to me so practi
cable as ours. The country
through which it will pass is by
nature as well or better adapted
to a cheap construction of a
rail road than any in the United
States the distance not ex
ceeding 18 miles, and the in
vestment almost certain to yield
a handsome income. It is im
possible to conjecture what ef
fect this little road will have
upon other great internal im
provements that will no doubt
be connected with this first es
tablished road in our State.
The increased products of our
soil, with a corresponding con
sumption of imported articles,
will, 1 have no doubt, exceed in
a few years, the most extrava
gant estimates that could now
be made by the warmestfriends
to its success. With much and
sincere respect, your most obe
dient serrant,
Spencer D. Cotlen.
Mr. H. B. Gwathmey.Chairrnn
T?;i i?,wi r. . -
of Rail Road Qgnitnitte
Cj
Norlolk, Vn.
V