The Charlotte Democrat

On the Great Highway.
We think the building of the Air Line Railroad has placed Charlotte on the line of Road connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, to be called the Southern Pacific Railroad. As well as Charlotte of course all the Towns along the line of new Road from Atlanta this way will be benefitted by making this route the great highway between the two oceans—the shortest between San Francisco and New York.
Our attention has been directed to the matter by the Richmond Enquirer, which alludes to the report of the Directors of the Southern Pacific Road as follows:
"The report of the directors of this road, presented at the annual meeting of stockholders, recently held in Philadelphia, states that nearly four hundred miles of the road has been graded, and the bridging so far advanced as not to retard the laying of the iron. The greater portion of the ties needed have been distributed along the line, and the rails and fastenings for three hundred miles have been purchased, and are being delivered at New Orleans, Galveston, St. Louis and other points, to be forwarded as rapidly as required for construction.
The report continues:
"The data obtained from the surveys for the entire line across the continent show some remarkable features. Among them: that the summits to be crossed are about 3 per cent less than the summits on the existing Pacific roads; that the grades and curvatures will be about 62 per cent less; that the climate through which the road is located is so favorable for its maintenance and operation that no train need ever be delayed from snow or the other obstructions now sources of expense and delay on the more northern route; that an abundance of excellent coal for fuel is accessible at a number of points along the road: that the entire rail transportation between the waters of the Pacific and New Orleans will be less than 1800 miles and with accessible ports in Texas less than 1500 miles, thus forming a route across the continent for international transportation a great deal shorter than now exists, or, perhaps, can ever exist by any other line.
When we take in connection with all this the fact you will have from the Pacific at San Diego a line to New York 400 miles shorter than the existing line from San Francisco to New York, and that upon the completion of connections to San Francisco, which will certainly be made before our line is finished, you will have a route between that city and New York quite as short as the existing road, and that on this route will be situated the cities of Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, (Charlotte,) Atlanta, Montgomery, Vicksburg, with short connections to New Orleans, Galveston, Savannah and Charleston, while on other connecting routes will be Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Louisville, Indianapolis, Cairo, Little Rock, Kansas City, and the intervening country, with its immense population and products, you can at once perceive that your line should undoubtedly command a fair share of the transportation across the continent.'"