Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1844-04-11

|
The navigation above Lynchburg has ra
er been impaired than improved by the ope
fions OF the James River and Kanawha Co
Pany. We still are compelled, five seEd O
flour down the river, to send it i'm email b,
teaus as far as l-ynchburg, at heavy expen.
aud then to sell it at such price, as purchase
there choose to offer, or to incur heavy 6,
pense in trans-shipping il in the Canal boat
The tolls are still kept up at the Blue Ridg,
and are raised to such an enormous rate OF
the Canal, that our productions are almo,
wholly driven from the market.
Al the last session Of the Assembly, If "
are correctly infonoefl; Abe B3p pore Railroa
Company applied tosour La Ilature to tax
! of the restriction, and suffer them to brins
'he termination of their railroad further Soutl
Than they are now authorized 10 bring il bu
their request was denied, although the same
Legislature refused to do any thing towards
extending the James River Canal, and the
representatives of some of the Counties on
tlie sea coast who have by refusing To permit
the ROAD to come up this Valley secured 10
themselves the monopoly of the Baltimore
market, TO which they are in the habit of send
ing their corn, sought to prevent any aid be-
ing given to the James River and Kanawha
Company by exaggerated estimates of the
cost OF the work. We are credibly informed
too from most reliable source, that even A.
long The margin of that part of the canal all
sct~-5~ completed. some Of those who were
probably once the warmesl advocates of The
improvement, begin to hold such language
as Tins. We have paid high price for our
lands; that price was owing in part 10 their
Vicihity To market, and you get your lands at
a low price owing TO their not being accessi-
n nnI
us TO assist you in opening a channel, by
which you Can bring the products of your
iahu into competition with ours in the mark
els" And this too, after we have been intuc-
ed TO give up the almost certain prospect of
having better market opened to us at no exs
Pehse 10 ourselves, by the assurance that we
should soon be furnished with safe and
cheap navigation to the Richmond market.
Is nigh time for the people of this nor.
"on oil the State TO open their eyes to their
own interest, and TO prepare to assert their
rights. And this is the accepted time to Co
II with effect. There is little reason To doubt
that the application of The Baltimore Comma.
ny 10 take off the restrictions heretofore i'm.
posed upon them. will be renewed at the next
session al the Assembly, and If our ihforma-
non Is correct, flour can be transported at this
very Time from the town of Stanton along the
NC Adamized road, and the Winchester and
Baltimore kal Road, TO the City of Baltimore,
al only hi,y cents per barrel, or only two
cents more than the toll upon barrel OF -four,
from Lynchburg to Richmond. We are also
credibiv informed, that it is now ascertaned
that the carriage of produce on railroads uDon
which there is large amount of travel can
he done cheaper than on canal. for the reaa
son, That the companies being well remunera.
teI Tor their capital invested by the receipts
from passengers, can afford TO carry produce
al cost barely sufficient to pay for keeping
'he'r cars and locomotives in repair. and that
they ma II to their interest TO do So If our
information shall! prove TO be correct, and we
can get our products carried Il, cheaper rate,
20 better market, on the rail road, ought we
not TO demand that the restriction be at once
;as:en oif, and the Baltimore Company permit
ted to extend their rail road and lis branches
through any portion Of this State west of the
Blue Ridge
why should we DE compelled to send our
produce down the canal, and sell it in Rich-
inont, TO those who may buy it and send 1t
round and sell it in Baltimore, at higher
Pr'ce') even Il the canal was completed, in
stead OF sending at less expense on a rail road
10 ba'timore and obtain The highest price our-
selves
But 1t may be asked, will Baltimore be dis.
posed to run a rail road up this Valley even if
the restrictions should be taken of, after hay-
ing carried her present road as far as Cumber-
land ?
we answer 1t is her plain and obvious ir4
terest TO do so, and no people were never
more Keen sighted in discovering their own
interest than the people Of he Monumental
City. they have already reached the great
coal region at The head Of the Potomac, and il
is MOI rational to suppose that they will en-
counter the enormous expense Of passing
through the high mountainous regions be-
tween that and the Ohio, 10 conduct the rail
road to the ncighborhood Of Pittsburg where
lhey must come in competitor with the grea.
Pennsylvania line If Improvements, already
IN successful operation, for the trade of n
par, OF the State of Ohio: when by extending
Their road up this Valley, and sending one
branch down the Kanawha TO Guyando,te,
where 1t would meet steamboat navipa,ion at
all seasons OF the year, it would command The
trade of all the Western States, and by send.
ing another branch TO the point on the Ten.
nessee River, where 1t would meet The Geor.
gia Railroad, that would not only parlicipate
largely In the cotton trade, but furnish the
most direct and best route for the whole trat.
el South to the Eastern cities. BY such an
extension OF her Railroad, Baltimore would
oe aole 10 command more extensive trade
'nan the city of New York, and the travel
alone would probably richly repay her for
all her expenditures. And Judging from the
level route and the deep depressions in our
mountains through which those branches
would have TO pass, il may well he doubted.
u one or both could not I've made for less mons
ey than 1t would cost to extend the branch
ali