Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1845-08-28
1pMehUnrN 1fr1iMiaM.
THURSDAY, AUGUST %, Is45.
JAMES RIVER AND KANAWHA. IMPROVE
MENT.

The Richmond Times has undertaken a systematic
reply 10 the remarks which, we deemed ii our duty 10 sub.
nit 10 the public, in reference To "ihe praciicabiIiiy and
policy Of completing the James River aid Kanawha
improvement upon the plan proposed by lis directory "
As far as il has gone. we feel constrained 10 say, even al
the risk III being d-eined nncaadid, that il has not eve,
approached a demonstration OF the proposiiinn which il
so laboriously eniravurs To eslablish-which ia, that the
James River and Kannwha improvement, would, if com-
rle'ed, attract a greater PORTION OF the trade Of the Ohio
valley than either of lis great rivals.
We were previously aware If the s,ereo,yped argu-
ments upon viii III this opinion is based and there was
a time when they exeried a strong influence upon onr
own Judgment. The Virginia route, for example is ne
shortest, and in point Of climate il has an advantage.
though not so great as is generally claimed. over its RI
walls, and during The dry months Of summer, when the
Upper Ohio is rendered partially unnavigable tr The
large class Of Steamboats, by low water, it might Offer
some inducements 10 The ascending trade of the Ohio
river. But after all. The question arises. ,plich /, the
CHEAPEST rouies And the answer To that oue,.
ton will decide the relative superiority of the rival i'm
povemehts-unless, indeed, il can be shown that ,he
~cheapes, route will be in some important parlicul.r oh.
jec,ionable, or that the luss Of NAir upon il will be more
Than an equivalent for The money saved to the shipper of
produce or merchardrze. So FAR as we have been able
10 ascertain, by a comparison Of the Gus, Of transpnr,a,
l"n from The Ohio 10 The Atlantic cities, on the n. York
and Pennsylvania routes, vim that upon the Canal be-
tween L%ynehburg and Richmond, there is not the IT,
notes, probability that We shall be able 10 compete " Nh
them in tina, particular.
l,may seem strange ha, onr's. being the shor,es, route,
the charges npuh II should be heav Iesl; hui The fac, il easi-
y accounted for. In the fr,i place. the difference Of dis.
lance between the fival lines is comparatively irnlnp; bu,
the most material circumstance, undoubtedly. ia the fact
that the New York and PENNSYLVANIA lines renet rate
mos, fertile aud productive regions, aud are fed by mn.
'ner"us and important tributary Improvements; While the
virginia line. alter passing Boletourt county, will be
%b'unded, On either side, by bleak and barren munn,ain
ranges, and, with the exception of The contemplated road
10 The Tennessee line, (Which. strange to say, has me,
hera'oiore, with bul lltlle favor from the James River
u kana~ ha Company having mo-, a single lateral rib-
uiary Of Importance from Richmond 10 the Kanawha.-
} Inc New York and Pennsylvania lines are chiefly sus
famed by the trade ot The county which, has been brought
into cultivation upon their respective borders, and they
are enabled. by the magnitude of that trade, To reduce
tolls aud Ire light upon the trade erte ior 10 them, To the
very loves, rates The Virginia line, on The other
hand. would have no such internal resource after leay.
my The valley OF james Rlyer-and, indeed, (as We are
prepared 10 show.) after getting beyond Lynchburg;-
consequently, lis chief dependence would be upon the
'rade from The Ohio rver, which must Of Necessity be
subjected 10 nigh lulls, in order 10 meet the charges and
ex NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. as that which is a mere culIate,
raj source OF profit 10 its Northern rivals, would be almos,
its sole reliance for lis means Of existence. Not The d.
versl,y;" tor IN This vital difference consists the secret Of
the ability Of The turmer 10 transport goods and produce
. at less rates, even over longer lines, than the Ialltr.s
The river route To New Orleans, maugre all that may
be said uf the injury sustained by produce. &C., from
:, the humidity of The climate in that city and other caus.
es. will nevertheless, for obvious reasons, always be The
principal outlet Tor the trade ~ the Ohio valley
9 When a barrel Of flour can be carried from Ciscinnali Il
!. New Orleans for 80 cents, and other articles at proper.
tIona'e rates, IL is absolutely preposterods TO suppose
that any considerable amount Of PROD uce will be Sent
imm that region To the Richmond market, at The cast u
about 81 per barrel So long as men merely sprcuIai.
upon 'he revolutions IN trade which may be effected by
the construction of great Improvements, their opinion.
:" are harmless. But when they demand thai, repusing
a blind faith In their visionary calculations and estimates,
Il we shall involve the Stale in the enortpous expenditure.
necessary tor their construction, we shall take the ller.
y, even at the hazard Of being charged with acting un.
der the "innuenre oi local c~onsidcrati ons," to scar them
with some particularly, aud TO expose heir a~bsurdily, il
upon a candid" examination, IL shall appear That til,
wish Is father 10 The %ihought' on The part of those VII,
throw them out for public considerations.
With regard 10 the comparative advantages OF a Rail
Road aud a Canal from L%ynctourg to The Ohio rlver. II
VIII be Tine enough toI rs 10 enter into III. discussion u
1 thai iopIc- when We shall be prepared 10 give our assen,
10 etheF. we are, how ever, not less strongly lncllnet
Y I" me opinion That The iorher Is the prc)era1ie mode u
d improve mem, tlan We were lriore We read the remark.
= OF the Richmond ] INES. Iha, paper, indeed, tells u,
VI me heaVy expense consequent upon The tran s,st,Ip
mems ItId.r'd necessary by a change IN the N. DE q
Improvement. Assuming 500, eco tins as III, amount
oi The Trade upon the James River and kanawha l,n,
(Which We tear is al least five tines as much a. i, "a in
he able 10 Command aud sin allrg tie cosr of tran,
shipment at " per ton, II exclaln,s, here, then, ,re shoyLu
hare n" annual lar rs 900. OOU, ,eh,ch the unter line
wouM aroid e~mtirtiy." We confess, We o,e.ed our eve.
I pretty vide when We came 10 this remark: for We bay.
all along been Of the IMPRESSION hat a rail road from
L!hchDuT2 Ia the Ono rlver would render but one ,rans.
e Shipment necessary - and that that one would be heres.
!. sary whether the canal should br arrested here. II = car.
g rld 10 CovlngIon, II our opinion had been currec,
e THIS million Ut dollars would al once have been sven,
$ on. Dut II appears that the plans OF The Directors of The
James River aud Kanawha Company, (f The Richmond
INES is to he regarded as The rxpopenl OF the views Of
that body, as IN this instance w. have no doub, il is
are as magnificent" as ever they were, even in their
pa'mics' days, and that those gentlemen, uninsrrur,-d
. ny the stern admlnniuns Of The past, are st III nkiup