Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1847-09-08
TO The citizens Of Richmond and tho Stockhold.
efS Of the Louisa Railroad


Iproceed now to redeem the pledge piven in nv
first number, that would present some of the rea-
sons why the Louisa Railroad should be extenda,
by the Charlottesville route to Rockfish
i. by taking that direction, every mile Of tl,s
extension will add Immediately to the productive.
ness OF the whole line OF the improvement The,
end of the road, as the sections are from t;ro ~,
time completed, and brought into use, will be read
liy approached by good roads, and the trade and
travel VIII at once seek the Railroad and In, pub
tic convenience will be greatly promoted by it.
Nhenlt reaches Charlottesville strong pducemen,
will at once be held ont to travellers to taLe ,b.,
rohte. NOW the road from Gordonsville TO Cha,
io,'esVle Is the terror OF all waylaring men, and
large number of travellers are induced To oo from,
Staunton to Winchester, rather than encou5ter th,
perils and vexaons the road to Gordonsyille -
charlottesville Will at once be focus into which
all the stage-lnes will converge and il will .sl,
be depot for considerable amount of the trade
which now seeks its outlets through the Valley
turnpike and the Shenandoah river. The people
OF Richmond have but little idea of the amount of
Hour that now goes from Augusta to WjDcbester
and the District of Columbia Including Alexondr;s
some Judlclous men estimate it at one third of the
whole disposable surplus of the county The
quantity which goes Northward varies with tho
condition of the road to Scosville and the tide in
the Shenandoah river. When we have mild
wet winter, the road to Scotsville is almost IN,
N nuN
river Is good. In such seasons the QUANTITY of fo,r
which passes down the Valley is greatly increased
When the winter is cold and dry the trade ,akes.
the other direction. 1t is thus seen that Richmond
cannot always command the trade of Auousta -
Inc last winter furnished astriking evidence of the
TACT. The Writer of this article has BOUGHT his
years supply of groceries. in Richmond earlr in
January, and not been able to get them to the Blne
Ridge for six weeks. During all this time. there
was daily communication with Winchester
Z. When the road reaches Rockfish Gap. that
point becomes the centre towards which all the
trade and travel of large district of country will
tend-Augusta, Roekbridge, Rockingham. Bath.
fendleton, Pocahontas and Randolph, will all con-
tribute then qaOtas TO swell the tonnage and auu
ment the travel the whole nad0tbe Va,lev
road, the Parkersburg road, the Lexington road.
and all the score of county roads, will be thronoed
with loaded wagons, all vending their way to the,
terminus of the Railroad, and some three or four
daily stages will be required to accommodate the
impatient travellers On this route you will not
be dependent on the determination off the I.ensla-
ture to tunnel the moumainat Stateexpense. The
company will not have been guilty of the folly Of
stalking Its prosperity on the hazard of such an i'm
probable cast OF the die! Whether the mountain
is ever tunneled or not, the investment in the ex
tension of the road will be good one
d. w hen the times comes for tunneIing the
mountain, too, every one acquainted with the rela
III
concede that the latter can be approached and pene
trated at much smaller cost than the former. And
when the mountain is passed, there is no LARGE river
10 Cross, and no such mountain as the Massanuuen,
to encounter, II to avoid. The road opans into the.
great valley at point accessible from all quarters
ana there Is fne table-land reaching to the head
waters OF a small creek near Tinkhno Sprino
Church, and thence the road can pass down the
waters OF that creek to Christians creek. and
thence by an easy grade over route which has
been surveyed to Staunton, and thence by the line
ihdicaedn McNel's report to Covington and thence
westward by the w. Sulphur or the Sweet Springs.
as may be deemed most expedient These routes
are OF ascertaned Practcability. There is no sky
scrapng or speculation about them--there is mo bnt
ting up against impossible mountains in search of
non existing gaps and valleys which can only be-
found IN the latest editions of Gov Smiths peoqra
phy! When we take this route, we know what
we are about; for the practical tests-the chain
and the compass-have been applied, and have de-
monstrated its feasibility.
q. by taking this line, You observe the happv
medium between the Baltimore road on the one
hand, aud the James river on tho other. You do
not strike at winchester, nor do you alarm the
Tears oil the canal; and you are not i'm immediate
competition with the Shenandoah COMPANY You
reach back into the interior of the State, and slim
uiate new Productions--bring new lands into cul-
uVatlon-deyelop new mineral, agricultural and
'""'"',iihS itoouIceS f0u fulhi the office OK
creator OF new sources of wealth. instead of bainr
content to drain those which already exist. With
SUCH road extending thro' the centre of Augusta.
sne can, IN i've years, double her present quantity
OF Hour Tor market, and quadruple her production
OF ron The travel to the Virginia Springs, too
WIZ Oe increased In the proportion Of the Square of
the increased length Of the road. All lower Viz
gima VIII congregate at Richmond, preparatory to
PrecIpItatlng itself On the mineral springs region
The facilities ofgetting into the mountains will be
SO much increased, and the expense and fatigue
and length Of time required for the trip, so much
that all the world can 90 to the Springs
as they do at the North Thousands of people
VINO now pine at nome, amid the malaria and chills
and fevers OF the iow-lands, will HE to the noun
tains in quest of health and pleasure. The neonIo
Of different sections of the State will no ,byoiyn
more together-prejudces will be removed-kind
'eehngs VIII be engeudered-lOea partiaIities will
give way 70 a wider spirit of patrotisrn-and Viz
9ina VIII De made one in sentiment and feelings
Us siie Is one IN glory and renown. And when the
au'uthnal lrOsts invite the tourists to seek their
homes IN the mlder climate of the low lands thew
VIII all be regularly repacked in the cars. and CON
signed TO the hotel keepers Of Richmond great
distributing office of travelers-to be forwarded In
ihelr respective abodes.
D. find that might extend this article almost
pdefmtely-for the difficulty is, not to find arqu-
menus IN FAVOR OF the Rockfsh route, but rather, i'm
ne suPeraoundsnce which suggest themselves at
he first view Of the subject to perGorr the inyidi
'us task of selecting which shall be presented.
VIII, therefore, to avoid being tedious, close by
stating that by taking this route, YOU enlarge the
zap between the line Of the Railroad and WiDches-
ef' 50 as greatly TO diminish the hazard of having
ne Trade and travel diverted down the Valley
rom stanton 10 Winchester is ~ miles wblct