Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-01-08
To The rEopLE OF VIRGINIA.

What communications there present between the
Mississippi Valley and the Atlantic seSbosrd, and what
elect would they be likely upon proposed
There nj present three such sons. They
are the route through Pennsy,snia taking the Ohio at
Pi''sburg-a ,soRsrel route OF Railroad and cana-the
through New York by the Erie Canal aud the pas
down the Mississippi its tributaries to New Or.
| leans.
L. IL must be evident every well informed mind that
the PENNSYLVANIA route cannot take off but very small
portion o the surplus produce OF the Mississippi REGION
aud that will not present any competition TO the
contemplated route through Virginia By far the greater
portion Of the produce of that region East the Mssis
sppi viii be found floating the OF the Ohio
The Virginia will that the mouth of
the hsnawha at Pr Pleasant 400 miles below Pirsburg
where the Pennsylvania route intcrsects it. Produce,
therefore, seeking the Atlantic seaboard from any oiaf
!on r. Pleasant may be safely predicted would take
the Virginia route IN preference To stemming the strong
current Of the Ohio 200 miles Ptsburg Produce seek
ing the seaboard from any point nridtcav bsrsen Pr
Pleasant and Pnfs6urg also be safely predicted
would be hoacd down the Ohio TO the Virginia
preference TO struggling the strong currcn that
Ner up TO Piisbug, 10 reach the Pennsylvania route IL
to be observed moreover that the navigation OF the Ohio
becomes greatly more difficult above TT Pleasant The
shoals above that point become numerous and at
many seasons ot the year they impossible that the
Ohio rs often nsviRabe the mouth OF Ksnawha when
Is not 50 TO Fitsburg Nor should forgotten that
dnu"g the winter season, the Pennsylvania canals
the most part frozen up while the Virginia route would be
open at all times ahd seasons. Even now. while WRITE
those canals are locked IN ice. whereas ii the Vigin,
route were completed tue busy Steam Eogne might
be drawing hundreds Of the Atlantic seaboafd In
addition 10 all these tons the
OF the Va Improvement would give decided advantage
over the Pennsy lVana line, presenting as IL does here
canal, aud there railroad. The number Of ranshpmens
on that line. will greatly diminish attraction for trade
= Ire Enc Canal cannot reasonably be expected to
draw of considerable portion OF the produce of tn.
great central REGION we are considering except that in
immediate vicinity Ut the Lakes. Ii Is that Dor
ton OF toe produce the vicinity the OHIO RIVER nigh,
be drawn oil BY this route, the case through the
OHIO central canal which connects the Ohio river At pr,
| "a I.Vk EFt.u Loo
formed man will fear the competition of the Erie canal a,
any point the Ohio with the Richmond and Charleston
railroad What competition would a route circuitous as
mat through New ofk oifer 10 direct and rapid
that through Virginia. What competition will route
which, besides being longer by 400 miles subjects
To three different ranshpmenis, offer u route subecng
only TO oRe' Produce seeking reach New York from
the Ohio river through the Erie canal must first be ship
ped upon the Portsmouth and Ceaycand canal and ira
verse the whole State OF Ohio Lake Ere there IL m,
be rcshPped and the Like more than a HUNDRED
miles To Dlilo; there again reshpped and t-a
verse the State OF New York from West East 10 the
Hudson, and thence must descend that river to York
| city.
Nor should be forgotten that one of the disadvantages
stated against the Pennsy route applies with even
greater force to that through New York. Of course
the disadvantage arising from the fact that during the
winter season, the Canal is impossible.
Ii only remains for consider the route BY the Mis-
ssspp TO New Orleans; and this without doubt,
likely 10 offer serious competition than either of the two
Indeed has been supposed by some, be doubtful
whether Railroad thfongh Virginia would be able TO
command any considerable amount of freight from beyond
the Ohio owing the very low cost OF transportation
dO'oa the Oho and Mississippi. 1t has been said for ex
ample that barrel oi hJur can be carried Cincinnati
To New Orcans iJ - cents while freight on that flour
from Charleston 10 Richmond. would not he ess than
S2U exclusive OF the cost OF trans OriuIn om Cincin-
matt 10 Charleston, which may be stated 10 cens;
tc total cost rom Cincinnati 10 Richmond y 81 Bot
does UioDw these facts, that -four would be Skinned
from Cincinnati New Orleans in preference TO Rich
mondl By very important consideration is
lost sight OF by those who suppose that would IL Is rhat
iTiee WIN the Hour command in the two markets. He
who will take the trouble examine prices current OF
those two markets will find that our will command in the
Richmond market from 50 S2,0O per barrel more
an IN that of New Orleans. Assume the average differ
so, deduct the greater cost of transp at,n
SllO and we shall nave clear advance in the Richmond
market Of 10 cents the price New Orleans Would
tue Ohio farmer flour dealer hesitate this case as TO
the market he should selects
But whatever this argument E,ay ppssess a. i, 10
sPects the transportation Of produce down the Mississippi
" certainly loses much OF that force when applied the
transportation OF merchandise up that river For for.
ner Is easy, the latter propoonaby difficult II one is
cheap the other is certainly much less 30.
Whatever competition therefore, the Ohio and Mssis-
spP MYERS may TO the contemplated Virginia Rail
road rs respects the transportation of produce TO the
board she Is left without rival TO the trans
PoItaon OF merchandise from the seaboard TO tho Interior
Thus It has been shown that although that vast region
OF county known by the Of Mississippi Valley
has already several outlets for its surplus produce none
those outlets would present serious competition to the
road proposed established through Virginia That
rad would penetrate into the very Of ta region
and into It's most fertile portion. 1t would afford direct
already existing are ccuous and sIohfu. snge glance
the will be sufficient show that the route through
Virginia from the great central region the seaboard is at
once the SHORTEST the most dect and the natural
Is the route clearly pointed BY the finger Providence
Ascending the OhIO--a short distance beyond the point
where that rver dvergng from Its direction turns
abruptly 10 the north, the traveller will bro bosom
OF rver extending TO the East, with valley remarkable
Tor the eSenness Of lis surface and seeming him
To resume the coure from which he has just been diverted
BY the direction Of the Ohio. Ii is the Great Kanawba-
the riycr Of the Woods extending the interior of V
gina tJr an hundred miles through a valley whose mean
width il about OF mile aud scarcely level than the
surface OF it, waters Her seems To addresst
self 10 the eastward bound aud say him rayeer this
i way Nor is its language less significant 10 trade
than is travel Such the concurrent testimony of oil
competent Judges not less than the language Of nature
And 1t Is surprisingly strange that while lines Of commu
ncaton between the seaboard and great central re-
have been constructed and others in
by routes far less desirable the which Is universally
admitted to be the best, has been hitherto neglected
II however. the contemplated through Virginia.
equal in point Of advantages to those already
sting ustead Of being decidedly superior we should have
fear that road constructed BY that route
would receive abundant employment We cannot fail
TO be convinced OF this II consider the fact that three
different lines Of communication adequate even 4,
the demands Of singa portion Of the great Cen
tral region have been considering mean that nor
ton OF It dra ned by the Lakes Between that r, gon
and the se5board there at present, the following ncp
Of communication: that by the Enc Canal down the |
Hudson 10 New YOr-ihat by the same canal 10 Albany
and thence by the Great Western Railway 10 Boston
and that by the line of Railroads from Buffalo to Albany
AMI thence either to New York Boston Yet these !
communications not deemed sufficient. oontinu Ius
B1way from point the Hudson near the city of New
York through the Southern tier Of counties 10 Dunkirk
on Lake Ere also in progress and expected without
doubt TO be profitable work. So IL the amount Of
trade and travel between the soaboard and that portion of
the great central region. And will be questioned that
i' portion If TINT region drained 10y the Ono will furnish
az large an amount Of trade sod travel that drained by
the LaScs' Lcf tbn bono in mind, that that region is
az present very pfrsy populated ard in many paris not
populated al all Let u also be born IN mind that tho
northern Uf IaLga ID.
lts communication With the selbJard Is the River St
Lawrence And let II not be forgotten that no inc ,rsi
derabie amount Of produce from the Southern shore n
snugg'cd into Canada, IN I,audem kgis Asgier frH
Rsafario, ani that equally large amount Of English MGR
chandsc is snuggcd into that portion Ut the Union in
Jrgua-H lsgS dmsTica7o The ST. Lawrence il
will be hence seen, competitor for the trade
Of The Lake region And II we may be permitted TO offset
that riyor again- the Mississippi may be- said tina, tbe