Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-10-19
TIlOS. NEWTON, Presl.
CHS. /. OSBORNE, Y. =.
ADDRESS TO TIE CITIZENS OF NIli
GINA AND y CAROLINA

At a convention OF Delegates assembled at Dan
Vile tho 9th day of October, 1888, for the pur
pose OF taking into consideration tho objected
Improvement by rail ro,d from Eyansham To
Danyc, and thence to some points in conncc-
ton with the Improvements 10 the Roanoke a.
mone other proceedings the following resolution
was adopted
" Resolved That committee be appointed
to prepare address TO the citizens of Virginia
and North Carolina shelving the prac,cability aud
importance OF the proposed rail road
In pursuance OF the duty dcvolved on them by
the foregoing resolution the undersigned beg leave
to offer to their fellow citizens of Virginia and
North Carolina, lhe following fact, aud consldera
tons.
I'm inspection Of the map Of Virginia AZ con
ncclcd with her southern and south western boun
diary, offers AT the glance To the eye OF the eXami
an immediate and direct communication by the
channel OF tn Roanoke, between the great south
western valley, and our Atlantic border. 4 rich
and expanded area Of the surface of Virginia, cm-
braclng not less than ten thousand square miles,
with population oil one hundred and eighty thou
sand souls, wide extent Of the territories OF Ten
ncsscc and kentucky, and the richest portions of
our sister state of North Carolina, embracing of
her population one hundred and sixty thousand
souls, seem al once connected by the ties of com
mon interest III this common channel OF commerce,
which want Of energy or want OF resources i'll our
people has hitherto left nnimproved. 1t brhoovcs
us now to exhibit 10 our fellow citizens the facts
and calculations by which We ourselves have been
lrrcslstbly drawn 10 the conclusion that the reno
val OF all obstruction to the free enjoyment oil that
channel and u the rich fruits matured by the in
creased activity and energy which such an I'M
provcmcnt must ntuSc into all the operations of
people, is practicable ; is within immcdi-
ate resources, and Is promptly and urgently called
for, by every consideration that can influence men
determined to avail themselves of the great blcs-
sings, which nature has scattered around them,
with "A lavish hand. The experience of few
years, yet ample in that time, the cmncnlly sue
ccssiul experiment, made in Europe on con
tincnt and even in our State, demonstrate the
peroritv Of rail roads over all other Improvements.
Where nalurehas furnished, free of expense, dl-
rect and continuous channel of navgablc water
from the interior to the sclhoard-such improve
mcnts may not be required. But that mode of
communication is denied to us, and accordingly
the convention has determined on an Immediate
survey Of route for rail road from Eyansham,
in the great valley of the south west, to some
points in connection with the several rail road i'm
provcmcnts to the Roanoke. is the contemplated
work practicable :! We assure our fellow citizens
that every means Of obtaining information, short OF
an actual survey 81 Inc hlcClnc route Mss Dccn re-
sorted to- and we arc prepared to assert that it is
not only practicable, bnt in opinion presenting
fewer, obstacles To It's accomplishment than any
known work OF the same extent, on the continent
Of America.
Which ever route may be ultimately selected
between the eastern and western limits Of the
contemplated improvement, the distance can
not far exceed line OF two hundred and ten
miles.
OF that extent one hundred and sixty miles at
least must be in a champaign country, along the
valley of the Roanoke, resembling in its general
features that country IN which the rail roads al
ready completed and in progress, arc located; diff
fcring however, in some important particulars, in
the increased fertility of the soil, and consequent
chcapncss of provisions this route and still more
in the greater abundance, chcapness and accessi-
by of all the materials for the construction of the
work OF the remaining fifty miles, six may be
taken as large estimate for the mountain section,
which has hitherto alarmed the timid and present
ed an obstacle even to inquiry.-Lct approach
it undismaycd and how insignificant does it APP
pear There is person acquainted with the
features of our mountain scenery that has not obser-
we'd how much lower is the general swell of the
mountains, constituting tho boundary between
Franklin and Patrick on the side, and Floyd
and Grayson on the other, than along tho same
range, northwardly