Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-04-12

49, ,Io ,,nrcdment would meet will. bu, little favor
from any side OF TIE House.
SPEECH OF Mr. cox, Of BRA1roS " LEWIS,
nj,eJ IN oppsslion 10 Hanging tic ioration 81 me
s.aaa;an and Parkersjarg Road.
NJ Sneaker. II is well known 10 this House, that
am not IN the habit Of making long or ifeqner! speech
80 q, the nrrsfnt occasion, must beg the indul-
re,cn of The I,use for few moments S'r, The deep
n,.rss, tba. nv constituents feel, together with the
immense loss that must be sustained ny Inc common
wealth # thus change IS made, ioro'ds li,a' sn'',u
hold nv peace the present occasion Anu sHou'"
fail on the present occa-ion 10 declare 10 t"s iiou'
tho o,inions that entertain opposition 10 Inc pro
ed chance Of The location of the Stanton ana faf
tersburg Turnpike Road, should feel that had not
nerio,med my duty TO my constituents W! e"u"'S
md my God Under ihese considerations, MI SPEAK
-, osk the attention of the House, WINE shaii' W
as hriefa manner as possible 'ay neo'e ms iouse Wy
hnnbe opinion on this subject. 1t must be recoeceo
h,, this road is entire state improvement, maze en-
u.Iy al the expense of the Commonwealth; ana, 'here
fore II should conceive, be put on e nearest anu
most practicable route, IN order mat me common
eal,b NAV realise the greater profits from Inc Tolls
sn, ,herefrom: inasniuch II is TO he toll road
And presume Mr. Speaker, that this House is not
gnoran, of the fact that the Principal Engineer has
been upon tins route, and that he has MADE rs he
thinks the best selection for this road; ana, ask, VINO
IS better qualified 10 Judge IN this mater: Are men,
rbo meyer saw the country through which tins road
,ss.s better prepared decide this matter Who
s prepared 10 say that they are: MIR. Speaker, am
wei, acquainted with The whole route from Staunon TO
Petersburg aud do solemnly give 1t as my OPT
mon ii at there could not be better route iuund than
that nov located Sir the bill you hold II your hand
proposes change the present location ot tins road
from the mouth Of X files down The valley rlser
hy The way Of Beverly, the county seat oil handoiPh
county, leaving the present localion nearly III rlsh
ANGLES distance of something above eleven miles
and from thence intersecting the present location
| nj nd m
This alteration, a portion of the citizens of Ran.
dolph county propose to pay 10 the Board CT fuo
lie Works the sum of 1900 dollars to indemni
fy the Commonwealth, for the additional expense
that she will necessarily have TO incur, provided
this alteration is made Sir, will tins be sum
sufficient 10 defray the additional expense that viii
thereby be incurred; No, Sir, it must fall very
far short of an adequate amount to meetthe additional
expense that must be incurred, If this alteration should
be adopted Sir, in order 10 come to correct concu
sion il, will be necessary TO make estimate OF the
probable additional expense that mus! necessarily oc-
cur And in order TO approximate, as near as can TO
correct estimate must beg leave 10 have recourse TO
The report of the Principal Engineer TO the Board OF
Public Works, the location and construction OF this
road which port ask leave 10 read for the satIsiac
ton of the House. Here MIR. Cox read the report
making some comments thereon
Mr.. Speaker, from the report just read, we ascer-
tain several important facts first that considerable
portion of this road peted, and that II has been
made on very moderate Terms also, WHAT HdS uecH
finished has met his entire satisfaction We also
certain that there is portion between the Tygerts
Valley River and Weston; that he IS not altogether sa
tsed with the location made last Summer because, he
says straight distance of % miles and "a chains IS
increased by the location, 80 miles and ID chains; but
feels quite confident that the distance be shortened
by re-survry, some or miles, this alteration made,
and the distance from Weston TO The mouth OF R,f.
.les Run on the Tygert's Valley River, will be some
a mics Near the mouth of this run, this proposed
alteration is 10 commence, leave the present location.
ascertain the distance from this point to the Town Of
Beverly is about II miles, and from thence 10 the town
of Weston, 49, miles by the State road. graded al
degrees Now, Sir, 1t is obvious TO every member
this floor that when the Turnpike road is located on
this route al degrees, the length must be greatly
increased But, for argument sake, we will suppose
the distance be the very same, and have the dis
lance from Rifles run, by the way OF Beverly 10
Weston 5Ji miles from which subtract A miles, the
distance the present location, and we find differ
encc of III miles Sir, what is the amount OF add
lona expense, according 10 the estimate OF the En-
gincer al 5000 per mile Why, Sir it makes $7,i3O
Well, Sir, in descending the Tyger,s Valley River TO
,ae Town OF Beverly, the size of this river is greatly
ENLARGED always the case IN mountainous coun'
try like this, where numerous tributary streams empty
mo the main leading stream; and, OF course there
must be great increase IN the expense bridging this
stream at Beverly and above that necessary at Rt-
he's Run, where the Principal Engineer makes the
es Innate $500. He also estimates the bridge on
Buchanan at $500. Now, ST. believe that the bridge
at Beverly viii cost just about the amount that
the Buchanan bridge will. am well acquainted with
both rivers and must say, that believe The cost Of
these bridges will be bout the same as that across
Buchanan river. Then, here we have an additional
expense of 5000, add this to the $3.50, and we
have the enormous sam of Sl3 630 add 10 thus sum
81 600 for the additional expense in relocating the pro-
posed alteration, and have Sl4 $50 And :his IS
not ALL Sir The bridge across the middle fork OF ly
CERT Valley must cost at least 900 dollars more here
than where the present location crosses. 1his adred
and the additional Expense increased TO IG630 dollars
And st further, ii must be borne in mInd that this
road, passing as 1t does principally through noun
famous country, in which mountains the best OF mate
rails are found to turnpike road, being COM
posed principally of stone and gravel, when COM
peted will very nearly compare with McAdamlzed
road; but such materials will not be found 10 compose
that portion Of TIN, road from Rifles Run 10 the town
of Beverly, inasmuch it Will pass down low valley
all the way, and OF course must become very muddy
road during great portion OF The time-say SIX months
in the year-aud unless should be capped with stone,
must be impossible for wagons considerable portion
Of the season, the cost of which | would not know
how To estlm,te but very clearly that add
tional cost Of $1,000 must be incurred Subtract
from thus amount The 200 dollars proposed TO be paid
by the county of Randolph, and the Commonwealth
must lose ~ $50 dollars. This additional distance OF
eleven and bali miles must always be KEEP, in repair
by the State which will cost at least 80 dollars per
mile per annum. This in 10 years would amount to
300 dollars. Also there is completed some or 5
miles of this turnpike beyond the point where this al
teaton If made, must necessarily leave, and OF course
must be thrown out; say two miles a; GEO dollars per
mile, making another Item Of 2i0 dollars. This add
ed TO the GO dollars, and have the enormous
of 5000 dollars that the State must lose if hs
alteration made. And who, ask, is able 10 estimate
the immense loss TO the public in having always 10 ira
vel and pay toll on the increased dstance besides the
increase that must necessarily be added all trans
portation:
Mr.. Speaker, will put it to this House TO say,
if they will this alteration for the purpose
Of accommodating any peculiar section; Will they,
for the accommodation of one small village, make this
vast sacrifice TO the Commonwealth: think not. |
do not wish TO be understood 10 be prejndced against
Beverly; the contrary feel perfectly friendly TO
that town and lis inhabitants, and would not njure
them the slightest degree but / conceive that for
tune has placed them out Of the line of this road, yet
cannot consent to make this alteration, when know
tina; the public 10 suffer such inca!cuabe loss That
NY friend from Rando ph should be favor of this al