Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-11-25
The Orange and Alexandria Extension

i.Nn
Alexandria "Extension." than by giving the Re
publicans synopsis of Mr. Whitehead's argo-
ment, Tuesday evening. It's, as the Republican
remarks. "a mere skeleton Of his speech
Mr. Whitehead proposed to discuss two prop
ositions, to wit:
Ist That il is the imperative duty of Lynch
burg to take stock Ia the extef of her ability, in
the proposed extension of the Orange aud Alex
andria Road. and that it was important for her TO
do SO Hou.
Cd. That the investment would be profitable
one.
He argued that there being Railroad commu-
nication from the south-Nes by LYnehburg TO
Richmond and one from the Ohio by stanton
TO Richmond, it was inevitable that a link between
the two must be made--one from Salem 10 Alex
andria by an extension of the Manassas Gap
Road and by Strnsburg and Winchester 10 Bal
timore or from Lyuchburg 10 Alexandria by
Washington to Baltimore.
He showed that the whole Valley was united
as one man. in favor of the Joint CONNIE xion-thht
il had its advocates in the public press even West
of Salem and that from all the indications that
oonneNion would be supported 10y most active
and influential interests in the next Legislature
and he expressed the confident opinion that the
present success of that scheme would prevent in
definitely, IL not altogether. the extension from
Lynchbnrg 10 Aexandria-that, in this view, II
10 the utmost of her strength
To show the importance 10 Lynohhurg Of this
line, he urged upon the meeting the deep stake
which Iynehburg bad in the ! a. and Tenn. Read,
With the Road to Alexandria, (which he showed
would lie not less than % and probably ~ mlles
nearer from Salem IN Baltimore than bv the Val
ley route) he stated that the travel would be- Ger
tain to come by Lynchburg. Without it, aud
with the Valley Road, the travel would bc divert
ed at Salem, 60 miles above Lynchhurg. Ink
ing Col. 5arneti's estimate Of passengers per an
nun at 36.20O he assumed. far too small pro-
portion. that two-thrd- would 60 north from sa-
lem, the other one-third only coming 10
Iynchburg aud farther East At II - per pas-
senger. this would be "A loss 90 the Va. and
Tenn. Road Of -125uU ser anuum, IN travel on
". He showed that this route was 80 miles
nearer To Baltimore than the route by tho other
lines through Riehmond-that the Valley route
was 30 miles nearer than the route by Richmond.
He urged also, that uuess this connection were
made, the travel from Misss-ppi Alabama
Georgia, Florida. &C. would take the southern
route at the point Of divergence at Chattanooga
a that route would be, otherwise, eoniessedly,
the nearest. But, by this route not only the
present difference would be overcome, but 30
miles saved.
He stated that. in view of any other route, the
estimates of travel over the Nn. and Tenn Road
were manifesty extpvagant.
Declining to 70 into any other arguments IN
favor of this road to Lynehburg, rs being app-
cable 10 ALL rail roads, he pressed the above
views upon the meeting, not only rs citizens OF
the town, but a. stockholders in their corporate
and individual capacity, To AN enormous amount
in the va. x Tenn. road.
lie thon showed. from the present monthly re
oeipts Of the Orange and Alex. Road, the amount
of way freight and travel along the extension and
from Lynchburg, and its being the only outlet to
tha Of T.. IL
West and South to the East, that il must be
stock, paying in short time Il per cent, aud
probably more, in "A few years, when all the lines
West shall be completed.
Taking these two stand points, he pressed
the subject upon the meeting. by various appeals
of general and local character.
The principal benefits that Iynohburg will de
rive from the construction Of this connecting
road, as they occur TO n, are, briefly stated,
these. First Lynchburg IS pledged aud bound
to raise annually the sum Of S}O,0O0, interest up
on the amount of stock she guaranteed, 10 ma>o
the road Ia Tennessee This sum she now rails
es by taxation, aud will 50 continue To raise it,
until the dividends OF the Company furnish it.
At present, and long as il may be necessary
TO resort 10 taxation Ia raise it, our citizens must
feel il heayily-many of them most onorousy.-
If the connection be made at salem, instead of
here, as it assuredly will be If we fail it is est
mated that travel alone will be diverted at that
point, which would be worth to the virginia and
Tennessee Company, if il came over the whole of
their line, from forty to sixty thousand dollars
year. Add to this the amount of freight that
would be lost from tonnage diverted at'the same
point, and IT follows that considerably more than
twice the amount of annual dividend sufficient To
pay the $4,000, year, for which L,nchburg is
bound will be lost To the Company The proba-
BILE consequence would be that Lynchburg would
have to remain indefinitely under the incubus of
heavy debt-a fate that must drive many of her
citizens away deter other. from coming and thus
not only would her promised prosperity be retard-
ed, but perhaps her present condition deteriora-
te. IT, on the other hand, this connection be
made, not only would the large dividend to which
we have referred be saved, but the inducements
thereby given to travellers, reciproeally passing
from one section of the country to the other who
would not otherwise enter the State ut all. to
come over this line would largely increase the
receipts of the Company, and. in like proportion.
Lynchburg's share of the dividends One GOOD
result to Lynchburg. then, OF this road will be TO
extinguish the Railroad tax, and create fund
that would go largely if not entirely. towards re-
iieving our citizens of all other municipal taxa
tion.
The second advantage Lynchburg will derive
from the construction of this improvement will
flow from the immensely increased number of
strangers and travellers, who will come. in eonse-
quence of it, to and through the city. Of these,