Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-03-01
Correapondenee of the spectator.

! RICHMOND, FeU. ~, 1901.
The constitutional gate shuts down upon tn
Legislature on the approaching fifth ot March,
] The ninety DAYS are now so nearly Out that W
can see through; but IN that prospect is nothln
that looks like the passage OF an appropriation IL
the Coyiuyton and Ohio or the Central Railroad
An imoulaliun is thus put upon the policy of IN
preceding Legislatures which made such iloera
ex 2endltures towards constructing great railwa
ruuie from our Eastern lines to tap the teemni
valley of the Ohio And the thousands alread
appropriated to that great design are, So Tar as In
present Legislature is concerned, wrapped In
napkin and buried forever in the earth.
| But this letter has no space for general refiec
tons. Setice it to say that sectional spirit ant
selfish considerations have triumphed, at least 10
the time. Sections of the State heretofore votin!
to tunnel the Blue Ridge at a cost jusllllabie II
view of opening way through 1t to me grea
West, and thereby pledging their faith TO ina
end, have nevertheless, at this session. seen nj
abandon that faith. and The heavy appropriations
already made for that o( lsc, because OF pecuiia
prospect Of advantage recently opened out to thel
own sections on anIther plan. 4l ..a
The thinly Disguised scheme is but too apra
rent which is TO make the Virginia and 'Iennes
see Railroad. and not the Central, the great on
rer of the Western traffic from the Ohio Gney
10 the East. BY means of the connectoh S,o"g
New River, and that from Clifton Fgge 70 Do'i-
sacks. the distance from the Ohio.o the tide wa
ter at Petersburgor Norfolk Is fss Py ~ Su T' INV
than by Stauhton and Reh'ncn y, u" :"". 70
M Of;o rayd co;nc;;s acith thdt Of the Virginia
nnd Tsnn,,ss. rooI, and lhc plan is pefected.-7
The Central rod then gets the goby effectuaIy.
Indeed il 10 Anddly contended BY some, that the
Central sh.nld not be allowed to! tap the Coylng-
ton mad at ALL! That all Of the, Western traffic
which passes over the Central will be liable to be
c4rried Off at Staunto0 or Gsrdonsville to Baltl-
more. hence nothing should be allowed to get
upon that road And this affected fear Of Balti
more brings out the same old stalking ghost,
which has been 50 efficient against the Valley in
terests heretofore the difference is that this pc
culiar machinery of Richmond is to be used a
gainst herself this time The Central road how
ever, il is manifest, will find its only salvation
against the un,iring opposition of lis rival, by
speedily effectng connection with the Coving-
ton road, and on uniform gauge Ofany other
width than FIVE feet .-r.
But the legislature Of this session towards the
Central road may have had the effect to dsgrun-
lie your readers quite as much as it did your hum
BILE correspondent And the latter, recently re-
fecting on the subject, anticipated through his
fears the day when this deep laid plan was to be
consummated, and tie Virginia and Tennessee
Railroad had become the thoroughfare from West
to East, and the Central stopped at Staunton, or
vast saw log fastened by Legislative enactment 4.
cross is track and the Cat Hole Petersburg had
become the treat Commercial harbor Of Virginia,
and Richmond was wondering what was to be-
come Of her prosperity and what had become the
klOO OOO she once voted to the Virginia and Ten
nessee Railroad Sc. SC. Breeding over such re-
Elections, he generously turned TO seek out some
resource for Richmond against this coming day Of
her disaster: and fondly hopes that he has dscov-
cred it in her unrivalled facilities for becoming
great manufacturing emporium; an illustration OF
which it is now proposed to give your readers, It
space permit, in this and succeeding letters.
On The banks of James River and the Canal is
already established fourshing factory named the
Tredegar Iron Works, and owned by Joseph II.
Anderson ESQ.,, at one time resident OF Stanton.
This is an enterprise of unusual magnitude tor
VIRGINIA. The whole establishment employs from
600 to 700 hands, The value of its annual pro-
ducts when operated to its full capacity is estima-
ted at over ST 900, 900 annually Its present OPP
erations amount to about 100000 per annun.-
The expenses are over $4,000 daily. The ma
chinery operating the establishment gives one
somewhat enlarged ideas of mechanical power.
which seems utterly irresistible, or rather seems
capable of anything.
The works are divided into distinct departments.
The Rolling Mill produces bar iron of every de-
scrption. also Railroad axles, railspkes, chairs
&c and consumes about 5000 tons of pig metal,
and about CSC, 900 bushels ofcoal per annum.
The Foundry and Stationary machine shops
produces castings of every variety, cannon shol,
and shells; railroad works, machinery of every
kind, including engines for saw-mllls, grlst' mills
sugar grinding, and marine purposes, &c, &c.
The Locomotive works are subdivided into the
various departments, as the Locomotive shops,
the boiler and tender shops, the brass and copper
shons and the smitheries. Locomotive engines OF
every size are now manufactured here, and the
capacity of this branch of the business is equal to
one locomotive each week The price of Lo-
connective varies from 81 900 to $lO,0OO.
The new and immense Locomotive for the tenn
norarv track at the Blue Ridge was made here,
and is lust finished. Its weight is about 80 tons,
and il is constructed with portable water tank over
the enuine Il is about double the size OF the oti-
or locomotives used on the Central road En-
oines are now constructing here for many OF the
Southern Railroads. tn.,
The Armory Iron Works, owned by Messrs K.
Archer s. Co, are operated at present by the pro-
prietor of the Tredegar Works in manufacturing
Railroad iron. of which they are capable OF pro-
ducing about 5000 tons per annum consuming
about 5000 tons of pig metal, and 5oO ,OOo bush
els of coal annually, and employ about 300 hands.
But the limits of this letter will not allow any
thing more at present. "