Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1844-01-04
sCoTrSvLLE ROAD-vALLEY TRADE

.SCOTrSVILLE ROAD-YALLEY TRADE.
The following excellent article on the sub
jcct Of the improvement of the Scot,sviIle
road, we find in the Richmond Enquirer, from
an Augusta correspondent:
MessTs. Editors If am not infringing upon
the privilege OF correspondents, who have a bet
ter right 10 the use Of your columns or whose
communications arc more acceptable to yoUf- rea-
ders, with your permission, l will endsavor,
through your paper, once more to call the atten-
ion OF those who are Interested, to the great and
Immediate necessity for Matchmaking the road
from this place to Scottsvile. or all parts Of
the country interested, know Of none more so,
than the City OF Richmond-,ho fact is, unless
this road be made, she will, In the course of two
or three years, lose considerable portion of the
trade of Rockbridge and Bath, and all the trade
which she now gets fom Augusta, Rockinobam
Pocahon.as, Pendeton, and Randolph. The in
ducement' held out at Winchesier, and by the
valley Road Company to those having produce
Tor sale, are such as will, doubtless, i'm "a short
while, take all the above mentioned trade down
the Valley via Winchester 10 Baltimore
Estimating the flour from, all those countless
which would annually cross the mountain at
Rockhsh Gap, and take the Canal at Scot,sville,
al l2oooo barrels, the loss in tolls by this change
oil trade, which must, under present circumstan.
ces, soon take place, to the James River Canal,
on The article oil Hour alone, estimating the toll at
welve'and-a-hali cents per barrel, would be SIS
900; at fifteen cents per barrel, $lS,759 at TWEEN
ty cents per barrel, $4,000; and a. twenty-five
cents per barrel, which, Ibelieve, is the present
| rate Of toll from Scoltsvie to Richmond the loss
would amount to So $50 per annum.
| To say that Si25,O00 barrels Of flour would
h, annually be carried across the mountain at Rock
1 fish Cap to Scotisville. was there a good Me-
Adamized road from here to that place, is, think,
n mn cal,
many other articles of produce from this region
OF country, together nth the up freights, would,
suppose, IN one year. yield tolls almost suffi-
Client TO make the road
The carriage on flour, from here to Scousville,
is seveniy-live cents per barrel--this sun on
10000 barrels, would amount to 1913, $50. But
let good McAdamized road be made, and the
cost OF transportation barrel of -four from
here TO Scotsvillc, would not be more that TWEEN
ty-hYe cents, which shows yearly difference in
favor of McAdamized road Of S62, 500, or,
suppose, II might be considered as that much an
nually saved. AUGUSTA.
Saunton, December IL, 1913.
mo toll is charged on produce wagons between thi.
place and Harrisonburg.
In connection with the views above present
, ed, we would remark that the wagoning upon
the Valley Turnpike from this county is in
creaslhg, anu must continue to increase unless
something be done for the substantial improve.
, ment OF the Scolisville road. One of the larry.
est mllers Ill this neighborhood stated, few
days ago, that three out of every five wagon.
that now receive their loads at his mill arc
destined for Winchester. Flour brings there
generally, within 80 to 35 cents of the Rich
: mond price, while Plaster and Groceries, i
: is said, can be had lower than at Scottsville
o These Inducements. added to the fine road
~ he al Il fol
o seasons of the year, and the fact that no toll
: are required OH produce wagons this side o
llarrIsonburg, must therefore, fast settle ou
! trade IN that direction, unless something bt
done 10 counteract them. And why SHOULD
they not Six horses can scarcely haul fiji
, teen barrels OF Flour during The winter season
: ,1he'' The Farmer may boo. spare his ssre an.
lhoor from his farm, through the mud t,
= ocottsville, while on the Valley roal from
a twenty 10 twenty-five barrels can DE takel
: with four horses, and the trip will REQUIRE bu
e two days more 10 accomplish it, In the ON
1 case, too, the WAGNER is almost shaved Il
y death; while in the other, he gets along will
e ease and comfort. The truth is, that III os
who have made the experiment Of trip down
The Valley, so far as we learn, are delight
= ed with II, and quite an enthusiasm ha
: been gotten up in some neighborhoods on tn
u subject. This, we know. will hot be yer,
: agreeable intelligence to our Scottsvle am
: Richmond trends-nevertheless they ough, +,
hear Ii, and if they willing, in their supine
, ness, 10 suffer the rich trade of our Valley Il
leave them-why, then be it so for they vii
e show that they do not deserve it.
, We are the advocates of the Scot.svile i'm
provement, we coniess-buti it is from no sec
llonal feeling or prejudice. We prefer it, be
he tn hn boct oil
the true and permanent interests Of the Far
mers of Augusta. The line of wagon trans
portalion, always the most costly, is shorte
D by half 10 the James river canal than il is !.
D Winchester; and if that road were equal,
Improved the cost Of transportation woulC
doubtless be reduced in the same proportion
We do not think that our farmers car o
, ought 10 bear charge Of fourth or fifth O
0 the value OF their produce to get it to marke
G and this, we conceive, must ever be the cas-
r by the Valley route. The lowest charge 70
l hauling barre! of Flour from Stanton {,
! Winchester is so cents-add TO this say 30 O
. 30 cents, which is as near an approach to TIT
. Baltimore price as the Winchester merchan
can III good fail, and fairness make. and thu
cost oil marketing, in that direction, is 50 TO s:
cents. AT the present moment, this is un
D quesiionabv the best market our Farmer
have; for the ordinary charge Of wagoning O
yer TIE oCotTsvTIie road is rs cents barrel
add to this the enormous toll on the canal @
9 20 cents barrel, and the same sum for lreicb
f and other charges, and the whole cost will no
r TALL short oil Sl:25-making present differ
encc of 40 to 45 cents in favour of the Vale,
route, estimating the increase of load as euua
TO the difference in time. But, suppose tn
ScottsvlIe road were M'Adamized, the wa
I,.u