Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-04-19

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changed, between the Representatives OF
Richmond and the immediate friends OF
the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad, for the
purpose of preventing the vast State bene-
| fit of a short connection between the three
greatest works in which the ancient com
monwealth is the principal party in inter
est, as well as Of depriving portion OF
her people Of the advantages to which
their position naturally entities them; nor
shall we enquire whether such promises
and pledges were actually without the
scope of an authority perhaps not ample
enough to direct and govern our future
legislation.
| Without the North side connection there
cannot be very abundant income derived
from through travel and, as result, the
cost Of transportation Of the principal sta
Piles must be so high as to drive large a.
mount of business into other channels, to
the detriment of our State Treasury and
commercial interests, and to the hindrance
Of the rapid development Of the agrlsul-
tural and mineral wealth Of our Southwes-
tern region; or else so low as TO prevent
the Tennessee and Virginia Railroad ever
yielding a remuuera,ive dividend.
The value Of abridging distances in a
Railroad line has recently been illustrated
by two many marked examples, and is
altogether tooobvious, to require comment;
and the consequence Of the dlminution OF
the rate Of passenger money in increasing
avel,--and also revenue, within certain
limits,--is well established. The shorter
of two Railroad routes between given
points, with the same charges per mile,
is of course cheaper both directly and in-
cidentally; and, if properly managed, is
so much the more expeditions and comfort
able. For these reasons would not our
great Southwestern Railroad be fettered
and crippled by the narrow attempt to
drive the travelling community through
our most respected capital. to amuse the
indolent and to employ the hacks. if not
occasionally replenish an hotel or two.
X. Y. says "the distance from Lynch
burg to Alexandra via Richmond, is a.
bout ftiy miles more than by the proposed
connection with the Orange and Alexah
dria Railroad;" and he puts the increased
time requisite to pass through Richmond
at t,ro hours. We think that he has ma
terialy underestimate the difference both
in distance and time. Has he forgotten
the comparatively slow steamboat convey
ance from Acquia Creek to Washing ton?
Does he not know that the best steam
boats which modern skill and science can
contrive are so much at the mercy Of
storms, fogs and winds, they must often
miss their connecticut Does he not re-
member the numberlcss failures at Wash
ington. in all the Southern and South
western mails the past winter-morc par
ticularly when the Potomac was ice
bound-demonstrating the absolute unfit
ness of his triangular route for the mail
transit one of the objects contemplated by
the recent convention in New Orleansl
1t is well to be taught by experience
The New York and Erie Railroad Com
pany were compelled to abandon the use,
for through passengers of that part of their
Road from Sufferns to Piermont about
eighteen miles, and of their boats thence
to New York, distance of twenty -four
miles, and to convey their through travel
across part of another State to jersey
city. The Directors in their address say !:
But after long and faithful effort we
were driven reluctantly to the inclusion,
that we could not satisfy our passengers
and prevent diversion which was every
day increasing. Besides which, the de-
tention on the river from causes referred
to- storms, ice, fogs, &c, were so frequent
ds often to throw all our turning arrange
men;s into confusion. and thereby delay
in greater or lesser degree, all the trains
on the road"
In this connection we will make an ex-
cerpt from a communication of the Vice
President, of the same Company:-"It
has been well said that the time may soon
arrive when the saving of one hour, be-
tween Lake Erie and the Atlantic cities,
may control vast majority Of the business
and travel of the great West. Twelve
and half cents added to the cost Of
freight, on barrel of -four from Lake
Erie, may be the means of diverting mil
lions Of dollars from the city of New York.
If private enterprze can cheaper such
transportation, how worse than idle to
paralyse such enterprise, by absurd and
unnecessary restrictions"
With the paralyzing restriction that
would result from a refusal to sane
ton the Nor,hsidc connection, nothing
that we can think of would gain for the
State the full flow of the great current of
Southwestern and North eastern travel
but perhaps, forsooth, the mystic and as
yet unexhausted virtues of the Resolutions
of '9S and SOL
To one class of passengers chcapness
Is the controlling consideration; and they
will therefore often pursue a long and tire
some navigation, is in land or by sea. To
another class expedition solely the govern.
ing motive; and, for instance, it attracts
multitudes to the line Of Railroad from
New York by the way Of Albany to Buf-
falo, distance of four hundred and seven
ty-two miles, which by the express and
most costly trains one can actually accom-
plish. allowing three quarters Of an hour at
Albany, in seventeen hours, for the fare
of nine dollars and Ten ccnts,-rather DIFF
ferent from our dear and "slow coaches"
With third class high speed and mode
rate expense bolR combined operate; and.
when coupled in addition with comforta-
bic appointments, frequently lead to the
repetiiions of journey that would other
wise never have been undertaken. All
these classes it is the plain interest of the
Lynchburg and Tennessee Railroad Com
pany to strain every nerve TO secure, not
withsianding the picking rod of alienated
symparhies, held in such lofty terror over
them. SO thinks II.
p. S. Proposition. If each and every
State in the direct line between New Or
leans and Washington. for the fancied To-