Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-07-25
Monday. July al, 1896.
THE RAIL ROAD.

ting the construction Of a Rail Road from ri
mond to the Tennessee line The maopi,,I.
NJ ortance of the theme itself, as we'll as the ~,
mate acquaintance OF the writer with the subiec,
will enlist the attention of the public And 49,,
would respectfully invite the Richmond c,;,o.,
particularly Of the Wing and Compiler. vbo,'
views will be controvcrtel by the wrcr,) to 70,
publish these numbers, to the end that the peo,.
Of that city may have an opportunity of iuIo;,,,
tor themselves, after more thorough invcstog-
ton Of the subject than We imagine they have
yet given to it, whether their interests do no, -
qure renqu,hmen, ofthe Ridge route. or =,
least its postponement until such time as Road
commencing at this place, shall have penetrated
one or two hundred miles wcstwardly. We o,d
also extend this invitation to the editors west of y,
particularly at Wythe court house and at Abnv.
DON who seem (parculdrly the lattcr) TO bo,.
imbibcd some OF the Richmond ncpspoper prein.
diccs against the james River and kanawha Com.
panv, and likewise to the Staunt n and Charlo,,e,-
vile papers, both Of which will probably find i,
them, before they close, matter interesting 10 te;
readers.
We have already, we think, shown that the con.
s,rucon of Rail Road between this place and
Richmond will be useless and profirlcss proiec,
until we have additional facilities Of communica.
ton opened to the Yves, and it would Stem To
follow from this fact, which has not been thus far
questioned 10y the friends of the Ridge route. that
the Western road shoad be at once opened
BY the time of It's progress 50 miles into the interior
even ifit be made under the most favorable aus,;.
ceS, the Canal will be in operation from this place
TO Richmond, allording, until the casternmos link
OF the Road can be constructed, all necessary "a
cililics for the transportation of such produce and
for the accommodation Of such travellers as micht.
in It's incomplete state, be brought hIcr on tie
road. Ii, at period, Judged most proper, not by
the James River Company Itself, but BY public o.
pnon, that Company should fail to construct tin
eastern link Of the Rail Road, we would then taAs
from it the privilege, and confer it upon an indie
pendent Company.
But, care told that the objection Of the friend,
OF the Ridge Route is not confined exclusively 10
the anticipated delay in the construction of the link
between Richmond and Lynchburg, but that one
of their leading motives in opposing the River
route is the apprehension that the road NAV be
tapped by rival line, from Fredericksburg to
ScottSville, which would divert the South western
trade and travel from the Metropolis. We con
Tess that we have no very serious apprehension Of
this sort. But, if the fear expressed be well found
ed, do not the Ridgcroutc advocates perceive that
they would themselves cndanger the Western trade
and travel by stopping the Canal at LynchLurg,
which Is substantive part of their propositions
thereby bringing the Rail Road, west of us, with
in reach of the enterprise and capital of Baltimore
Could not the Baltimoreans tap the railroad
which is proposed Il substitute fot the Canal
at Buchanan, easily the people OF Frederick.-
burg can nerScct it at Scottsville With road
completed to Winchester, and with charter to
extend it to Staunton, how long would it take tho
Baltimoreans to reach Buchanan And it from
that point produce could push directly ON to BALI
more, on Rail Road, think You that it would
come hher, with the knowledge that on its arrival
at this place, it would be compelled to undergo
the Inconvenience, delay and expense of change
IN the mode of transportation, from Rail. Road cars
to Canal l,oats The idea is prcposteIous And 1
Canal should not progress beyond this place, We
have, upon more thorough investigation of the /
subject been forced to the conclusion that the IN
tertsts Of Lynchbug aiOne, to say nothing of tho
deeper stake which the people West of us have in
this subject, would not be promoted, but, on tho |
contrary, materially impaired, by the stoppage OF
the Canal this point. And 1--we need not add, tha,n
this view of the question: the interests of the Rich
mond people are identified with ours. If, indeed,
we had any guarantee that the Valley road would
never reach Buchanan, then indeed we might be
glad to see the Canal stop at Lynchburg, for then
we should derive all tho vantages of exten-
sIve ns-shipment ofproducc. But it were idle
to hope that produce and goods, having the advan-
tage of an unbroken Rail Road communication on
one route, should leave that, for another, in which
it would encounter the difficulties and the add
tional cost of trans-shpment, as would be the case
the Canal were to be stopped here, and EaI
Road be substituted for it to Buchanan, to be here
after tapped, as it would speedily be, by the Bali''
moreans.
1t seems to us, though we express the opinion
with the dlfidence becoming our limited acquaf
ance with the subject, that the interests both Of
Richmond and Lynchbnrg are identified in the VI
gorous prosecution of Rail Road to the Sour
West now, commencing at this place; leaving 'n0
castcrnmost link to be made at such time and on