Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-01-26
Another Raiiroad--Posit of the East

1t will be seen by the proceedings of
the Legislature. that Mr.. Lewis, the Del
egate from this county, has offered bill
to charter company to construct Rail-
road from Clarksburg to the Kentucky
line at the mouth of the Big Sandy river +;
and the road might easily be extended
from Big Sandy to Louisville, KY, and
from Clarksburg, down the Monongahela
river, to Morgantown-through to Union
town and Latrobe, in Pa, and form
connection with the Pennsylvania road.
This would give us very direct road to
Philadelphia, intersecting the Northwes-
tern Road at this place, and the Baltimore
and Ohio Road at Fairmont.
A railroad like the one proposed would
be of incalculable benefit to Western Vir-
ginia opening, as it would, this whole
section of country to the markets of the
world. The country through which it
would pass is capable of sustaining as
dense population as any in the world
it's soil is fertile, its hills abound in coal
and iron, it is well watered by numerous
streams, affording an unlimited power for
driving mill, manufactures, DC, and is,
withal, very healthy. All these elements
of wealth and trade have never been de-
veloped. for the simple reason that the
country has been literally fenced int
could neither be got into or out of, except
at great expense-it has had no market,
no manner of disEosing of its surplus pro-
auctions, and consequently, none have
been produced, except in the shape of cat
tie, that could be made to foot it to mar
ket. With good market this country
would bloom like garden, and be filled
with manufactures of all kinds. A market
is. all we want. ''There is no limit to the
surplus products of country like ours.
but in the means of transportation. Where
there is no means of transportation there
is no trade. Trade springs up at the ap
proacl of railroad. Energies which
seem dormant in a community, receive
life at the very instant this mighty stimu
lous of production is applied. Give but a
market to the industry of our enterprising
people, and they at once become produ-
GERS TO an extent which they themselves
had never imagined"
The charter of this road. we observe,
is bitterly opposed by nearly all the mem
bers of the Legislature and papers Of the
east, 1.-THE Richmond Examiner is an ex-
ception, with how much fairness, it is not
difficult to say. The Legislature of this
State has been too much occupied with
the James River and Kanawha Canal, and
other Improvement abortions of the east.
to the wild Cohees" of the west For
years past, the east has absorbed the sub
stance of the State for improvements, ma
ny of which have proved the most COM
plete failures, and still they are clamoring
at the doors of our legislative halls for
more money ostensibly, to complete the
works, but in fact, to line the pockets of a
few individuals; while if we ask for SIM
pie charter, without cent of money from
the Commonwealth, the hue and cry is at
once raised that an attempt is being made
to ruin the commercial p aspects of the
State and detract its legitimate trade to
other than its own seaports. In proof of
this assertion, we have but to recall to our
recollection the strenuous opposition made
to the Northwestern Railroad, when not q
cent of money was asked of the State, and
be reminded that So, 900, 900 have been
expended by the State on the James Ri
yer and Kauawha Canal, and that they
are still crying for more, while paying
some S95, 900 year, as salaries-more,
we apprehend, than is paid by the whole
State of Virginia.
We would say to the narrow minded
schemers who have so long been draining
f the substance of the State. that the time
has passed when they can carry out their
plans wholly at the expense of the Com
monwealth. They must now put their
own shoulders to the wheel, and it will
be time enough after that to call upon
Hercules. Let them first give an earnest
that their works are worth constructing.
and that they are willing to bear a por-
ton of the expense commensurate with the
benefits they expect to derive from them,
and then they can call upon the State for
aid with some show of consistency. Our
past experience. which is the only critic
rion we have of Judging the future, is not
very favorable To the imnroYements schemes