Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1847-08-26
RIVER IMPROVEMENT.
saEsAsDoAH aIvEa lmrnovEmEsr.

RIVER IMpfkovkMENT.
Tails editor ef u. .flsssndris Gsse,ts -
Yen have already published the proceedings
OF The Convention, called for The pur pose Of
adopting proper messu1es for Inc impf eysm anl
Of the navigation Of me Shenandoah River, uhIch
vas held on Monday, August 81. st Font Roy.
al, The county town 81 Warren. I was mech
pleased 10 see the harmony, spirit ard deisrIni.
nation that governed the action Or the mseiipg
and shall DOLLY state 10 addition, that al pres.
snt seemed Determined, 10 presS for ward the
improvement Of the River viii sigor, and only
10 be sstisGed with perfect Improvement, by
Locks, Dams and Canals, the prepelline power
10 be steam.
4 have thought thar q statement showing the
area, populstoD. and Prbductidns OF The seciiso
Of the Stale 10 be benefited BY this Improve
msni, tbs probable amount Of tonnage that will
be transported yearly upon II, the cost Of the
work, The recsipisfroGi hollis, &c. and The pie
bsble yesfly dividend hat will be made upon
the stack. would interest many Of The readefs Of
your saIasbis paper; and Is Il have istely col.
lscted acme fscts from til census Of lelo,
and olhsr SOURCES Cfiafornstion, have con-
eladed to give some Of those facts ID this con.
munica,ion. The counties IL be spfincipajiy
benefited BY this improvement, are CLARKE,
Warfeo, Page, Shensadoah, Rockingham and
Augusta, those counties bang uatefed 6yihs
Shenandoah river, also . portion Of Fendleton,
Frederick and Jefferson counties, slso watersd
BY that noble river Large trade may dlao be
expected from that sec,ioa Of l.oudSun, rau-
quier, Rappshsnnock, Madispii and Gtecn cpun.
ties, ing on the sesieih slope 81 the Bloc Ridge
The area ofthe six counties ftst named Is 2726
square miles the population 52,25l whites,
Y, GIL slaves, 300 free coIsred. Total oopur
laiioh 66,77l
The predictions Of those ok oous,iss were 1.
follows, viz SIS, l69 bushels 81 Wheat, l3l
900 barrels 81 Flour, i, i95, $40 bushels 6f Corn
1857 bushels Of Oats. 27s, $50 ,bashsis 81
Rye, LIS, 270 bushels of.Potaioes, dnd l59 10;
pounds Of Wool. 'Tbe. .atdaniity Scf Iron Manu-
.aciured, $50 taken; from The ce15us Of 1870
WIS 10 Pses sogaiy 1000 .tosas d casi Iron, IS.
tons Of bar Irop; In Sheiandosh county 1885,
tons cast Iron, as tons Of bar Iron and in Au
COSTA county i0eu'iohs Of cast Iron j, sod, Is
Ions ofbsr Iron, making he total number b
tors fesss Iron sarnpfsstursd $3.50, and Oy bal
Iron eS6tons.
/ viii new suppose that thsfs Yin BE- SON
surnsd in jhe above aix counties, the following
amount Of the productions Of ihosai. couniies
via, &c, f25 barrels Of Flgur, OF one half barre
10 eseh. while man, woman and child inhsbilinl
those Counties. All the Oats, Rye, Potstoes
Pork, Bacon, Bran, Shipstuff, Hsy. A545 ia!
bushels Of Corn, all the Wool, $3.50 tons Of cas-
Iron. and 666 tons Of bar Iron. Then there vii
remain for ns,ke', ths f0llosiHg sneuhi q
surplus productions:
Flour, iO5.77s barrels or ii, s77.ous.
Wheat it5.sG9 bnshs. or ~, III
Corn, 25O.000 /" or 6.250 g
Cast Iron $50
Bsr iron 900, !"
The total descending Tonnage
being from those counties 36,954
fhssenn CORRECT data for forming correct %
iins,e Of the Ascending toonige Of those conn
ties, but will State /, 81 one fourih Of me amour
Of Descending tonnage this quantity or: pre-
portion being the average upon works Of later
nal fnprovemeni, depending upon Agriculture
support aioDs Tor their i1adS. Thea the ton
nste upon The Shenandoah river from those 81
TOTAL amt. Of Defending Tonnage So 954 ton,
Ascending tonnage s,a36
Total .noua. Il ,ouo.s. &c 1872
Nov We msy safely Stale he Trade froi
Lsudoun. Fsuqaisr, Rappahannoek, MsdisoI
Green, Pendleion, Frederick aod Jsiferso
4 Coanliss, with The heagg trade that mar
| expected 10 merchandise from the tide watt
Giles towards The James River line Of Improv,
ment, the Ohio River, South Western Virgin
1 and Tennsssft. with The irsds that mai be q
| ptc;ed from Sou'h wesiera Yifgiois,
Iron. Copper, Lead. Plaster. &c. - i3,eu
tons, making he total Amount y tonnage, ~
may be expected upon The Shenandoah rive
equal 10 50, 600 tons yearly. We may. conf
denly calculate upon The trSds i1cfeating, e
| The nnmber Of tons Of Iron mapufaclursds wi
BE- rrssfIy inefeised ovsf The presett uumbs
produced. bcesuss " the greater faciIilieb % q
| "a for usnsporiion 10 market. The White IN
| yelIoe Pine. the Locust, Blsek Walnut -
oiksr Tinbsr will become bsssF article
tbs Ds<cending Tonnage. We iky also e.
| pscl larrs addition 20 he Descending iooDse
Hon he Coal esld lately discovered en a
| shensndsah river near Pqrt Rspetlic,s vsi
having been opened, sid "A b Il feet Il ihiei
ness, and fren ne specimen h.ge seei
hsss no to.b, but a. liIn.ll prove o
of ths NEST valuable varieties 81 Biinmioo'
Coal. saasl. il noi superior 10 Is. famed Cor
Ibsrilnd coal. having high polish. ffu. cIeaI
bori;nt 1i.fetl much snsEe, vilf ! pl5s.s,
1 oSof. kaf;Dx I'M. IL anf sulphur II IL comp
silioa. a1i should jejse. tsr, iasss Psf 81
fr,u III ihs.s f.<zr,bls sirs1n,u5sss,
I hsrs noi - sI'kt;est tnnt,s b1i itri 4
ND. ap,n a. Rissr IN s<ss'd eo.ooo q
L ystfly.
iieI. lI,i 1ius1. sUccliirs - >61<I i1c
~iII Is<1 131 c41.l oc1Is q 20 t9i1 each. a 81
bean q 100 i44s 1st6. q I11I 100 SIi|I a &
iori h1f1fo. q ~ t11l' 11cs11i.< 111 11;.,z
IN i1114f1 q 81 .l1lot q O. ~. i,cI u
IcII 100 canal k11I 81 50 II. I1Y1.1 80