Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-10-26


Gus comparison, TINT the great base line already
mentioned, between Chattanooga and Memphis.
furnishes no point of attack at which could
he injured.
Now let US view the Dalton connections. You
will find that even from Atlanta in Georgia
traveller going to Washington city can save
nearly 100 miles all other Routes by pass.
ing over the Virginia and Tennessee ruilroad and
the direct road from Lynchburg to Alexandrf.-
Between Atlanta and Richmond Va, our line pos
sesses some 10 miles advantage over all others.
Again--the Alabama and Tennessee railroad,
now being constructel will connect Dalton with
Montgomery and Selma, Alabama, forming the
nearest possible route from large portion OF
Alabama, and when extended, from New Orleans
itself to all the Eastern cities over the Virginia
and Tennessee Railroad.
These then are the grounds IN which expect
through travel of vast amount over our road
As to through trade-while tonnage may reach
the ocean from Chattanooga III shorter distance
at Savannah or Charleston than Mt Norfolk,
very considerable trade is created throughout
line like this by local wants and other causes.
But without going beyond the point of equal
competition, there are ID counties of East Tennes-
see which will find their nearest outlet to the
Ocean through the Virginia " Tennessee Rail
road.
If attempt estimate the future business of this
road by any rules drawn from the experience OF other
roads and applying them TO the statistics OF the re-
gon tributary 10 road, result may be OBJ
tanned which will appear to many persons now to be
eNtrayagant. Still, we have perfect right 10 expect
that what has happened all other roads, will hap
pen on this.
For instance the counties on the New York and
Erie Railroad and also on the Georgia Railroad have
exported. since proper facilities for transportation
have been furnished, amount Of the agricultural
Stapels of the county equal to the whole quantity pro-
duced before the construction of the roads.
Let us apply this rule which has been proven by
experience both North and South OF us, to the present
case, The counties of Virginia, tributary to this road,
according to the census OF ls50produced 900 tons
Of wheat, and tobacco. We will assume that
this will pass one-half the length of road,
and pay cents per ton per mile, which will be
Si35,0o0. The fifteen counties of Tennessee, which
must export their staples through road produced
in $50 22l 900 tons Let take only half OF this,
and passing the whole length of our road at the
same rate Of charge it will pay S660. o00
Let take the salt and plaster. Those who
are best acquainted with the demand for these ar
tices Cand the demand will be the only measure Of
the supply agree in considering the following II
moderate estimate of the revenue to be derived from
this source during the very first year after reaching
the mines
10000 Tons plaster through to Lynchburg,
at So 80 per ton $4,000
100 900 bushels of salt through at , cents $4,000
10000 Tons plaster along the line, at s., 90. 10000
100000 bushels of salt along the line, at )
cts 5000
$4,000
We will leave out of this estimate hebron, lead
copper and coal, from which large revenue may
reasonably be expected We leave out the entire i'm
port trade which is generally assumed to be about
one-fourth of the export trade.
1t will be too that tonnage has been estimated at
the low rate of cts. per ton, per mle-the lowest
rate which ought TO be charged any article trans
ported by railroad according to the late experience
on the subject The convention of railroad companies
that met i'll New \ ork recently decided that cts
per ton per mile shonld be charged agricultural
productions, cts per ton per mile groceries, and
cts. other articles of merchandise. SO that
leaving out the import trade altogether, which bears
a much higher charge would strengthen greatly the
probability of our estimate being fully verified.
These items give us a gross receipt of Sl,l7O,O00
and no rational argument be adduced why this
result should not be fully realized Nevertheless, it
will be sufficient for the present calculation to assume
as our freight receipts the sum which was actually
received on the Georgia Railroad during the year
ending the 3lst of March last, S5474s7 80 That
road is ~ miles long, and bears striking resem-
bance to ours in its position, and in the character of
the business, which its support depends.
The Virginia and Tennessee road is superior to il
in the fertility of the soil which it passes and in
the mineral wealth of the ad acent country, well
in the security of its position for through trade and
uavel-in fact, in every point of comparison.
Let us now endeayor to make estimate of the
TRAVEL based the experience of other roadsas APP
piled to the population of the country which we
depend.
1t has been ascertained from recent Investigations
that the passenger receipts Of the Massachusetts rail
roads amount to 81 81 per each inhabitant of the
state This is better than the result asceraned
few years ago when it proven that the move
ment of passengers the Massachusetts railroads
amounted to four times the entire population of the
state. This established principle will guide us to
approximation to the truth the travel which we
have right to expect the Virginia and Tennessee
Railroad, when finished