Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-03-11
Roy dion and Petersburg Plank
RAnA.

visit 10 il the other day and had the graiihcation
10 sec heavily laden Road Wagons jog along sver
it a. il the horses enjoying rolic instead Of
performing labor. This Road will do wei for
Petersburg. Pc 'ersbvrg In'eHigencer
Its the true policy Of a town 10 pre-
more.bv alIthe means that can be rendered
,ficient, easy communication with The
country. Although Petersburg has her
lines Of railroad leading off in various
directions-being a point in the great
southern route-yet she wisely perseveres
in the construction Of minor improve
ments, thai are TO empty the commodities
transported over them-inio her market
That which Petersburg has done, Lynch
burg should do. At this time strong
efforts are being made in the virinity Of
New London, to improve the highway
from that place TO Lynchburs' by means
of a plank road, but we know Of but little
encouragement 10 the enterprise beyond
that locality. Our railroad to the vest
| II is true, is about to 90 into operation. but
| that will not accommodate the country
south of it. stretching along tie base OF
the ridge and forming the boundary Of our
Piedmont section.
We have endeavorcd 10 show in prevl-
Gus articles, written at greater length than
we design this To be, the value OF the trad
Of that country TO Lynchhurg-and ais"
10 give correct idea of the bearing OF nm
provements. made and proposed. TO secure
that trade. In those articles We contended
that before any permanent or efficient po-
icy could he .adopteI,the base Of the line.
10 vii, from Lynchburg to New London.
must be Of that character Improvement,
that will insare the planter, when he reach
IS H. that hi. burthen will become lighter,
because Of The ease with which lis team
passes along. as our Petersburg cotcmpo-
rary has described so happily. Such is not
the case now--but quite the reverse; for
Wagons coming down the franklin road,
from Carroll, Floyd, Franhlin and Patrick
corn,irs, find greater difficulty in passing
over the road from New London to
Lynchburg. than is any y here 10 be found
on the new roads, over which they have
passed on the route.
Nearly all the road diverging to the
south at New London. which we have
heretofore described more fully, is 81
grades susceptible ofplanking or macada-
missing: and if this first and most impor-
tant section could be raised from its pre-
sent condition 10 first class plank or mnc
Iaadamised road, we would soon see the
same mode of improvement applied to its
proper continuation into the tier Of coun-
ties Of Virginia and North Carolina. that
would seek it, as the safest, cheapest and
specdcst way to reach market superior
il every respect for their great etape, TO-
bacco. Docs II not then become the duty
of our citizens to look to this work and
look 10 it now
The InielIigenccr says, in regard to tie
Petersburg & Boydton Plank Road
This road viii do we'll for Petersburg"
Shall We not have Il in our power 10 say.
tie same for Lynchburg, at no distant
day, because Of similar Improvement
extending itself into productive region
The section which we now urge viii
unique ,tonaby form the commencement
Of direct and mutually profitable com
municaion. not only TO the counties in Vir-
i south of us,--but with the counties cf
the upper Dan liver and the rich valley
Of the Yadkn in North Carolina.
Its not the interest of Lynchhurg to
say that the trade Of the Country spoken
of fnds here. and here alone, its market
and consequently, no necessity arises for
an exerion 10 increase the facilitics Of
travel AS well might we return Il the
method Of our foreiathers, in conveying
their tobacco 10 market by rolling their
h"SsHedus, as lie content Win the pre-
sent very ordinary turnpike, which occu-
pies one of the most important routes that
Lynchhurg has aninicrest in: upon that
portion Of the route, most important-be-
cause ii is the base Of all the other lines.
and because Of It's proximity to the seat Of
trade, viii he the heaviest expense, be-
Cause twill require nearly; if not atogelh-
er, new construction, whilst for its con
linnation,heyond New London. the grades.
almost the entire distance. vii admit Of
the superior Improvement.
1t IS well enough 10 state The fact that
here IS the greatest expense but " ith all
that, il is not so enormous that il
cannot be met in the ordinary way
The Beydton and Petersburg road is I'M
der contract at Sl,933 80 per mile. ex-
elusive Of land damages, engineering and
acknowledgements. The Frederieksbarg
and Valley Plank road is contracted for
at S2.737 81 per mile, exclusive of land
damages. In recent report Of the Pres
idcn, and Directors of the Junction Valley
Plank road, which extends from Staunton
to Buchanan, it is asserted that the thirty
Two miles ofIhat road which have been
cnnpleled are at rates not so great
as those spoken Of As simple and st'ik-
ing illustration Of the utility and cheap
ness oftransporlien over the Plank road.
we find The following statement in Tho, re-
port alluded 10:
awe believe that ifuur road were nav finished
To Buchai an, that largo portion Of the trade Of
Rockbridse would go to thaf point. Plaster. sali
and groceries now selling at lower rates i.