The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-01-01
RICHMOND :
FOR 7HE ENQUIRER.
TO THE LEGISLATURE.
LETTER e-oN ROADS.

eltabIhed
With retpea to thofe below Pe,eribury, hall be
ent, becaule their influence in the general fcale can
be important they Will be left the exertons
OF individual enterpriie
From Peteriburg it IS neceilary to elabiih per-
road 20 the North-Carolina line, in that d.
reaion whioh leads tie rouhern parts OF the United
States The town OF Halifax, in North C rolina, is
Glidto be in that direction if TO- it ought to be the
point of arrangement After while the inhabitants
of Petersburg no doubt will promote other roads,
which may be neceGary to the commerce and conve-
nience o. that place
The road in geographical order is that which
leads
From Mincheter to Gcu.to Bridge on the Appa-
lattox thence to Coles Ferry Roanoke, & thence
20 the line of North Carolina.
'The third in geographical order, is tfa, which will
lead
From Ca Ira, on Willis river, to Booker's Ferry on
Roauoke, to Perkn,s Ferry Stanton. Upon this
occahon, the advantage of the navigation of Willis
river is the leading confederation. AT prefen the
produce OF the lands through which great part of
this road will pas is carried to Lynchburg 1; is be-
ieved, that if proper road fhould be efablihed to
Willis river, the expence of tranfpottation would be
lelItncd.
The fourtli road in geographical order, will Lead
From Lynchburg TO Englih's Ferry and thence TO
the Fate of Tennehee towards Knoxville. IT, is be-
ieved, that the road which is now uied. with very
little alteration in its courte, will anfwer and there is
doubt that It might be 70 MUCH Improved, that
team would convey double the burthen which can
be carried. New River, Kanawhs, as it is
afterwards called, may BE- croffcd by bridge and all
she other obhruaiors may be eafily removed. If
tbs road hall be made as gord the ground will
allow, there is doubt that it will draw to Lynch
bnrg a itcalculable quantity of produce which ar
this time viii not bear .he e,pence Of tranfpor.aton
The dtlnce from Lynchburg to EngIH's Ferry,
i. about % or 100 miles, and perhaps it MIGHT he
.-,1F from, b,yfh NJ
may be iudicioufy employed
The 90 l7lunica,ion by land is not the ONLY one
which prefents itfef: New River resin North-Caro-
hna and before reaches this Ferry, Paies through
exteniive country, which is every where valuable
either for its fertility valuable mines-l6o miles
of this diltance may be ufed by boats with as much
Ssfe Tame River uied above the point of the
Fork before it was cleared-So that the valuable
produ &; of m, foil tine bowels Of the EARTH may be
conveyed h to Englihs Ferry aud from
;1ence Nv waggons to Lynchburg.
Let = BE- ,uppoed, that the road could be 70 much
nnrroyed, that could go from OF thele piA-
c.s - the other in four days, and could carry four
ehou(and pounds AS the hire of the team may be Ell
minated zoe per day, the cSpence of transportation
would cot about loC per thouiand, or admit
ting it Glouid be 2oE and it exceed this rate
then Tobacco, when AZ Eugli!h's Ferry, would he
worth 29E per when it was worth 800 at
Lyuchhurg. As more accurate examination into
sh !uhjecf will preent many iiiutrating arguments
the reader LEFT to afcertan the importance of thei.
truths by iuch means will occur TO himfelf.
The next road of great, perhaps greater impor-
rance, is that which leads from Crows Ferry on
James River, to the Horie Shoe, tn. feat of General
Prelon, on New River. This road can be made, not
only very good, but il untcs thefc important rivers
a. the ii lance OF s niles and it is probable that
the diifance will be made till ihorter, by taking all
the advantages which occur, and by,removing fome
obhruttions which avoided by circuits
ne py1s eoffra u{n will he
half OF that Which mutt be paid from Engliih's to
Lyrichburg the additional carriage from En-
eili's TO the HorG- Shoe viii be Gnall-As to that
t hst"ye., t'-o,vs Ferry pendetnn
to i.ynchbury, viii d-peld upon the uture condua of
the lanes River Company Ii is evident that thefe
additional charges viii rot bear any co.nparon with
;Ile difference of waggoning about so miles
The next and lat loutn.rn road which ihal no.
iice, is that which will Lead
From Second Creek Cap, near the Sweet Springs,
10 Kentucky. AS levcrai routes have been recon-
Elead:i, the writer is prepared at prefent
adop, either in preference anofher, he will coie
this part Of the inveLtg ation with The Jingle aurance
tn7t a road to kentucky may be opened from this
quarter, which Will be both fiorter and better than
airy other which has been yet ufed II is laid, that
80 niles nlly be flved bu: even half that diancs
is an object Of too much importance to he neqeaed
Whenever this Commonwealth ihall thew, by her
public creatures. that nch intercourse is deiir-
able there doubt that the -nterpriiing lpr Of
ths XsDtuckians vii! induce them TO perform more
r.Ifonahe lhare IF the vors-:hey are nearly
connected this rate by laws cutons FOCAL inter
coaTie, and 5lood every fucceeing generation will
weaken eie ties: X therefore behoyes us to ttrenrt-
ea tha cement while we have the power.
living completed ;hs general plan which appears
to ne tn de.eryc the fouth fde of James Ri
W., 1 ihall now proceed thew what fecms to be-
pro?.s tire north iiie Of the Fame river.
The mon imno-,ant, and tie frlt in ficceiion Is
,iAt which viii etablih connection from Richmond
To Stanton. Concerning this there levcral plans
Il III conlbst the various arguments which are
cTrscI by the different icherers. It appears 70
fn= that thing, dccrve notice; fra ha: the road
fi,nld caahIi'h the m,R practicable communication
from Rockiih gap branch OF lanes river, which
i, called Hardware. From Rockflh gap to the high
Ell place FIT for lindng Hardware tiver is above
lS miles making sc from Stanton. The fsconi con-
liberation Is promote the content of the people II
che Inhabitants di.: sied in either of thele points
1t IS highly probable al; they will eftabh their com
Tnercal crndcGti51s Win Alexandria by the m cans
Of IN. Shena1doah. It appears therefore that iunicc
well -, in.ere't urges TO adopt fach enablh-
rneHts as MAJ colure theie important ends The
mex; road which deieryes public patronage is tba,
whieh leads by the Der Run Coai- p.ts thence &C
e5rdng = the courc Of the rhfee chort road, Ia
Swift run gap on the Blue Ridge ana from thence
60 the nor:h-weeru plrts Of the tate this road !,
important for political than for commercial con.