Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1845-09-15
EASTERN fE2IiN Us OF THE SOUTH.
WESTERN ROAD.

v.oti,,n ia out last paper with few remarks upun
the reasoning ascrlbed J. n Johnston. Of Buchanan
in favor Of that village the terminus ot the pro-
pased Spuilw Road. we proceed now 10 do SUI
premisnp however, that We do intend 10 go into the
question al any length.
( Whatever might be The advantages. real or imagina-
~ presented by Buchanan as the terminus oil the rad
should the James River Canal be extended 10 that place
NJ one presume. will contend that It viii be The
proper point should the progre Of The canal be arrested
hee-hat is 10 say, if thuse who prefer buchanan as
the terminus intend thai the Southwestern Road shall
be feeder the canal. But is that their ojeci! Have
they Interior scheme on foUI Is II mol thelr de-
sign hereafter 10 connect, by Macada n'zed road,
buchanan with Saunon, from which latter place To
Baltimore there already continuous line oil Alacada
nized and Rail Road for the purpose Of diyeltng the
Southwestern trade and travel from Richmond In the
Monumental city! And Is not that the secret oi The
support which The Southwestern improvement has gene
rally received IN The Legislature from the members re-
preserving counties between the James and Potomac ri
yers, whenever Buchanan has been designated as the
terminus, and Of their opposition to the measure when
ever any other point has been indicated! II this be the
act the selection Of the terminus of The road ques-
ton OF much gayer Importance Than II can be regarded
when considered merely in reference 10 lis bearing
upon the local interests of competing towns. The
trade of the Southwest have always regarded
as essential 10 the prosperity Of the canal itself And
any plan, consequently which, either now hereafter,
might have tendency divert any considerable portion
of ii from that line, would be. in opinion, hos lie
the true interests Of 1.-The State at large" which Mr.
johnston in his boosted exemption from local feeling,
and his expansive patrio,ism to have taken
Uua rdI al tle co.
ton The great Improvements olVirgina designed
primarily, know, they ought he, for the bene-
fit Of the agricultural interest The frs, great Object to
be secured is make road TO arket for the pro-
duce of the soil Blu. there are other objects, which, II
OF Inferior Importance, entitled the gravest colsid,
eraonn the adjustment Of the details of a system OF i'm
provemen Those objects the promotion of the CON-
mercial prosperity of the commonwealth. by building up
marts Of trade within her limits Instead of renders
ing them auxiliary 10 the prosperity of towns a, d cities
IN other States, and far practicable 50 connecting
the different lines of improvement make them mu,
inally beneficial To each uller instead Of mutually lps-
lruclive lu selecting the terminus If the South
western Road therefore, the interests of ,he Stale
large" II seems to require that it should be placed
beyond the reach Of Baltimore rivalry aud the trade
secured to the James River canal and 10 the civ of
Richmond.
The greater distance Of Lynchburg than Of Buchanan
from Salem the point of divergence, of the STR no
est grounds OF preference for Buchanan dwell upon by
Nr. Johnston. Buchanan is 90 miles from Salem, and
Lynchburg 60; and Mr. } argued that by the selection
of the former, So per would be saved in the cast OF
transportation and that the trip would be shortened three
days. This argument to be regarded .irresis
tlbe by the Editors Of the Abingdon Virginian Bat is
it not, in truth, as himsy cobweb? Let suppose
Wagon arrived Salem. laden with western produce
on It's way 10 an eastern markeand let kea Use sup
pose. that arms of the road extended already both IL
Buchanan and 10 Lynchburg. and that even The cana
Is completed to the former place. How would the ques.
ton Of distance then present itself? Lynchburg is &C
miles from Salem. and Buchanan 90. That wonld Ger
lonly be decisive favor Of going Buchanan if the
produce was TO stop theref that the consuming
market instead o being mere point of transssh ipment
from The wagon to the bat. But the latter being the
fact, ii is apparent that $50 far distance is concerned
the WAGNER will save about 20 miles by making Lynch
burg his point OF deslinaiIonit being only 90 miles
by the road, from Salem 10 Lynclburg. (where all Or
nearly all of his produce 90, either for consumption
or on It's passage t. more distant market, and about 81
miles by The way Of Buchanan and the canal! Now.
there must be great inducements either in the reduced
cost OF transportation, or IN CELEBRITY OF movement to
compensate for this augmented, instead of diminished
distance to the ultimate market Is il probable that eth,
er would be realizedl We imagine not A wagon will
7 travel nearly as rapidly canal boat-Iaking into
consideration Me additional distance Of 90 miles by the
circuitous route via Buchanan, and the delay of trans
shipment at that place, think we may safely venture
to say, that so far from shortening The trip three days,
wagon starting from Salem 10 lynchburq The same
u moment with one starting from Salem 10 Buchanan,
would deposit its load here at least day ssooner
than the canal boat. And as 10 the cost of Trans.
portaton-we have hesitation in saving tina,
II The difference upon the tw, routes would be scarce
! ~ percepllbe-and would be as likely to be low
er on the read than the canal as To be higher
much more likely, indeed, if the tolls on the canal be-
tween this place and Buchanan shall be 50 high as to paw
The annual charges upon the of construction main.
tenance and repairs We say nothing of The induce
mens offered to Western farmers and merchants tn mo-
coed al once 10 Lynchburg before they incur the expense
and trouble OF a trans shipment, and which Buchanan
were all the advantages which the junction Of the canal
aud The road at that place great as the
OF sorne people lead them to suppose but which will
De discovered 10 be OF far less Consequence than they
supposed to be should the improvements ever take that
: direction They are SO obvious that the dulest mind
cannot a'l to see and appreciate them. 1t is not be
sides, our purpose now 10 enter general discussion
= OF the SUBJECT which indeed we consider unnecessary
we should not have made even these remarks if the