Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-11-21
THE DANvILLE RAIL ROAD.

PLAN FOR GRADING TT
friend has requested publish the following plan for
securing the grading Of this important road throughout us
entire length dun. the year 1882 We have but little pac
teal knowledge OF such matters but think his views entitled
At TO be considered by the planters along the ne and
therefore call public attention TO them
For The ENQUIRER.
The failure of the county subscriptions to inc Danvle
Rail Road has left the company without preSent means !"
prosecutr the work speedy compilation All must per
csvc thai il is of the highest importance that the grading
and masonry Of the entire line should be put under coa'raS
during the present autumn or before the oeeahn Oh hcA
year Grading necessarily slow and tedious process nc
contracts for grading generally be let al any oe
perod OF the year. hands have to be hlred and other
extensive preparations 10 be made II Inc
should be allowed pass, without letting the contracts
along The entire line, It will probably ocay Inc "
the work for whole year least to the great deteh
of the public and TO the great pecunaIy oss o e @
that the road when completed will yield nett income o.
six pcr cent. more the cost OF construction "a!
sy the mind of the greatest sccp,ic cn this point Is sum
Gent TO state that tic income Of every railroad IN Virginia
during the past year, which completed and in full opera
on and OF the Central Rail Road whlcn Is oly par',aS @
completed has been sufficient 10 pay all expenses ana pro-
fl of more than six per cent the cost oil conslrucnh
generally seven per cent TO delay The completion OF lhc
Danve road for single year would therefore Involve loss
to the State and the stockholders OF te interest o Nearly
two millions OF dollars, nearly Sl2uUUO
The following plan for the immediate grading OF the road,
is sunpescd for the consideration OF the planters along e
line and Others interested in the improvement Inc great
obstacle seems be- much an unwlngness 10 SUP
scribe as the difficulty Of making noned eon!TouIols
Then let the planters furnish the requisite two-hhs u e
required capital only in part money but mostly IN aoor
and provisions This they very readily 90 oy taxing
short contracts tsnseires Of screrdl sections only;
This can very easily be nude 10 appear % Sia"c u'e
road through Halifax distance OF thirty miles between
S,aun,on river and the terminus of COL Towns contract
will require say $3.50 900 IS 900 per mile Two-hilns OF
this sum are $50 000 which the county oil HaillaX VIII e
eypcc,cd 10 raise Ii need not be done in money ony
len or twenty thousand dollars in money should DC rassn
would be umnly sufficient. Let A. B. aad for example
unite in contract sections or little over tour miles
They would be paid say $4,000, if The Company haa M
means If they take only twenty shares each they
would make up the wohs or s. U0O and the otac "ous
furnish the remaining three hs 1000 But anousF
tEcy may not have the money and own nae ierl9 es
tales with rich bottoms capable Of producing gram IN
dance while md poor lands, but great surplus
labor Let and then pay their acquisitions IN Prorts'os
To grade sections in year would require say lei
aboers and for each section or forty aooers
twenty horses for the four entire sections These horses ane
borers would consume OF meat grain and long forage Sc
vern thousand dollars worth and might pay ihelr re-
ousons in labor the actual manual labor o lheI negroes
| and their own labor in superintendance
| Or suppose single planter owning large estate. an'
working thirty likely hands contract for two sections
the distance that road might through MS plantation
with twenty HANDS and horses lie might finish his con
tract dutin1 the year 1852 With his emlnins ten hands
he could make provisions enough for the whole he wou
receive for his years labor thousand dollars four tnou
sard in stock and six thousand in money From the latte
sum would have 10 be deducted all expenses for ovefsecr
hands carts plougs hoes spades shoves plcKs po"ae
for blasting ii necessary, &c: &C. Allow S-ouo iof