Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-09-04
sEABoARD AND ROANOKE RAILROAD


substantial manner, to its junction with The Peters
burg railroad at Gary's and is now within two
miles of the Roanoke, at Weldon Bridge. These
two miles will be finished in few week, as the
company have all the materials necessary for its
construction, already in place.
On Saturday last Gas we learn from the Norfolk
Herald) large party from Norfolk, Portsmouth
Suffolk, and all along the line of the road accom-
panied the President and Directors O. the Compa
ny in excursion to its present terminus Gary s
distant from Portsmouth rs miles, where upwards
of two hundred citizens of North Carolina, ap-
prised of their coming, had assembled and wer,
waiting the arrival of the cars. Among these
| were many gentlemen of intelligence, respecta
| b;lity and wealth. some of them from Raleigh
who evnced the liveliest interest in the work, AM
| to man declared decided preference for Nor
folk over any other market on the line of roads
connected with this important improvement
They also represented this to be the sentiment oil
the people all along the line OF the roads forming
this connection. The best feeling prevailed, and
all were highly delighted W it'll the trip. A hand
some collation. was gro vided by ten. Person, Oh
Gary's, and his neighbours When the cars were
about to start on their return loud calls were made
for an address from DR.. Mallory, Gu. s. Navy
Agent at Norfolk who responded in few re-
marks, congratulatiDg the people There on the
prospect of the speedy completion of the railroad.
He pronounced it the finest road he had ever ira
yelled over and justly complimented DR.. Collins,
(the President of the Company and other enter
prising gentlemen interested in its success, with
out whose agency the work would never in our
day, have been constructed He assured his
hearers that the people O. Norfolk were not in
different spectators of the progress Of this noble
work; and although that city had been some what
tardy in extending helping hand to it, the day
he believed was not far distant when she would
be found standing shoulder to shoulder with its
friends in Virginia and No nth Carolina in complet-
ing those important links that were necessary to
open to his fellow-c citizens the rich and teeming
valIies of the Roanoke and its trbutares-the
untoward circumstances heretofore in the way Of
hearty cooperation having, he was pleased to
say, given place TO a state of feeling and pro-
posed arrangement that would lead to the happiest
results, &c.
The cars left Gary's at Ia o'clock in the after
noon, and made the run to Portsmouth distance rs
miles) in four hours, partly in the night, including
numerous soppages to set down passengers on
the road. The Herald says it is contemplated to
run the distance between Portsmouth and Weldon
n one hour and half, with the new and powerful
locomotive which will be placed on the road
This will require speed at the rate of about 80
miles an hour, which the Herald thinks can be
easily accomplished, for "where,'' asks that jour-
nal, sis there such rosd-wh the most solid sort
of foundation, with broad, thick iron rails, only
slight deviations from level plain and straight
line ?" Our friend of the Herald goes even far
Their and faster, and in the excitement caused pro-
baby by his recent pleasant whirl over the road
trumphantly asks "what is there to fear even at
100 miles per hour?" Nothing, perhaps, except
the loss of ideas and limbs-thngs of too little
importance by the bye, to be estimated in these
go-ahead times.
The Herald also feciates the people of Nor
folk upon the completion of the road, after this
fashion:
"The citizens OF Norfolk have ample cause of
rejoicing at the near completion of the Seaboard
g. Roanoke Railroad, and we trust that they will
not be backward in improving the opportunity it
is about to afford them of securing that long cher.
ished object, dect communication with the fer
tile regions of the Roanoke vallies, and a con-
nexion with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad
at Lynchburg, but make glorious effort for its
final accomplishment"
To secure direct communication with the
fertile regions of the Roanoke vallies, to say
nothing about connexion with the Virginia and
Tennessee railroad at Lynchburg, is an object
we'll worthy of GLORIOUS effort, and we trust the
people of Norfolk will heed the wholesome advice
of our friend of the Herald, But this is not all.
"No pent up Utica" contracts the views Of the
editor; he looks beyond the borders of the State
of Virginia, and thus literally discourses:
"The public may rest assured that this road is
destined TO be the great Atlantic stem or base of
the several branches of railroad projecting through
North Carolina and Virginia in the direction of the
Mississippi and the Gulf and to be the conduc-
tor of the principal trade and travel from those
regions 10 this point in their transit to the northern
States and the shores of Europe.
This, it must be conceded, is rather an enlar-
ged view; but it is one, which, we confess, we
should rejoice to see realized. Norfolk, from its
natural position, as we'll as by all the laws govern
ing trade, ought to be point of great commercial
Importance but we imagine something more than
the completion of the Seaboard and Roanoke
Railroad will be found necessary to place it upon
the platform occupied by the principal maritime
cities of the Union.
A certain steamboat captain had become pop
ular on the river commander and was about
to take charge of a new boat, one OF the hand
soonest that was ever built in the West On the
evening preceding the morning she was to leave
port, he was induced by one of the owners
to visit his house, where there was to be party
of ladies', some of whom were to be his passen-
gers to New Orleans The captain felt little
queer about going; he was more at home on the