The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-05-17
SUBSCRIPTION TO THE CENTRAL
RAILROAD.

s.ro ,f this CITY, that we should iesolu our
neglected sacred duty, did we
s,on short in oul endeavors 10 ihhuehce ha
III mind in favor oft. As the arguments
r. ,.ose who oppose il are entitled to consde.
v. nronose TO examine them with all
.ha ..udor of which we are masters.
7, has been said First. That we are alrea-
J.. ove,,axed. the public barthens of the city
amounting, at this time, to something like
1880. 600. If the proposed improvement,
were destined to have no influence whatever
upon the value of that species of property
charged with this debit real estate were 10
stand where it now is-if population were to
halt or 10 fall back-there would be much
force in this argument. But if it be true that
the Central Road, when completed to the
Ohio and united with the great Kentucky i'm.
provement, will bring into our midst untold
millions of wealth, we presume there is no
man who cannot see at glance that property
must at once appreciate far beyond the point
necessary TO cover every dollar of the proposed
subscription. We know not what may be the
value of the real estate of the city. We should
short of twelve millions of dollars. If the ex-
ample of what has Just occurred in Baltimore
be worthy of consideration, we may safely
say, that in six months from the time OF open
ing the Central Railroad 10 the Ohio, 1t will
increase one hundred per cent. Already
in that part of the town where the depot
of the Central Railroad is situated, we learn
that the increased value of the property is
at least equal to the subscription proposed
This is in the very infancy the scheme. 1t
has not had time yet TO ditfuse its effects
threu ghout the city, and moreover ii has been
carried no farther than Charlottesville
But we are endeavorng to prove PROPOSE.
ton which is selEevident. Everybody must
admit, that if the Central Railroad bring here
produce to the value Of eight or ten millions
per annum, property will at once advance one
hundred per cent. Now, in order to bring
about this desirable result, the city of Ricn
mond is asked TO tax itself about one dollar for
every fifty dollars worth of its possession
If man, owning house worth FIVE thou.
sand dollars, could be assured that by
lending one hundred dollars he could double
its value in two years, would he not stand very
much in his own light were he to refuse to do
if? There can be but one answer to the ques-
ton. The man would b. regarded either as
absolutely mad, or as SO misery IN dlsposI-
ton that he could see nothing but the dollar in
his hand. Now, this is precisely the PROPOSE
ton which the Central Railroad makes to the
u -, nd dol
lar out Of every fifty Of the assessed value of
your real estate, and we will make that estate,
in two years, double in value what il is pre-
sent. Nay, in two years we will pay you six,
ten, twelve, probably twenty per cent, even,
on the one dollar that goes out OF your hand.
We by 10 means ask you to give as that dol
lar, but only to lend il. IL one word, is Il not
easiar for properly worth $2j,000.e0 to pay
$I7O0,0OO, than it is for properly worth Ike
half Of it TO pay $l,500,000l
We are told, however, that after this road
shall have been completed to the Ohio, Rich
moud will derive no benefit from it, iDasmuch
as the whole trade that passes along it will be
turned North to Baltimore, by the Lynch5Irg
and Orange connection, by the proposed road
By Salem through Stanton to the Northwest
era Railroad, and BY the road which is already
proposed from the mouth OF the Big Sandy TO
Clarksburg, in Harrison county. When the
last named road shall have been completed,
unless we have road from that point to the
Biz Sandy, also, there can be no doubt that it
will sweep oil the produce below Parkefsburg
that every thing coming along the Kentucky
road will take it--,hat Baltimore will then be
in possession of the entire trade to the Ohio
SO far at least as that river is boundary OF
Virgina-that by means Of the road from Lex
ington to Memphis, it will sweep the Aissis-
sippi, also, and that without rival-that by
means Of the railroad 10 Little Rock, ii will
sweep Arkansas-and through Arkanses-at
some future day-the entire trade to the Pa
eific on that line-that by means Of the Louis
Vile and Indiana line, it will reach ST. Louis
and the lakes, and finally the Pacific in
that direction, also. Now, we wish TO have
chance for portion of all this trade. IVth.
<0e Me Central Railroad, is plain that it oil
goes TO Baltimore. With it, it car, at least,
do no more. Butif we have the Central Rail.
1oad, 10 il reasonable to suppose that al tons
trade will 60 to Baltimore?
Take map, put a string at the mouth of
Big Sandy and stretch it 10 Baltimore. Thea
carry it on down until you come 10 Rich
anoad. Ii will be found that as the'crow flies,
Balttao,e is farther by al Ieust sixty miles. Ii
DIE Big Sandy Road should so North, ii is pro
posed TO join the Northweserrat Ciurksburg
as we have already said. The cifcTtous
Youte which it must take 10 form this juno.
foa. and the zig-zag route Of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad afterwards, makes Baltimore
by that ioute at least 1--WE should supposed one
hundred miles farther from the mouth of Biz
SANDY, Than Richmond will be by lhe Cen.
aral Railroad. From Richmond to Ethan ia
sfboui IS miles, and from Ethan TO The
mouth of York River not more than 30
more. From Baltimore TO the mouth of York
River is about 40 miles. Balance in favor
of Rehmcad about TWO hundred miles.
Again From Stanton to Richmond, by the
present Railroad route, is about ~ miles,
D,;Ir III,