Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-10-05
ftpm the Riehmona Ezassiaer, Sep. 2Rd.
.e The Central Railroad.

~ The Central Railroad.
; This work, once but a neighborhood enterprise,
!. but branch of the Richmond and Fredericksburg
and bearing but the name Of a county, has become
one of the greatest enterprises OF Virginia. and
occupies first rank in public attention and exPec-
tation.
The Louisa Railroad Company was chartered
as early 1887, and was among the first railroad
companies organized in Virginia. Their capital
was but 100000. Their object was only to mako
branch of the Richmond and Fredericksburg
road 10 Louisa Courthouse. Their whole capital
was expended in construction; the engines and
cars of ibe mother company being exclusively re-
lied on TO do their business. They remained in
this absolute dependence upon the mother compa-
nv for many wears, and found it very difficult TO
shake off the vassalage After three or four years
they did succeed, in the face of vigorous opposi-
ton, in procuring engines and cars Of their own
for the business Of their own line. This was the
first step towards independence.
Still their road terminated twenty-four miles
short of Richmond and the market, which left
them still dependent upon the mother company,
over which the Legislature was able to exert no
control in their favor, as its charter not sub
| iected to the general railroad law of 1887.
They finally applied for an Independent charter
for the extension of their work to Richmond but
it was without effect for long time during which
this measure also encountered very staunch oppo-
siton from the same rival source. and found very
little countenance and support in Richmond. FIJI
nally, they procured their charter, but without an
appropriation. They commenced the extension
with wholly inadequate means, ,relying chiefly up
on credit and soon, Of course. became involved IN
suits of injunction brought in the Chancery Courts
by their old rival. which very naturally and Of
iectually discouraged subscriptions.
Such was the pupilage, friendliness and penury
which characterized the first twelve years of this
company's existence. Finally, we believe in l8-
1880, probably a few years earlier, the serious
attention of the Legislature was attracted to the
scheme of extending the work to the Ohio River
and new charter was obtained denomlnatng
it the Central Railroad. 1t had been so long
sneered at as the little Louisa Railroad, that IFS
friends in the Legislature did not dare to presume
ON liberal support. They asked only for the
means of extending their work from Gordonsville
to the base of the Blue Ridge, distance Of tbir-
y miles, and obtained for that purpose an increas-
ed capital stock of but $250,0O After another
year they obtained leave to extend their work to
Staunton, twelve miles beyond the Blue Ridge.
and an increased capital of $l50,OO0. After still
another year, they obtained permission to go to
Coyington, seventy miles, and to enlarge their
capital by 100000. In each of the three last
mentioned cases the State undertook to subscribe
three-fifths of the additional capital stock parI
passu with subscriptions other than hers.
An act authorizing State subscription is not
always available, because the private subscription
is always obtained with great difficulty, and after
much delay even when at all then there must be
actpa1 nounoont nf tho prvato cuhccription bpfof0
the public can be realized.
With such inadequate means, the Company has
struggled on, from the very beginning, supplying
deficiencies for constructing, and stocking their
road by using the nett revenues, and borrowing
money.
They have, during this time, ,re-layed the Road
from the Junction to Gordonsville. with heavy
rail-a distance of so miles. They completed
last Fall, all their road on the East side OF the
mountains, and put 1t in operation to its connection
with the State work, which extends from the Eas.
tern to the Western base of the Ridge. distance
Of l6 miles. Beyond that. Of course, the cars cah-
not run, until some portion Of this work is finish
ed. But on the West side, they have SO miles
far advanced in grading, part Of which is now
ready for the rails, and the whole Of which is
promised to be ready by the LIST of December.
The Company, nothing daunted by the obstric-
ton which the State work at the Blue Ridge pre-
sents to their progress, are now hauling with wa
gons, over this l6 miles, the iron for the road be-
tween Waynesborough and Staunton, and laying
down their track moreover, the Board OF Direc-
tors, determined to fulfil, if not tn surpass, the
largest measure ofpublic expectation, and regard
less of the heavy expense, are now constructing
temporary track over the Blue Ridge. and thus
will connect, on each side Of the mountain, those
,ho own cd N
be completed this year. Two hundred hands,we
learn, have just been placed upon this temporary
track other contractors are daily expected 10 add
one hundred hands more, and the Engineer conf
IDENTIFY expects. we learn, to have the connection
completed during the month Of November, 50 that
if those portions of the State work which are East
and West of this temporary track be then COM
plete, we shall have continuous, uninterrupted
Railroad communication with Staunton BY the first
of December. The grades on this temporary
track are said no where 10 exceed two hundred
and eighty feet, and are, much of the distance, on
ly two hundred and thirty feet There is, be-
sides, no zg-zag climbing of the mountain here,as
there was upon the temporary track of the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad, where, in addition to
these impediments, the grades were five hundred
feet to the mile.
The Company is, therefore on the eve Of emer-
ging from the long succession of embarassments
which have impeded their work from the begin
ming. Their history has been very simlir to that
of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which COM
menced its great work some six years before their
charter was obtained but unlike and more fortu-
nate than them, received the powerful assistance
of the wealthy and liberal city of Baltimore, from
inception to completion.
The Central Railroad Company are now dis
embarrassed of their difficulties; and being SO,
the public, forgetting the past, will hold them to
a rigid accountability Tor the future, and be un-
sparing of censure upon the slightest delinquency.
With one hundred and seventy miles Of their
road in operation land the State work beyond push
ing vigorously on from the mouth Of the Sandy
and from Covington at the same time, let us fiat
ter ourselves that the day is not far distant when
Virginia will have great thoroughfare over her
Central Line, equal in every respect to the Balti
more and Ohio Railroad-the great work Of Ma
ryland.
oo- Household Words oppress the razor in toto,
and is strong for the mustache and beard. "Sure-
ly," says the writer, in conclusion, "enough has
been said to make it evident that the Englishman
who, at the end of his days, has spent aboutan
entire year of his life in scrapug off his 5eard has
worried himself to no purpose, has submitted 10
painful. vexatious, and not only useless, but actu
ally unwholesome custom. He has disfgured
hin Golf life Md