Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1849-07-23
LETTER.

nv r. McCOrke. gentleman now re-
'u1 ~, the South, but well known in Rock
So his native county, and other parts of the
Msv The statements he makes may be i'm
riicitlv relied upon. The facts he has collected,
LL,;,y 10 show the effect of Rail Roads in eihan-
Enc The value of lands, are of great interest and
;nno-tance and deserve the attentive considera-
ton of our South friends.
T1LADEGA, Ala, July 4th, lS40
ToF B. Dcane Esq.
Circumstances have pregented
me from answering, until now, your letter Of q, in
which Won request me the result Of nv observa
- Ia the effect of the Georgia Rail Roads on the town
and counties through which they pass
While my way from Charleston to Rome, I made
many inquiries, in addition those previously madt and
50 far as any information eiciipd on the points intro
duced in your letter, you will find it this communca:
icn.
ls was assured bv various individuals living near
the mad. ard acquainted with The condition of things for
years past that land had from t,reny fire 10 fifty
per cent. according u It's proximity to the road.
2nd. The villages through winch the rad passes have
been benefited greatly by il. An intelligent gentleman,
living in Oxford the road, put down the actual gain
3 Che villages hundred per cent As illustration
t said 1--we get salt for nothing and fifteen cents
per bushel in the 5argain.' asked tim explain p?
"FurmefIy, bought salt in Augusta and pa d Is
cents per bushe for hauling, buy the salt in
town for 90 cents fifteen cent less thar we formerly paid
for hauling" The same reduction in price applied all
groceries and heavy articles Of home consumptijn and
also to the transport tn of the products of the soil
market To this extent is the value of labor and Of
land increased
One gentleman thought Augusta had received tenn
porary check, but attributed this, the road which
passes through tito Chattanooga, R0ssville but to
the road which runs from Atlanta, (near Decatur
through Macon to Savannah. There can be no doubt
that road, which be-een iaLtnd city aQd lis
tributary country cutting off he principal sources Of its
hut tho 10
channel and divering it to.another market. But the
check to the growth Of Augusta is believed be only
temporary. The road passing through IT, has injured
some kiniS of business and afforded increased facilities
for others. Vast manufacturing Establishments
sprngng up in Augusta which before could have found
adequate outlet for their products.
3nd. Many villages, mills, &c, Sc, growing up
where there before. Atlanta Gainesville,
and various other places might be named which are thrv
IBg and active, though just in their infancy.
4th. prominent lawyer spoke Of the benefits of the
road as 1t contributed to the Injuries and comforts life.
The early fruits of the nth and the uxures of
the seaboad could be had, far in the interior, almost
cheap and easily as in Savanna.
9Th. 1t affords Convenient market for the upper part
Of the State where before lis construction, product Of
the soil, except Cotton, worth the transportation.
told hat the butchers Of Augusta kept their beef
pens in Cass county nearly two-hundred miles in the in
terror. large burden car connected with the train in
which travelled, Filed with fat cattle for the Au
gusta market. asked the owner, if cheaper
mode of conveyance than driving He answered. gene
rally That the fat cattle could not vel endure be driven
in that cline. learned from another source that the
srmbGge in driving fat amounted to something
like eight per for every hundred miles Shoats
and hogs poultry and other edoes taken in the
way. heard it remarked either in Charleston An
gusta that the road had reduced the price Of TURKEYS
from 81 to 80 Cts.
regard the road from Lynchburg TO Knoxville a
Robie and important undertaking. Already we have a
road, or canal. from New York to the lakes. In one
year shall have road and canal from PhIlade phia
Ptsburg,-the Baltimore and Cumberland Rail Road L |
learned, would be forthwith continued to Wheeling or
Pitsburg. We shall soon have, what may term,
continuous line from NJ Dngomery Alabama to Charles |
ton All the trade and travel Of vast section of coun
try must now reach New York by the circutous route
of Charleston. During the last Spring sixty wagons
loaded at Dalton, (npper terminus of the Georgia Rail
Road thirty miles from Tennessee average every
day. This schiefly for Tennessee. II you will Look
al the map, and notice the length and the of the
rivers you will that the route by Knoxville s. Lynch
burg &c, would be far better than the Ohio and
Philadelphia route. or that by Charleston, to Immense
trart ocountry. The road ,cH be raabe in proportion
10 lis length, and ,rW hare great feeders at tbs end
II viii probably be but few months till the Georgia
road will be connected with Knoxville by branch
IN process OF construction beginning at Dalton, in Muir
ray From the Chattanooga and Nashville Roads,
there will sooner later, be branch connecting it with
V'p ~ "N'UuS. ho's NC "iioo i'ne' No'ei
which have iravelled) it will deveope the rich
ses of an extensive country, in which the people have
raised rte else than stock, because nothing else was
worth sending Market. 1t will afford the shortest
cheapest and most direct route from all the region round
d5o,d'' to eastern cities.
lfany body should thinl Gas | once odd that the
market would be ovestocked by the facilities afforded
for transportation. would say that the supply ordi
nary creates the market 1t sends the world to that
place to buy.
could write much more but fear that have post
poned the matter too long. and hat what have written
IN haste will be of little value. feel interested in
the prosperity of the country aud especially in tai of my
native S'a'e and shall greatly rejjce in the of
your noble enterprise.
II this letter not answer your expect; lions. you
must remember that the study of Rail Roads has not
been my calling. and that | only pretend to give
the information derived good authority from Others
Yours, very respectfully.