Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1845-05-05
FOR THE yIRGiStAN.
FoR THE siRGtsiAF.
TIE JAMES RIVER AND KANAWHA M
PRONEMENT.-No.2.

I, il the constant clamor OF those Woonpse the James
River kanawh a Improvement. that il can be- 6.
she aud they msfepreseni the past 10 discourage US
I the future They aIlege that enormous eXpe nd lures
have produced rfng results, and pruphesy Thai The
,me rate the residue OF the work will not be made in
century Yet IN truth this Is but false camor. The
actual rxrcrlencc Is that IN four years the company OPP
,iinp under The most dlscauragng made
a, excellent canal i6 miles in ennih aud was prevent
d only by unavoidable disasters and want II means
,ntm pressing the work Ia tonlplcinn in The four
wars since il arrested. Its hsuyy, 10 the pre-
sent mulneni, abundany proves. that, with such
a. The State could Afford, and the advantages oil the work
,,old Justify, this entire improvement could be flashed
uo,rr us present organization IN a few years. The
amt conn ltee If the last Legislature properly adyerled
/, The '.versale course o Legislation" towards this
,ermza I'll lirs,," says he committee, Ia jonl
stock company; Then 4 State woIk Tor n few years ;
then it lay dormant Tor several years; and finally the
uresent company organized. by ~hase energetic
march amidst difficulties u no ordinary magnitude, and
throughout period Of financial embarrassment and dis
tnss almost without PARALLEL 40 miles of canal have
been eouslruced which II believed will no, suffer by
cnpars,n with similar roveinen,s in any Iar III The
l,nnn" This company was organized ~ 1888. On the
81 day of January leo6, HEY first br he The ground
III $40, he canal Was open aud III use from c,mono
10 Iynchburg. Tie whole work, ii may be said. vas
new; fr The shor section which had heen constructed
enlarged aud improved as To conform 10 the grand
purpose aud design OF the line.
10 accomplish SO much within four years, under any
circumstances was enough to vndcae the capacity III
the company 10 complete The Improvement IN reas"na
BILE period Bal time obstacles ned
ut unusual occurrence. he canal from Ma ldrn's Ad
venture 10 Iynchbnrg commenced in 1856, under
generally 10 he flushed by the Isl July, 1888
Afer con,tndng with the usual difficulties that attend
the beg inning such work, the operations of the very
first interrupted by hnd IN the James Rv.
r. such had L"t been knpnH uithln half a century ;
ana by SINGULAR fatality eilar disaster has r. peat
,Ily a CURED since Besides, it soen found n,p,s
sbie procure the requisite number of laborers even at
hi.b Va-e,. Navy dner public weeks were in progress;
,bur was IN general d, inand, high prices and the
valley Of tie James River believed, at the North
be very unhealthy. IN short. Il fore the end of $40
it was essary send tn luoIe for artisans and labor.
cts And When, IN 1887 this ots,arle had been over
CONE, aud With $500 hands employed, "ihe valley OF
the river" says The Sd annual rrpoft, 'rahbled vas,
scene If activity and animation" then already began
these II ancial rrhaiassnenls Wltrh finally cd
the progress oil HE Wmk H. that year the first requi-
suious (aiioantng to s. e0,u0O) wcre made on the
Stale a s'uct lhl'itr; and III order 10
them. ard Tor "lher purposes, the Board If Pub
he Works advertised inr the loan If ST. 200 600
'ihey un,ained tl0O0U0i aud ths WIS needed for
"dIher PURPOSES" IL the same year, Rrrhunrud and
lYncubur. uhst.e 10 u,rt ,h- feqn>iriuns. w
fine, the npauy driven prruie, tht shape of
hIns and advance irun The Banks. good art ii The
necessary or he expenses OF The Year. the rensI
private Stockholders being very iardy complied
with. At 'he same rime. the work progressing I'M
der contracts and neatly the Whole remaining the
caoal la fall due.
ihenc,'lorwarh me hrarria distress Of tie country
the. state the Stockholders and the cnlnpany continually
me k.ned, Slll, The work was urged forward during
5 ID les0. although the scarcity and high price of
lr,t aud IN tie latter year, sickness and mortality
huL lhe line, Increased the distress. IN $50, the
rnuaay ohg d. as lasi resort. for the maintenance
"i rs credit and Tue pr secnun al the work. 10 issue
uuire loan al 81 100, 600, which was author.
Z IN \laWn. $50. MAS totally unavalna. and only
gave al nraali ,ituns which finally ended
u he onurunaie eialI oi G.n Hamilton. The issue
issi- dis asted The hlie aburers and nas,us
halt the former and than halt the lat.
I h' lhe line. fuT the same rasJn the coniractnrs
rra Aed III Ihrlr rAeriions finish their jbs l. nter
,ese ebarfaSsn money could longer be- raised
The cred ri either the Company HE State. The
Company lherrirr Obliged 10 struggle as best il,
mi hi agalhsi these and MANY other difficulties Sruq-
eI lnn>t nanlully until us capital was exhausted
and hr L. gisutnre. IN Effect rqnnd the cessation Of
its work.
In I,at,n IN the cost Of the canal as far as il has
ptpgrtssrd W. committees ut the Legislature have con
Cured he beei that The wuIk has been executed u
god nrms, If not better, than other similar linz
other Stats, executed nj or about HE in
txecuon;' ard thai There adv ance Of between
90 aud 100 percent IN the prices o common labor
the line OF work between the date Of the estimate
sud the execution" However large, therefore, may
have brcn thr pendiiure Of moey, exceeding prev.
expectation, II has aiistn from the intrinsic difficulty
at this mprove mnrh less does II prove the work
m inirracilcable. j he Unprecedented condition Of
t~nlt'i affairs IN his county. from 1886 up a recent
date, Ill moi be- Niiitsstd again. 1usead of an
Inflated currency and universal demand for labor en-
hanrng tie tAltse oi such W,Iks. labor and pro, s,s
are llk ly 10 be cheap and abundant he circunsan-
ut I' c0tury and the ], Of Trure will
HE eualae de company Mend heir prnvp tu west
anY. at Tar less comparative expense and with
Ease and npid'Y.
has, tdv,fted 10 The h,ory of these npcra ions
"a tht Iarw 81 't deieili,c hrm to show IN
item there ia nothing Discourage but every thing
Encourage The ,rosteutlunf tie work IT is 10 show
that laG Es at the canal have been made, within
If2s'Haple period and at naso'able cast COM derng
ihe circumstance al tie tines ahd the Obstacles
monnlfd. II could eAhil here the prog ess Of smil.r
works IN otter States. the ,arisou Mould lie highly
favorable 10 own.
Hereafter, under more aoepiclous circan ccs this
mobile enierrrze may proceed al lbs parave cost
and II tie abdGtant resources If The cunniun ia m be
applied VA rfompin'ss aud derry, il he completed
wl'hld hive years Until that is done. it must remain
IN good infasute IHpruduciiye. lis benefits at thu
same time. il he partial and limited. We shall be- far
rom The attainment ei tluse great results. the hope Of
Which first prompted the undertaking. Ii consider
therefore the utility Of This improvement. involving the
SoIy as well as the prsr.riiy Of the commonwealth
Iw can We compare the III 'uies of competing il with
Tue ample means and credit Of The State and wonder
's' ahy Vrglnian should propose aoandnn This mag
hllrent work CLINTON
% Mr.. A. Whitney. of New York, in note 10 the
editors of the National Intelgencer announces his