Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1831-03-17
RAIL ROADS AND WATER CoMMoN'-
CATION.

NIL Improyemeui. at least for another year
may not he unproiaL to turn our attention
until the period OF their next session sha" ar
rive 10 the investigation of the best moae o.
,mnroyemenl--,o enquire whether land or wa
,e, communication be preferable, on the score
ofeconomy in construction, duration anu WV
~. This enquiry will be more imperative
tina bill Just reported to the Legislature 'fom
,he committee of Roads and Internal NaYiga-
ton. and which will be found among the Le-
xi.lati, e proceedings 10 this day paper sho"i'
become Inv. That bill directs an eyamina-
,;on during the ensuing year, of James River.
from Richmond 10 Coying ton, with we" 10
ascertain tie cost, LIST, ola Canal from NAL
den's Adventure to Lynchbnre 2dly. Of I'M
proying the river between the same points hy
locks and dams; 3diy, OF a Rail Road IRON
Richmond to Lynchburg and 4'hly, oil taIl
Road from Lynchburg 60 Covington. 1t also
directs the examination OF the coun ry bet" cen
James and New Rivers, for the pugose Of as
c4rtaiping the best route Tor Canal or Rall
Road between those points. And surely, the
usople Of the large section Of country which is
60 vitality interested in the Improvement Of
James River, vii! not permit the niggardly
mud suicidal policy Of the Legislature TO lllI
them into fatal and ruinons apathy, pariicu-
jarly when they see the spirit which il abroad
IN other sections of the country, and tho Efforts
.hat are making to snatch from their grasp
,he advantages which INatnre has heretofore
offered to them in vain. Our Staunton neigh
b,r,. j, appears not only contemplate a Rail.
way from that place TO Harper's Ferry, hu,
seek also for its extension wes,wardly 10 the
Kenawha or Ohio II we are not on the alert,
therefore, we may expect the Western trade,
which belongs to us to be snatched away by our
more enterprising neig hbors, while we sit u de-
hbprating in cold debate
We have been favored with the following
extract from letter. written by a scientific
gentleman oil South Carolina TO his friend in
Lynchburg, whose occasional communications
10 the Richmond Enquirer, under the signature
of" A Political Economis,' for twelve years
past, on the great subject of Internal Improve
ment. have been so favorabiy received by tho
subject, however. will not permit us TO express
any opinion as to the correctness OF his views.
W. Law them before our readers, for their con.
sdoration
MAscuE.rEn, IS. c. February 1891.
up,Lans- will recoiIect how long nv
name has been connected with the Rail Road
s,stem and how thoroughly made myself
tho subiect Of laughter Tor my ardor and zeal
mn the occasion. Fortunately ] have soIsiv-
ed IN. ridicule, and lived TO see the plan OF
communication proposed generally adopted,
Soon after raversed Frs from the mouth
or the lanes TO its source, and thence To the
summit of the Allegheny, was convinced o.
,he imporlance Of her whole territory 10 the
commerce. of The Unred States | addressed,
in 1915 under the signature Of A Pohtledi T.
con0,aist several Essays 10 the k,chmond I'm
ourer-and | think, IN 1920, rec"mmendtu
U.d Roads The accessible nature Oh Western
commerce, ria Lynchburg, 10 the COAST 'ore'-
b,y struck me. More recently, have kept ap
the war as the columns of the Enquirer Will
show but the Engineer OF the Board OF PnoiIc
Works aud its members, seem disrosed 10
bl;nk the subject OF the Rad Road from Lynch
bnrg &c. &c 20 Ri,hnuud and depend on the
nayIgation Al the same Instant is Baltimore
ioac6os the Potomac with he hah hoad,
and the Shenandoah Can1l is'h Tue course OF
proection She is looking WIS an norm
Vast. And Richmond is TO spend ) ,oU9 ,Ut' !
ON a scheme that may fail III water, while her |
Board Of Works is At the same instant declar-
ing that for $4,000 per mile she can lay down
a RAILWAY, Now, dividing this ! ,5OO,000 BY
5000. we shall find that le9 mlis Of Rail
Road could be made. Dividing this mo two
oars. each 81, tnd supposing there are go
miles Tor two 6ilhs) taken up by the public,
we shall find that 400 miles could DO made
And in what space of time In about hall
the period Qwo and half years. that, accord
;ug TO Gov. tioyd's calculation, It would take
90 complete his water work. Compete, oId
saw No--to fnlsht according TO the plan
ofmru (Engiaeeys, | meen,) tha have uniform
" failed, and will continue to tail, IN lh'ir
projects. And, under tins conviction the PEG
ple of Lynchburg are 0 VoH with pa'ienc'
Unit, another experiment 10 tried. Should 1t
fail. ths trade OF Tennessee VIII pass TO b 1T
more, and Richmond, &c. will sink into insight
q ance. On the other hand, let Hall Road
be projected TO LynGhburg, and thence across
tina mountains, to Eas, tennessee. the whole
Of the country Interested in It's CONSTRUCTION
and soon would the co'toos OF Alabama Ind
their way To the James. Should The SINGLE
Road prove one of a doubie kind necessary.
thsn il might be laid
"But the insolence OF office is evident in
the tota, silence oil the Board Of Public Works
90 the subject Of absorbing the loose capital
(eudered 80 by the cure oil the Banking Ma
niarof North Carolina. Ii is curious TO see
how s,udiously even the name of the State IS
avoided, especially when we recoliect the
dangers Of her coast, aud the TACT that cotton
can be taken for II cents per bale from the
Pee Dee to the Roanoke. and that, by Running
the road from L,meberton. through Hairless
vile, Darlington aud Barnweil, IN ,. Carolina,
aud thence across the fiat Of country OF GeoI-
ga and Alabama, tho commerce OF Mobile
might be brought to the James and there ship
ped. at an expense Infinitely less than al pre-
sent. The political aud moral Importance OF
such step is wholly overlooked.
"Ihis hydrophotia should eesse-person'
are as mad for water works as The canine race