Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-12-07

committee DO not doubt ustesd of saving NJ ssl 30
per ton, or ever and sti!i leave an nron from
tolls more tn an sufficient TO pay ior the wol. In. r
tueiug an annual saving to the country lrJin, down
James River, OF more than $500 0oO in the coz, trans
r'ation alone.
Upon the shjec, Of The es'iina,ed cost Of this i'm
provement, your committee will remark that SO much
accuracy has been attained, by .kilfu engineers thro
out The United States, that your COMMITTEES are no,
aware that there is 10 progress any work of na.
portanee 'ha, exceeds lie estimated cost aud that
amongst Others Lynchbu-g has recently i'm her wa,er
nncuit character, L within the original estimate
four committee car see n, why the improve
inent OF the James River alone should bid defiance 10
'he calculations OF science, talent, ami experience.
your committee have thus far confined ,selvss
70 statements founded upon existing and clearly
aheu arts; and having thus 40 the humly conceive,
proven that there be doubt of the prorrety Of
Undertaking this work, with reference TO the pre-
trade OF he river slone your CO ni,,eo viii nn.y nd
vert TO some other Views, which though 10 some de.
gree less certain in their characer seem TO your com
ee 80 reasonable, ths' they omgh, at least TO h.
sd-teS as adding much force aud weight to those 81
ready presented.
Doe OF the fest of these that pres.ns Itself, i, the
.hie OF speed SAFETY and certainly OF arrival upon the
trade This need only be mentioned to force itself up
on The mind Of every Upon an Improved ma viga-
Ton, the time necessary for the voyage from Lynch.
berg 20 Richmond could not exceed two, or, nj most,
three days. The merchant the miller or tia farmer,
would always be able place hi produce merchan
dze iE market 90 as 10 avail sudden demands
o. avoid an anti paed fall OF price,. How this
oe done In the present state OF The galon easily
De anewered, by reference the quantity OF tobacco
h ""V warehouses;, and Hour in mills that has been
laying on hsnd Tor weeks aud months, b. OF the
imposhiltty OF chipping, excep, at cost amounting in
many instances TO more than ne-fcurh the value of
he arucl@. Upon no articles the effects of this
state oil things more felt thaa on wheat and 6aur /,
has been before remarked wheat ALWAYS brougk
70 market OF that season of The year when the river is
usaiy AZ lie lowest state. The concurrence H. tbst
1, IL AWAY worth In Lyuchhurg 25 or 30 cents isss
Inan Tue ltirhmosd price. At this IL worth
IT, 9 20 % cents mere and in Riehmond 80 to % cts.
me- dih=rence is TO be- ascribed in p,t cos, Of
transportation; bet mainly I, its uncertainty. The
richmond miller has the product Of his wheat in mar
ae the moment IL is converted into four ready 10 avail
himself oil the existing dsmaud. The Lynchburg mill
Ter, alter he has converted his into flour has to hold j.
ior Weeke or perhaps months, subject all the Ructua
IONS OF market proverbiaily unsteady--and almost
uniformly declining as the season sdvsncss and tb.
N"r'hcrn crop is brought to market Upon an improv.
ell nhvirati,n, The bushpl OF WHEAT converted int, our
a. a. Lynehbu!g, would BE- delivered Richmond n
three days, necessary TO meet demand and at
cost not exceeding 9 10 10 cents.
The capacity OF the upper James River co,,nfrv ~
produce wheat equal in quail y o any in Virginia can
not be doubted; and il enable our rners 10 Mace
their flour in market esrly az tat of RicbmonJ II
may oe safely lett 10 their industry, skill and enter
prise 10 establish for it reputa ion equal TO eny in th
worlds and to their lbsray aud the competition iba,
would De produced by the increased quantity grown In
vnuIe 20 me growers price only much less than
'ha paid In Richmond would cover the cos, of trans
por'auon The effec, of this woulJ be- to divert p,r
"c OF me labor OF this section of the country from The
culhv ZION OF tobacco, thst OF grain IL would he
aicuit 10 estimate the advantage Of this change The
farmer, who grows crop OF 1000 bu.h.a of TO-
market may easily calculate the difference in his in
come between 1925 TO $3.50, the present price and
Seoo 10 $3.50, the amount i, would hen prodsco Blu,
me ensct that would be produced upon tie genera
property and Happiness o! the conury cannot b. cal
euiated' Some inadequate idea may he formed Of il
10y moe VINO have had an opportunity Of comparing
me weil-cultivaed and highly improved farms. t. al
ana thriving Stoke and the plentiful living of the grain
grower, with the wonout plantations and starved cat.
Tie OF the to- acco planter.
10 addition 10 the increased Trade anil ,o,rr0 =
Lynchburg, and James River towns generally proDuc
Gu 10y .'e increased profits OF labor throughout the
couniry now trading to them and The consc1nent in
crease OF production, your committee cannot hut anti.
cp@te very great increase from Other and more die
.h' quarters-"hen this Improvement il comrIei.d
A eAa;nna ION OF the map will show that the James
klVer offers the most convenient approat h. bv nsviso
bic water from the Atlantic sea-board 10 the ,vhoI
sGuInwe't part OF Virginia, East Tennessee, aud the
northwest part oil North Carolina. The msrchandjz.
intended Tor ths consumption of those Counties hss n
livery recently, been conveyed by wagons from Pbila
I'P"S ana D.Iumofe' posing within thirty miles of
hpnchbnrg' The decided advantages of the present
diheult dAngerous, and uncertain navigation from
Richmond to i-ynchhurs ha already made the latter
the place ofdepos for much of this trade The .,Lse
tuition OF an imprcy ID, safe, certain rsvga,on f
the present One,-paficuary ifit shnuId be fo.,osJ
up by opening good roads to To-. Southwest ,yorId
most certainly cause the whole OF his trade to seek
ths route, adding 20 our imports amount ha' cannot
ne e.'lna,eI and % our exports the whole OF he POO
ductions OF that extensive and fertile country
Nor is this all. When The road now in con..r,l,
ion TO epsn communication with the KaDswha Trro
nike shall be completed, Lynchbutg or some o.Ln-
po'n Oh the upper part OF James river must become he
pace o. defosit Tor the whole ofthe fertile country Iy
ing in that direction, a, least far west IS The ma
wha; does il appear 10 your committee upreasouabl
10 anticipate that The time may not be distani when
considegsble portion of the trade of the Ohio NAV oa.s
along The James river. A. present. mos, Of the ,rv
goods intended for the country tie Ohio from en-
lucky upward are conveyed by wagons from, Philsds
phia 10 PiisbuTg, from Baltimore 10 wheeling snI
thence down the Ohio their place Of destination
The facts that the navigation OF the upper part of the
Ohio Is closed during every winter by ice and almost
AZ eisctuaiy destroyed during the summer bv dougt
While our navigation will be seldom Interrupted bv th
'otmsr and never by the latter cause and that The
cos OF transportation from Iyncbburg 10 The FALL of
Ksnawha, or even to tie mouth Of Guyaodo t. by land
would not exceed IL it equalled, that from Phade 'phia
10 P,tisburE, or rom B1liimoTe 10 Whseiingand hat
goods Nigh, be placed in Lynchburg from PhiladeI.
phis or New York in six, most seven days and
from Bsl'imofe ia rive, cost much III any Y
csedng that from Pitt burg Wheeling, the mouth
Of Guyandoue, seem TO your committee 10 warrant the
expectation that they will prefer hi, route. To es
tmaie the value placed upon this trade 10y those brs,
acquainted with it, IL only nece.saiy advert TO the
fact that Baltimore is expeudng countless ,niifions
on railroad. 20 secure H.
Auoher effect of the introduction Of stea
the James river, would, in The opinion of his ror
mittee, be the development Of the Inc shaus,b.
Of mineral wealth now lying useless and comparstive
y yalueess, in the mountains the upses psr OF IN
rverUpou this subject IL l. only nscesss,v for vonr
committee TO remark, That large portion of the Unit.
ed 5 ates and even OF own State depends on the
Iron Of Europe and the Lime Of The Northern Sf,es
for their supply OF bose indispensable articles while we
have Ia tie very heart OF country, and almost In
our immediate neighbourhood, quantity Of each su.
heient Tor the supply OF the world, and Of quality o.
quail TO any known TO EXIT The reduction of the cast
OF transportation cousequent upon steamboat navigation
and iudicous tariff OF tolls James river wooiJ on
/ Il IL