Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-10-04
LETTER FROM MR.. puNgrAL1,



correspondent who signs himself "One of the Stock
holders in Caswell county, North Carolina. On my
lrst perusa OF that communication determined to
permit it simply to pass another of the many idle
absurd and ridiculous complaints which have, from time
10 time been poured out upon this improvement by g
norance impotence and prejudce-but decent re-
spect for the opinions OF SUCH citizens might be mis-
led by it, requires word reply, though nothing is so
nauseatng TO as these controversies through the
press. The writer says
1t is the subject OF general complaint of the Stock
holders of the Richmond and Danville Railroad in
North Carolina, that such heavy acquisitions have been
made Oh them when SO small portion OF the road is
completed and that one-thrd of is not as yet under
contract not tault-hnder, but, in this instance,
an early, firm and devoted friend OF the work, who
invested more in its stock than prudence dictated
must be permitted to complain OF the management OF
the financial and other concerns OF the Company re-
sung in prodigal waste OF their means, rendering
them now far short OF etectng the completion OF the
road"
He is not "fault.fader." Oh no not he but sim
ply from the patriotic desire correct the and
abuses of this Company-he, stakeholder Of Cas-
well quietly takes his pen to complain chat heavy
QUESTIONS have been made of the stockholders 10 Cas-
we when third OF the road is under contract;
and to complain OF the management OF the financial
and other OF the Company, resulting in pro-
dlgal waste OF their meansrenderng them tar short OF
completing the road" He don't mean to find tauu-
he only to complain that this Directory spend all
the money, waste their means, and make no road. lie
"only tor information"
Now, Mr.. Editor, how much do you suppose has
been subscribed in the county OF Caswell, from which
this rude complaint comes OF the aoaste OF the Jnnds
which are to make this road Why sir, the enor
nous sum of five thousand dollars-about enough to
construct third or half a mile oiRallroad! And will
be credited when inform you that whilst such the
amount OF subscription that there IS not one lnch oil
that county which not to the western terminus
of the road, than than halt OF the county OF
Pittsylvania! Besides, that many miles OF the line OF
road are still much nearer and more convenient to
large and valuable portion OF the county than the ter
1trant
tern end premature, and ought not to have been
made; that it will go to decay before connection can
be made; that the road, when it once entered tie cal
ley of Dan hDer, ought not to have branched ot at
all increased expense of seventy five one hundred
thousand dollars that the Legislature OF N. Z. will
be session and the right way up the river IN
that State easily be obtaned or, says he, 1.-THE
present work done by the contractors on the western
end can be psed by running three miles in forth
Carolina till reaches the Valley OF Cove Cr elk, and
then good route be obtained to connect with the
work effected under the present contract. Butaf the
present work is last, and large bonus or premium
paid to the contractors to renew their bonds and
change their contract TO commence at the Stanton RI
South Boston, very large saving will be
effected say fifty thousand dollars.
Why he has Just said thu" Western contract ought not
to have been 7nade but still by running two three
miles in North Carolina, till it reaches the valley OF
Cain Creek, then good route can be obtained to con-
meet with the work effected under the present contract
All OF which any discerning mind will readily see,
simply this on must go into the State OF Worth
Carolina whether you have obtained the privilege or
not for you must come ap The bailey Of Dan River
whole communicaon--that is the true and only reason
of this senseless complaint about expenditure aud waste
OF money. GU ought TO come by Milton, which, like
many other places and people, for some time had no
other lest or bye-word but the fOy and amprdctacdba
ty OF the Danve road and alter seemed that there
,oas possibility Of such thing and that that part OF
the world possibly could and would screw their courage
up to the point of its constructions then it was that
war must be made upon it, unless it came exactly TO
suit the taste of certain individuals interested in that
place. only OF whose citizens, think has one dol
lar in the road
Now, this stockholder knows, he knows any thing,
that perhaps seventenhs OF the people interested in
this improvement, do not believe ought to have touch
ed Dan River Valley at all, until 1t reached 4anvie..
He knows, il he knows any thing, that those who voted
this charter in the Virginia Legislature, expected and
intended that, for great portion OF the distance,
might as and constitute part OF, the line Of rail-
road to the South West. Some expecting that the
connecting branch should go up the Valleg Of S,aun
ton 10 Salem in Roatoke, and others Sha4 sfod go
up the Ridge between s aunton and James River; but
all, especially that portion OF its warm trends and sup
poters from the West, the Danvile road should
form as much OF the basis and Eastern end OF a line
to Richmond practicable and udlcous; and that it
was determined by these Western friends 10 carry it
on the Ridge and by Lynchburg, from road, be-
cause it was ascertaned that the route by the Ridge
was shorter than by the snuosltes OF the river and be-
cause of the material aid which would be furnished by
Lynchburg.
termned In their first meeting, that the road should be
made by the most direct and eligible route He
knows, or ought to know, that an amendment which
required that, considering eligibility, the directors
should consider the money that might be subscribed up
on the different routes and the diUidends and prQs
of the road when made was rejected; aud therefore,
that the directors have other discretion in relation
to the location OF the road than to ascertain, through
the engineers The most direct and eligible route.
He knows, if he knows ANY thing, that carrying the
road so far South dissatisfied large portion OF subscr
bers in Psy vana and Charlotte eght-entfs OF whom
in that county, live on or near more Northern line,
and who profered to giUe the right Of ioay, and in
crease their subscriptions ii carried there.
He knows that the county OF Pttsylvania took about
$50 600 in the improvement, and that the gentleman
whom the Western contract was let took S25 900 in
the stock OF the company and that OF that 1925 O00 he
procured subscribers in Pittsyyanla for S$l5000 more,
upon the cypress condition that that end should be let
out He knows that this gentleman, the contractor,
has twice as much stock as all Caswell county, and
that he resides farther off than any subscriber in Cas-
we'll And he knows that notwithstanding that large
and liberal subscription IN the county OF Phtsylyanla,
that the road scarcely touches its territory, and runs
upon the very Southern edge OF the county which
is sixty miles longs and that his county ofCaswe
has double the facility and to the road that two
thirds OF that large county enjoys He knows that the
little but gallant county of Henry with about half the
population of Caswe, and which is forty foe miles
from the Western terminus has subscription four times
as large his own county Il and what is more, she
pdYs II up without grunloling about the route, and
talking of a ,paste of funds. He knows that the
county OF Patrick right under the Blue Ridge so miles
distant, has as much as his own county. He knows
that the proposition was made ar the last meeting OF
the stockholders TO persuade them to carry this road
still farther off from its subscribers ana friends in Vlr
gina, by taking it up the valley Ct Dan River, and it
was laid upon the table. He knows that a survey was
run up the valley OF the river Milton at the sugges-
ton OF delegates at the last meeting and thence over
to Dauve upon the assertion that they had sub
scrihed $4,000 to road winch now runs in six or
eight miles OF that place, but D0uid Subscribe if it came
there and that the route was tound impraccable.
He knows that there is gentleman in the county
OF Pittsylvan by and whose house survey was
made aud which the renloteSt point South, at
which large maj orliy OF the czens Ct Pittsylvania
Were satisfied the road should go, and who would put
freight upon than any five subscribers in Cas-
well county, and whose subscription quite equal
to all o that county, and vet has opened his lips
about route or extravaganza save to say, carry 1t the
nearest and best route.
He knows that the largest subscriber in Caswell coun-
~ lives immediately West of Danve, aud that a large
majority not only Indifferent as to route before
reaching that place but that many OF them prefer con-
nection Immediately from Danyie.
He knows that there are now due TO this company
about $4,000 OF unpaid acquisitions, and that fair
proportion IS due from his county, which is exactly
what this company now needs.
He knows because he PROCESSES to know all about it
that with the IRON which s to be purchased under the