Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-08-27
To The Editors ofthe Enquirer;
IOUiSA RAIL ROAD.

Gentlemen A meeting oil I've stos -
the Louisa Rail Road has been oa''fu io' w.
23d Of September nexl, tor The purpose " Sd >; Il
ing route for the extension OF the Louisa nd,
Rial In The eastern base Of The Blue Ridge.
p.opose, in plain and concise manner, 70 ss.
some reasons which 10 NE seem conclusive, why
The road should be located on the Northern 'ou,e'
through The county Of Greene, ralher man On ','e
Southern. through The county oil Alhcihai ie.-l''
lbe consideration OF lhis question, there aic in'
yolved three interests which. are IN me mos
seplial degree intimately connected, bnt whieI
for their beuer eucdalon shall speak Oh sefa'
ra,eiy and dis,inc,lytlsi, The interest oil inc pr
vale Stockholders; I'd, The interest OF Inc o'a!e
3D. The interest Of The city OF R'chmoho. al ~,
these Interests think shall be able 10 snow, WIN
be bes, enhanced beyond all question OF douos W
The selection oil The Northern route-Wheiher We
view lis present extension as mere local. d
fair as intended 10 accommodate merely inc lfdue
and travel of the valley OF Virginia, or, as uili
ma,-ly 10 be one OF The great connecting links De-
tween The western and eastern waters. 30 ial
then as we reeaIt. il as local matter, is not par
pably plain that much larger roi;ion oi lhs
trade and travel oi The valley will be aceommo
dated By the extension OF the road 10 Powers
Gan in Greene, than 10 Rockfsh Gap, some thirty
miles farther South in The county 81 Aihcmarle
Tie upper part of The valley is already ac
commodalcd by the James river canal, and II j.
only the central and The lower part which
has moi a, this lime any connection WIN an
Eastern MARKET and if the road is EXTENDED
10 Rockfsh Gap, The only hade IRON ,h'
valley which il might reasonably be earec'eu .e
secure, would be The greater portion oil Augusta
and portion OF Balh and il The McAdamzet
road from Shannon 10 Scollsville be mace, INC
greater portion OF Augusta even then VIII trace
{, ho daI n
el's Gap il will get The Trade Of The whole o.
Rockingham and Pehdlelon, the lower portion o
Augusta and portion of Shenandoah and Page
am not alone in The opinion that The Northern
ronie is The best calculated 10 accommodate The
trade Of the valley; for, in the Daily Wing, OF De
cember a3d, 1S45, letter is published iIcm l.
Foniaine, Esq 10 ]. Fl. Pleasans, going much
farther than my position, and for The special in.
formation OF The editor of The Siaunlon Spectator
who, under mistake no doubt, represented Col
Fonl as having recently expressed, in pno
lie speech al Staunton, his preference for The
route via Charlottesville and SIaunton, viii
here insert that part OF The letter touching The
mailer:
II am now on my return from an exploration
OF the Blue Ridge, with view 10 The extension
Of the Louisa railroad into The valley Of the She.
nandoah river. After a careful search oil a range
oil 80 miles, Mr.. Cooley, an Engineer oil nnques.'
licned qualifications, will report that Powells
Gap, in The county OF Greene, Two miles North
of Simmons Gap could be passed with the aid
of tunnel OF moderate length but The expense,
| suppose, will be rather too great or our present
means, and believe that the true policy will be
10 make railroad as promptly as possible 10 The
Eastern base and McAdamized road TO Elarri-
sonburg Several important discoveries result from
the survey. PouelPs Gap isjnM the point best edbn
lated 10 BRING tie trade Of the VALLEY 10 Richnond
being The very nearest part of the ridge 10 Har'
risonburg, and within twenty-five or thirty miles
oil Staunon. A McAdamized road OF easy grade
can be made with less expense Than al any Other
gar, and il meets, in 4 direct line from Gordons.
vile, the dividing ridge between the waters oil the
Rivanna and The Rapid Ann, which ridge, ior
fifteen miles, affords as cheap location ior
railroad as any part Of the Louisa road, ana Al
one point will be about fifteen miles from Madl-
son Court House; thus opening way 10 market
for some OF The mOsl destitute e0antes N ne SINE
| am confident il will not exceed $1,000 per
mile distance from Gordonsville % miles
Three-fflhs Of lie necessary amount 10 make
this short road, II appropriated by The legislature
will bring the great bulk OF the trade Of The Val
ley 10 Richmond, and open a mos, valuable mar
kel facility for Pendleton, Rockingham, Shenan
doah, Page, Augusta, Albemare, Madison
Greene and Orange"
Such were the views OF the President in
lS45, based upon accurate information and
observations and as The Valley has mol changed
since, nor has the mountain, we may reason
ably suppose he enlerlains The same views now.
And, further-the editor oflhe Richmond Wing,
in an appeal in his paper OF The 9Th of Septem-
Der, lSi5 10 the citizens OF Richmond, urging
them 10 send delegates to a rail road convention
that had been called to meet al Harrisonburg, for
the purpose Of renewing The project OF The exlen-
sion OF The Louisa Rail Road TO The latter place,
used This emphatic language: "Of all others who
have moved or will move in this matter, Rich
mond is by far The most deeply inieresed-she
will unquestionably, by means OF that road,
when perfected, receive the flour trade Of upper
James river, which has been driven down The
Valley by the destruction oil The canal through the
Blue Ridge. The trade and produce OF Augusta,
Rockingham, Shenandoah, Page, Madison and
Orange, a portion OF Virginia excelled by no
other in fertility, production and agricultural re-
sources, will be secured TO Richmond-it will be
equivalent, in The articles OF auur and grain, 10
al least one half of the whole James river produc-
TOM Such were the views OF sound aud prac-
tical men then. In order, however. 10 corrobo.
rate their positions, have prepared set OF Ia
bles, which think will bear the test Of The strict
est scrutiny. From Them it appears that The adj
di,ional tonnage in favor OF The Northern route
over the Southern, will be in The proportion Of
about three 10 one, and the local travel in The
proportion oil near Two 10 one.
LOCAL TRAVEL.
TABLE OF the white population now following
their uade by the Louisa Railroad 10 Rich