Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1844-11-28


lature has been put in circulation by III,
friends of this improvement for signatures
To The General assembly of Tirginia:
The petition Of the undersigned citizens o.
the County Of
respectfully represents-That the Imperfect
character of the Siaunion and james Rive,
Turnpike Road, aud the nature of the soil
over which the greater part oil II passc :, ron
der 1t altogether inadequate to the wants OF
the people whose interest it was inten ed to
serve. II is dirt road, and in The winter
season, when Farmers can most conveniently
spare their wagons and teams, To carry their
produce 10 market, is generally impossible
even for horses or unloaded wagons. This
road is the main outlet to the james River
Canal, from Augusta, large portion OF Rock
ingham, Rockbridge, Albemarle and Nelson ;
and with The aid OF the Parkersburg Road, is
daily becoming more important TO the coun-
ties of Bath, Pocahontas and Pendle!on. In
the present depressed prices Of produce il is
Of vital consequence to diminish the cost of
lis transportation to market. IL the Road
were McAdamizeG, after the manner OF the
Valley Road, 80 or 40 barrels of flour could
be hauled over it al a load in the Winter,
with more ease ant, expedition than Is or 20
barrels are now taken at the best and dryesl
season OF the year, thus ehecling saving Of
more thar half the cost of transportation,
Flour is now carried over the Valley Turn
pike from Staunlon to Winchester, a dis
lance of 81 miles, at SO cents per barrel,
while the cost Of its carriage 10 Scosylle,
less than half the distance, is never less than
70 cents per barrel. Over McAdamized
road to Scoitsyllle, produce would be carried
al the same cost per mile as to Winchester,
and therefore, over the improved road could
be carried TO Scollsville for 25 cents at mos,
thus saving TO the Valley farmers SO cents OH
every barrel of Flour marke,ed-to say moth
ing Of their saving on the vast amount of o.
Their tonnage carried over the road, of the
cheapening oil the price of plaster, salt, Sc,
and OF the bringing into market Of new ar,i-
cles of produce, which will not now pay the
COST of transportation. With such an i,u-
prove,nen, the Valley Road, instead of oper-
allng, as it now does, drain to the great
James River Canal, would be made tributary
to it for at least thirty miles OF its distance,
and it would no longer cost the farmer OF the
upper Valley more; as it now does, TO carry
his nro,luca J3O niieS IN RicbmonL ,bo MAO
Iropolls OF or own Stale, than 10 carry ii 2l0
miles TO Baltimore. From $4,000 10 100000
barrels of flour pass yearly over the road
The saving then OF SO cents or even % cents per
barrel in the carriage, would in Il lew years
pay Tor the construction OF the road, wilhou
the saving ON other products. The value oil
such work as tributary 10 the James River
Canal is incaiculable. The tolls it would car
ry to that Canal, which without the proposed
Improvement 1t can never get, would alone
JUSTLY and demand the work-tne effect oil
which will be to bind together in one interest
the Eastern and Western sections Of the STATE,
Instead OF driving the West 10 a foreign market
Your petitioners, therefore, respectfully urge
your honorable body TO increase the capital
stock OF said road, SO as 10 enable the Com
pauy TO make a good winter road by McAda-
mzlng, and OH such equitable principles as
may operate justice to both the old and new
stockholders. For further information oil the
importance and pracucability OF the proposed
improvement, they refer to memorial pre-
pared by a committee of convention OF
the friends Of this measure held in Richmond
last Oclober-to The accompanying report Of
Engineer E. NJ. TAYLOR, ESQ, and to the pc
ttions presented 10 your honorable body al
the last session, and the action of your COM
mttee of Roads thereon. And as in duty
bound they will ever pray, sc.