Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1849-04-04
RAILROAD FROM WAYNESBORO' TIC
STAUNTON.

hCAN OIN
This Is the engrossng topic Of the day. An in
digidua can hardly be found in this community
who has been abroad enough to witness the effects
or such Improvements, or who he's gathered from
The newspapers information of these effects, whose
mind is not running upon the railroad All this
Is as 1t should be. An evidence of the interest ex-
cited may be found in order Of the County Court
which we publish to-day, and TO which we invite
the attention of the landholders of Augusta
The Legislature, by a munifcent act, having
provided for tunneng the Mountain, cost what it
may, were not satisfied TO stop at this but in au-
thorIzng subscription on the part Of the State for
three liths of the amount required TO bring theroad
to Staunton, have placed this long desired and
much contested improvement within the grasp of
our citizens. This state OF the case led to the or
der OF Court referred to, and 10 the meeting which
preceded it as recited in that ORDER Read and
ponder.
The estimated cost of The Road from the point
al or near Wayncsboro, where the tunnel section
terminates, to Staunton, is already known to the
public to be estimated at $l5000O. This large
sum, however, has not been permitted to stare us
In the face and by its very hugeness to discourage
effort and extinguish our hopes. The Legislature
have drawn upon the resources Of the whole State
and swept away 100000 of the amour, by State
subscription, leaving Augusta to grapple with the
residue, S0O,OOO. Hosr citizens, when assembled
at their election precincts the 26th Of May shall
authorize the Court Of their County to subscribe
SOOOt, to be assessed upon the lands of the coun-
ty, the individual stock subscription will then be
reduced to $40, 900. which we are persuaded will
be no bug-bear To Old Augusta. Twenty farmers
might be named who could subscribe the amount
without embarrassment, and realize good profits.-
One hundred can be named who would never feel
it. Surely, twenty hundred owners Of The soil will
not suffer the prize to escape their grasp, and final
ly to witness withdrawal of the Legislative ten
der, so coveted by other sections of the State and
certainly 70 be enjoyed by some, if we hold back
our hands
We shall not permit ourselves TO doubt that the
County Court will be duly authorized by the vote
Of the people TO subscribe the $4,000, and for the
following reasons:
In ths first place, the amount, when divided "a
mong the land-holdeIs, is positively small, and in
view of the advantages of the road is comparatively
trile. Under the law, not more than 81 900 of
the $4,000 can be collected in any one year, 50
that the whole amount will be distributed through
five years. The State revenue from lands in this
county including the corporation of Stanton, a.
mounts at present to S6,000-we say so advisedly
Thus it appears that if the County subscrbes for
stock to the amount of 10000, the annual pay
ment by land owners for the road will be two thirds
of the present land tax foy period OF five years.
An individual, therefore, who pays land tax of So
to the State, agrees also to pay 81 for the road,
and he who pays So of land tax, also gives 81 for
the Road, and in like proportion. This statement.
believe to be as correct as it is simple, and is
our first reason for believing that the land owners
will not hesitate moment upon the proposition TO
be submitted TO them.
But again-In looking at the remuneration Of The
land holders, we arrive at the same conclusion. In
former article we estimated the annual saving Ito
this county in the transportation Of the single art
Gle of flour at the moderate sum Of 100000. We
believe it would be nearer 100000. Here is remu-
neraton at once, ten times told. We part with 81
900 year. and by the outlay save, that is, make
. tU5UCU. but tnIS is NOT dill ne increase Oh the
value oflands is natural and necessary consequence
not only upon the line Of the road, but through
out the County. Nor is this all The develop
ment of our resources-lhe introduction Of new ar
iices into the market hitherto too weghty or bulky
for ordinary ransportation-th these open up to view
not fields of speculation merely, but fields and mines
of wealth Upon this point we exhibit short state
ment from the London Quarterly for Dec lS48, as
quoted by the Richmond Times
''It appers from returns lying before us, Shat du-
rino the six months ending the Goth of August last
there entered and departed from Camden station a
lone. 10 1872 railway wagon loads Of goods! Now,
in the annals of political economy there can perhaps
scarcely exist more striking exempliicaiOn of the
extraordinary extent to which the latent resources
ola great country may be developed by diminishing
the friction. or without metaphor by lowering the
tolls of lis goods traffic, than the fact that nOwlth
standing tho enormOts amount thus conveyed along
the London and North Western rails, the quantity
carried along the Grand Junction Canal, which
meandeis alongside ts powerful antagonist, instead
ofhaving been drained, as might have been expect
ed TO zero, has from the opening Of the railway in
1885, up to the present period, actually increased.
From the facts infinitely set forth, and for which
we have not the necessary space bot, those great
English Improvements, side by side, are yielding
fair profits-tbe ono not breaking down the other
but the resources Of the country brought forth by
the facilities, amply sustaining 10th.
But there is another consideration not without