Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-11-26
fW NC ENYHHU'
TIE JAMES RIVER AND kANAWIIA
IMPROVEMENT

IMPROVEMENT.
This yrca; work involving such vas; interests.
intended lo convey the rich agricultural ami MI
neral products Of The West, hitherto shut up by
the granite barriers Of the Blue Ridge and the
Al!eghanc> 10 The tide waters oil the lower James
River, there 10 lie exchanged Tor articles OF 10
reign production, now rendered nccessares OF lie,
seems almost 10 have been forgotten, even rs
those the most interested, SO entirely absorbed
have they heen in the phrenzy OF party politics.
Is not this strange. that people proud and al
rogaEt as FiTginians generally are, claiming ior
their Stale the sacred title oil "MoIher Of Presi-
denis the sold Dominion, ''lhe First amonsstthe
Many should so neglect the development, OF those
elements ol her physical greatness upon which she
must depend 10 sustain her claim OF present or iu-
lure pre-eminence And why is this Is there
no longer field for Stale advancement are her
resources exhausted? is she crcumscrbed in ter
ritorv and is this 50 Tricky peopled that there
no room for more? is her climate uncongcnial
her soil poor and unproduclive? are her minerals
used up 4? has she extended her roads, railroads.
canals and other lines of Improvements, SO as 10
afford proper facilities 10 and iiom her great int
rior, until no more are required have her cit-
zens pressed upon the General Government the
Justice Of improving her rivers and harbors, as
has been done in other States are these things
so? No. no! The resources OF the State Of
Virginia are second 10 but one other Stale in the
Union; they are incxhaus,ibic. She has an en-
pire Of territory, and room enough tur twenty
times her present population. Her climate is The
happy medium between the frozen North. and the
hot, ievcrish South Her soil is rich and divers
fed, producing the most valuable articles, either
for home consumption or for exporalion-hrr
minerals are more valuable Ia her citizens than il
they were gold and slver-in.ced, but few, very
few, know the extent and value Of her resources.
That she is deficient in internal Improvements, no
one can deny; and why this should I've when tie
examples of other States are before her is truly
astonishing.
In fine, every element OF physical greatness has
been vouch>afed 10 this good old State, and all
that is required To place her side by side with the
foremost, in the onward progress ot human
knowledge and human happiness, is, that her
favourcd sons should he less prodga of their care
and exer!ions for the whole Union, and more al
tentive 10 Hc STATE itself; in plain Yankee phrase
take care Of Your arm business first, others after
wards II they will do lhis-esabSh sound and
wholesome laws,-look 10 4 better system Of cdr-
cation, through which all may come up 10 the
fountain without distinction, and but few years
would clapse ere Virginia would regain her for
mer rank amongst the States Of this great and
glorious Republic.
But find am taking too wide latitude for
'S'''S
10 the point
| have stated at the commencement, that the
James River and Kanawha improvement seems
10 be neglected and have given as general
reason for This neglect, the absorption in Federal
politics. There is yet another cause which APP
plies to this work, especially and powerfully,
viz: It's vast expense beyond any estimated cost,
as lar as il is fnished-the great sum required
to finish entire, and the almost hopelessness of
In lsl0-ll, think, Chief Justice Marshall,
Gen. BRECKENRIDGE Messr, Caru,hers, Lev.
burn and others, examined this James River and
Kanawha conne3ion and estimated the cost OF
lock and dam at S5,000000, and that this sum
was about right, experience elsewhere shows
concusively. This improvement, by canal has
cost between Richmond and Lynchburg. (about
one third Of the whole Way S5,006,453 90, or
S34,l50 per mile, (sec page 2Gl, Sth annual re-
port of the company when Judge Wright esii-
mated its cost at $4,000 IN $4,000 per mile
[see page 216, Sth annual report OF I he company
the dimensions 10 be as follows: so feet wide on
top by ) feet deep, the locks 10 be made OF ma
sonry, IS feet long by IA! feet wide, with aque-
ducts and culverls of stone Now there are out
of 50 locks but II OF masonry, nor is the canal
on an average more than 3. feet deep by 40 feet
wide on top. Had the work been completed as
estimated for. and as il must be ere ii can meet
the expectation oil the people, as will show d.
rectly. it would have cost not less than S50,0
per mile.
say it must be 5 feet deep by so feet wide, be-
cause, as il now is, boats cannot carry more than
SO tons-tha is the extent taking The year around
Il will take, on an average, 20 days 10 make
trip from Richmond 10 Covington, and back 10
Richmond To do this, there is the wear and
tear of the boat, captain and three hands, and
four horses-the expense OF which, and fair
prof, 10 the owners of boat and horses, will not
be less than !, dollars per ton The toll s now
about SIS per ton between Richmond and Lynch
burg between Lynchburg and Covinston, the
work is 10 cos, not less than 1000 per mile, il
a continuous canal the distance being about l04
miles, the whole cost will be OF this section So
100000 exceeding the amount between Rich
mond and Lvnchburs somewhat, SO that ii is safe
10 say, the toll from Lynchburg 10 Covington will
be at least s5-in ALL then, $40 10 which add
the freight 10 be paid, and the cost upon each ton