THE LIBRARY OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF 
 
 NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 THE COLLECTION OF 
 NORTH CAROLINIANA 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 Department of Archives 
 and History 
 
OFFICIAL ENDORSEMENT. 
 i — 
 
 [LETTER FROM THE GOVERNOR.] 
 
 Executive Office, 
 Raleigh, N. C, April 23rd, 1884. 
 
 I have looked through the statement of President Gray, 
 the appendix by Prof. Kerr, and the intervening pages of a 
 pamphlet entitled " Descriptive Gazette of the Cape Fear 
 and Yadkin Valley Railway," Wilmington and Northwestern 
 North Carolina. 
 
 Until the Spring of 1883, the State of North Carolina 
 was the chief owner of the Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley 
 Railroad, at which time I and my associates, by authority 
 of the General Assembly, transferred the State's interest in 
 the road to Robert W. Donnell and K. M. Murchison, of 
 New York, A. Y. Stokes of Richmond, Jno. D. Williams 
 and E. J. Lilly of Fayetteville, J. Turner Morehead of 
 Leaksville, Robert T. Gray of Raleigh, W. A. Lash of 
 Walnut Cove, W. A Moore of Mount Airy, Eugene More- 
 head of Durham, D. W. C. Benbovv and Julius A. Gray of 
 Greensboro. The purchasers are all known to me person- 
 ally, except Robert W. Donnell, of New York, and I know 
 him well by reputation, and I do not hesitate to say they 
 are all men of the very highest character. It will not be 
 easy to find the same number of men engaged in one enter- 
 prise who are their equals, in all things entitling them to 
 the respect and confidence of capitalists and the public gen- 
 erally. 
 
 I became Governor of the State in February, 1879, an ^ 
 have since that time been discharging the duties of that 
 office. I have made the resources of the State, and the 
 best means of developing them, my great study, and I think 
 it will be admitted I have some familiarity with these sub- 
 jects. There were two great railroad enterprises under con- 
 
trol of the State when I came into office, both of which 
 were in a very unsatisfactory condition, until the State sold 
 her interest in them. I refer to the Western North Caro- 
 lina Railroad and the Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Rail- 
 road. The progress made in extending these roads was 
 slow, because the means at the command of the State was 
 small, and as a consequence, the sections of the State de- 
 pendent upon these roads for growth and development 
 suffered. 
 
 Believing railroads to be the great developers of the re- 
 sources of a country, I welcomed the opportunity to place 
 these properties in the hands of individuals of energy and 
 means. Since the sale of these roads by the State, the work 
 of extending them has been rapid, and the development and 
 growth of the country along their line wonderful, and the 
 policy of selling them fully justified. 
 
 I have interlarded this statement with these general re- 
 marks, and what may seem to some irrelevant narrative, that 
 those who read it may know something of my opportunities 
 for information as to the matters specially concerning the 
 Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley system This system contem- 
 plates a continuous and independent line of railway from the 
 southeastern to the northwestern sections of the State. I 
 have been into every county along this contemplated line, 
 and I know the people, the country and its resources. 
 
 The people are law abiding, industrious and thrifty ; the 
 country is rich in resources and has great capabilities for 
 development and wealth. 
 
 The counties of the northwestern part of the State, which 
 will be opened up and developed by the Yadkin Valley 
 branch of this system, are especially fertile. In fact, I do 
 not know a finer section of country in this or any other 
 State. 
 
 While I have not had time to verify every statement in 
 the pamphlet, I believe the important facts, figures and 
 statements are taken from official sources and are correct. 
 

 I do not think the picture of the country through which 
 the road passes, and its resources and possibilities, as set 
 out in this pamphlet, are overdrawn. 
 
 THOS. J. JARVIS, 
 Governor of North Carolina. 
 
 [LETTER FROM THE STATE TREASURER.] 
 
 Treasury Department, 
 Raleigh, N. C, April 24th, 1884. 
 
 I have carefully read the " Descriptive Gazette of the 
 Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railway," and from personal 
 knowledge of the subjects therein treated, unhesitatingly en- 
 dorse the same as a plain and correct statement of the facts. 
 The officers and directors of the company are personally 
 known to me to be honest and upright gentlemen, and every 
 statement made by them can be implicitly relied upon. It 
 affords me pleasure to officially sanction any movement that 
 tends to benefit the State, when I know that it is candidly 
 
 and truthfully made. 
 
 J. M. WORTH. 
 
 State Treasurer. 
 
 [LETTER FROM THE STATE AUDITOR.] 
 
 Auditor's Department, 
 
 Raleigh, April 25th, 1884. 
 
 The compilation of statistics of wealth, acreage and tax 
 values as presented in the Descriptive Gazette of the C. F. 
 & Y. V. R'y, were taken from the files in this office, and are 
 correct as officially furnished from the several counties along 
 the line of the Railway; and all statements of fact based on 
 official data in this Department can at any time be verified 
 at this office. 
 
 C. E. CROSS, 
 Chief Clerk to Auditor of State. 
 
 L 
 
 ^ $7060 /f>H 
 
[LETTER FROM THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRI- 
 CULTURE.] 
 
 Department of Agriculture, 
 Raleigh, April 25th, 1884. 
 
 I have read the " Descriptive Gazette of the Cape Fear 
 and Yadkin Valley Railway " with much interest. The 
 description of the country traversed by this line, as also of 
 its resources, is true and just. Indeed, I know of no rail- 
 way of equal length where the natural wealth of the country 
 is so great. Its great resources will be evident upon a mere 
 enumeration of what is found along its course. At its east- 
 ern terminus is a large area of country underlaid with phos- 
 phate rock of a high grade ; along the middle part are ex- 
 tensive beds of coal and iron, and similar beds of coal and 
 iron, together with limestone, at its present western termi- 
 nus. All the cereals are grown along this line of railway, 
 from the rice of the Cape Fear to the wheat of the middle 
 section. Along the western half of it much of our finest 
 fruit and of our best tobacco is produced. Lastly, though 
 this list is far from embracing all that gives value, and even 
 exceptional value, to the region of country here spoken of, 
 the finest timbers abound there from the long-leaf pine to 
 the walnut, hickory, maple, and other hard woods used in 
 the arts. 
 
 The broadest basis of agricultural and manufacturing 
 prosperity exists along this line. Now that this Railway is 
 completed it needs no prescience to foretell that the coun- 
 try through which it passes must soon become the seat of 
 busy industries. Its direct communication with ocean steam- 
 ships is a crowning advantage. 
 
 Respectfully, 
 
 M. McGEHEE. 
 Coin'r of ' Agriatltitre. 
 
UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 
 
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