Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-08-27

Ridge, We are WafIanteu .h w. So
that the extension OF the road on lhe Noi,n'
ern route will accommodate much larger terri
tory which is now destitute OF facilities 10 Market
and will pay a mnch larger dividend, because OF
The much greater increase ii tonnage ana uaVei.
Let us look ii it, however, in another POM OF
view, which to Ine seems 10 he Inc most iinPof-
tant Of ALL The present stockholders haze ever
looked, ard have 10 da;.Dt now look, WIN IN
creased hopes 10 The day as no' oelne Id. US
tanl when their road is 10 reach Inc Ohio rl'el J,
bu, all must know they will be unable 10 accom-,
plish so grand a scheme without The most liberal
aid from The Stale. They should, therefore, locate
their road in that direction when "ouiu cohe,h-
tralc The greatest number oil votes IN .ne Lcsisa
lure when appropriations may nereai'ef &c ca'',u
Tor The location OF the road on Inc No1'hei lo''.e
would best concentrate thal Vole III idC', '.e ca
tension OF the road 10 Rockfsh Gap would, 10 my
humble opinion desoy forever The prospect oil
getting another dollar appropriated by The stale
for ills farther extension Ii we look little BACK
into The history oil this road, we Will see ina! we
have not arrived al these conclusions without rea-
son. In 1873 The stockholders held meeting al
Louisa Courl House 10 determine II The road
should be extended 10 Charlottesville, or 10 Cor.
louisville; The meeting was attended and ADDRESS,
ed by some of The abest men IN The state, ana al
Ter The fullest and most mature consideration,
Gordonsyille was selected, on the ground that II
was on he way TO Harrisonburs, and The ialler
place Gu the way 10 the Ohio river. The ROAD
was then extended entirely beyond Inc ane
10 Charlottesville. Again. on me 2oth OF VIC,
lober, lS45. a Railroad Convention was held
al Hauisonburs- Col. E. Fontaine presided
DR.. Sheppard of Hanover, and Messrs. J. ii
Pleasanis, VIM. II. Haxall and Edwin Robin
SON. Of Richmond, we're in attendance. Dele
gates from Greene and large concourse OF Gill.
zsns o Rockingham were also in attendance
The convention adopted the two following reso.
lutIons without dissenting voice:
]. Resoiree, as The sense OF this convention,
Tha, the Louisa Railroad ought 10 be extended
as early rs practicable 10 Harrlsonburg, il, after
an examination of the route by competent engi
neers, il be deemed an improvement The results OF
which will compensate for the cost.
Q Resolved, That if the barrier OF The Blue
Ridge be deemed impossible, Or assable al TOO
great cost then, in The opinion OF this conyen-
lion, the Louisa Railroad ought 10 be extended IN
The immediate direction of HarrisonbuTg 10 The
Eastern base Of The Blue Ridge.
Soon after This convention, Col. E. Fon'ane
in company with competent engineer, explored
The mountains The engineer, after a survey,
reported iavorably TO Powell's Gap; ard Colonel
Fontane expressed his opinion, for reasons men,
lioned in his letter above, that the road should BE-
extended 10 il. We mention these facts as being
some Of the striking evidences that those who
have managed the deslincs oil Ibis road, have al
WAYS intended Tor al least have given public de-
mon.ra,ion that such was their inienliun) 10 ex-
lend The read in the direction OF Harrisonburg
Under such stale OF things, bill (Which
was somewhat OF an anomaly in legislaIonl vas
broueh, before the last General Assembly, pro-
viding ior an increase OF The capital STOCK 81 The
company, and il was passed by the votes OF Rock
ingham, Orange and Greene, Rage, Pennieton,
and by the union of The Western and Northwest
ern vote. They were induced 10 vote for the BILL
because they believed, from The public evidences
which have before mentioned, this road was in
tended 10 be great central line Of Improvement,
10 accommodate The trade and travel OF those des-
lilule portions Of Virginia, which were afforded
no facilities 10 market By The James River and lis
tributaries, and The Improvements which border
Virginia on The North. Inducements have been
held Out then 10 The West, but particularly 10 The
Northwest, that, in the extension oil this road 10
The Ohio river, they were 10 be neflled and
thereby their support has been enlisted in lis
favor; and they will continue their support so long
as the company will pursue their original de-
sign. But suppose The road is located 10 Rockflsh
Gap, would il not be demonstration, as strong
as holy writ, that the company had departed from
einal line of their road, and that Covinslon in
The Southwest was the point 10 which they were
aimine7 Can any one believe then that the Norlh-
west, alter having been thus perfdonsly treated
by The company. could ever be persuaded 10 vote
for The appropriation OF another dollar ior lis fur
lher extensions
The location of the read, then, 10 Rcckfsh
Gap would array against iis future extension
Orange and Greene, Rockingham, Pendleon,
Page, Clarke and Warren, which voted lor lhr
last bill, considerable portion OF the West and
the whole of the Northwest. The James river
vote would also be inimcal because OF compe-
ilion u!inecest and The vote Souh CT James river,
having no inleIes, in the road and nothing 10 en-
list lis interest, would also be arrayed against il.
We ask, then, upon what grounds they could
ever expect 10 extend their road from Rockfsh
Gap?
Should The road, however, be located on The
Northern route in the direction OF Harrisonbnrs,
The company could come before The Legislature
with great certainty OF success, asking for aprro-
prialiuns for Inc extension Of their read foi they
would have in favor OF them the Western AMI
Northwestern vote from interest. The James
river vote also because its apprehension Of their
road being competing Ioulc would be quoted;
and those who were friendly 10 The read would
not vote for The appropriations 10 The Southwest.
views, and thus Inc Southwestern vote would be
secured in its favor. And the patriotic and dis
interested OF all sections of Virginia would be
actua,ed from motives of justice TO favor The e1-
tension Of The road on the Northern route, because
bv il the utterly destitute portions OF Virginia
would be furnished facilities for their trade and
lraycl-porlions Of Virginia, which never can and
never will have any outlet for their trade, II The
road takes The Southern route, but must remain
wild and unculiiyaIed waste, neglected and for
gollen BY all.
From the views, then, which We have taken Of
this mailer, we must conclude that The company.
il they consult their interest, will select The Moth
ern route, because il secures 10 them a much bet
Ter chance Tor The future extension If their road,
and because, II by combination OF unfortunate
and unforeseen circumstances they should be COM
PEELED 10 terminate their road al The base Of The
Blue Ridge, the dividends on their investment will
be much greater on the Northern than on The South
ern route. In our next number We will endeavor
10 show that il is TO the interest OF The Stale that the
Northern route should be selected that if the
road la kes the Southern route il will compete with
he James River Canal and no dividends will be
realized. A damper will thus be thrown upon
The spirit OF internal improvement in Virginia,
which has already been kept much in The back
ground by The unfortunate disposition which Vir.
gina has heretofore exhibited, of locating iai-
povemenls alongside Of each other, or pling one
upon another. | will endeavor also 10 show,
that Richmond is most deeply interested in tie
selection OF The Northern route; thai by The South
ern route she will not get one barrel oil -four, Gle
bushcI Of wheat nor ono round OF tobacco in adj
dition 10 what sic now gets-whie BY The Moth
ern roure she will gel thousands Of barrels Of
-four and bushels OF wheat, which now go 10 Bal
dmore, Alexandria, Georgetown and FlsdsIicks-
burg. GhEENE.
Angus; %, lsi7.
tn The Ed,foys OF The E11ulycr: