Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1847-12-23

sought IL her boards te@ve no doubt of oii
ability. annually. to raise the sum stated, il
the manner have proposed Indeed, I Ell
tertaih but little doubt, that large portion
of tie contemplated loans will be made b.
our own citizens. Of our, public debt. a
mounting to S6,44? ,445 50. the sum of 5 ),
! 799,lS9 48 is held within our own State
4 contributing by the expenditure of the in
come thereof in no slight degree to our pros
{ perity.
But it is vain to provide means to develops
and secure the great advantages within ou
reach, unless we devote our resources exciu
sively to thecompletion of one Or at most two
great enterprises To reach the nsvigablc
waters of the Ohio, is an object of the frs
I Importance. 1t is the great enterprise oil
several Of the Northern States, and VII when
accomplished by us, entertain not doubt.
| furnish the means to thoroughly renovate and
| improve our beloved State. l will ask no
other proof, in support of this conclusion,
than the recent report of the Baltimore and
| Ohio railroad company. By that report it is
seen that the income of heir road for the
past year is 81 ,0l.9S6 So; and Of this sum
/ they expended S5o0,o22 90, in repairs and
Improvement, leaving S5ll.l97 so, edulva-
| lent to7 ID PER cent. upon the capital ex'
/ pended. This road is only l76 miles long,
and terminates at the foot ofthe Allegheny.
1t carried $685. passengers within the past
year. an increase OF o4lo within single
year. If such be the magnitude of its opera
tons in its present unfinished state, it will be
difficult to estimate it when it shall reach the
Ohio And yet we have a more favorable
route, with the immense advantage of touch>
ing that river at a more Southern point.
As to the route to be selected, that is of
great but yet secondary Importance. In il
lastratien of this subject. respectfully sub
nit to your consideration, Doc. No. IL, en-
bracihg seven different routes from this city
to the falls of kanawha. compiled from an
nuai SURVEYS and other data, in the substan-
tiai accuracy Of which confidence may be le>
posed.
1t will not gentlemen. escape yeur obser :
walton, that the three frs. named routes pass
I'D the valley of James River to Pattonsburg
Whilst it is yom' great duty promptly to be-
gin and vigorously to prosecute oar connec-
ton with the Ohio river, it is equally your
duty to secure all local advantages not incon
sstent with the main design. In locating
this route. we ought to have All eye to the
country it will develope, and are bound by
every consideration of public duty to give
that the preference which will secure to our
State the largest good. Happily, the inven'
ton of railroads has relieved us of all Deepen
dence upon water Afor our intercommuRhca.
tons, and we can now prosecute them Ill al
4aost every direction that our interests or poll
CIV may prescribe.
| The James River valley has long been re-
garded as the natural channel Of connection
with the great West. In the prosecution OF
this design we have been engaged 63 wears,
and have expended already about So, 100000
he al hoe keo to1 IN T Vpchhnrp
and soon will be to Pattonsburg; atfordng to
this noble valley and the contiguous country
an improvement of unsurpassed cheapness
safety. Shall, then, additional millions be
expended in the construction of railroad
along this valleyi Should other sections OF
| the State, now langu ishing for facilities DC
overlook ed, and their wants disregarded!-
Would it be just, or wise, or pohticf Fol-
these important considerations. l respectfully
recommend the rejection of this route
Route No 4. by Staunton, is also objections
BILE 1t will anr.ih:lste the Rvanna Naviga-
! ton Company, and the Staunton and James
River Turnpike Company,fr each Of which
the State is deriving annual dividends Of
about 5 per cent. 1t will also destroy them
as important tributaries to the James River
and Kanawha Company. Nor is this all BY
act of March 1st, 1847, the State agreed to
loan to the James River and Kanawha Com
| pany her bonds to the amount Of $3.50, OOO
upon condition, however, that said company
! should give security CONDITIONED, that it the
gross amount of tolls upon the wholc line Of
| the canal between Richmond and Buchanan
! after particular period and event, for five
years. "shall fall below the average amount Of
100000 dollars per annum," then said securi-
ties shall make good such deficiency. These
securities have been given, and will, IN my
opinion, be discharged, if your legislation
should deprive this company OF any OF then
usual sources of revenue. This route. more
over, is without peculiar local advantages
/ from which to increase the wealth and
business of the State. For these consd
eratons recommend its rejection. Route
No. S, to which ask your attention, is the
one which passes by Harrisonburg. Coving-
ton, Sc 1t is precisely of the same length
with its predecessor. free from all the objec-
tons which attach to those have considered
enters at once into a country suffering fol
such improvements, increases the wealth ant
business of the State by reclaiming valuable
trade. which now fosters distant. city, ap
proacbes An important section of our State
which should be kept constantly and steadily
in view, and affords as many facilities II
reaching the Western waters as amy route tina
has been named. difficulty i'll the passag'
! of the Blue Ridge has been recently stated
but as it is conceded that it can be .cvercom
by an expenditure of $50 900 dollars, d.
not regard the objection as entitled to IN
smallest consideration.
The two next routes, covering the sam
ground for about 220 miles, will be regarde
together. They possess the same ground a
No. 5, as far as Harr:sonburg. and, OF course
have all the advantages to this point OF tina
route. This route then passes to the head
waters of the Greenbrier, at which point til
line will divide, one branch proceeding t
Guyandotte and the other to Petersburg.
In opening the great arteries Of the State
} high political considerations cannot, with pro
priety be overlooked, This route, in that as
oect. addresses itself with irresistible fore
to every virginan, while It is powerful
sustained by all other considerations ?rope
to be regarded. 1t is our duty to afford I
distant sections of our State those improve
ments requisite to ,evelope their interns
wealth, which would otherwise remain tor
eyer unavailing. This is especially our du
4 ty when, by so doing. we can a'so secur
great political object. that Of attaching t
karkuH