The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-12-18
THE DISPATCH.
$3.50
virginia--ller Early Htstory-lm-
provememts In Progress-Wessn
and Varied orhoik
and Portsmouth.

and Varied orfoik
and Portsmouth,.
kn intelligent correspondent Of the New York
Journal Of Commerce, writing from Norfolk, va
makes some interesting statements In regard to the
Aistory, improvements, wealth, and national re-
sources Of Sirgnla, from which We extract the fol-
lowing;
place, have occupied my leisure hours In inform.
log myself Of its history and moral and material
condition.. - we'll a. 10 extending my vision over
the immense domain Of the Old Dominion, with It's
nIncsnt valleys, It's illimitable level or gently
undusting tracts. and scenery than Which,
witzeriand and Italy presents nothing rich
or or more imposing. What history has VII
sioia, Has IL ever been worthily written the
pen of Prescott or Irving alone could do u Justice
The mass Of great naked facts are enough TO NIL
volumes; bat beside this, thee 10 romance con-
nected with its earlier chapters, which requires an
the logical. the seductive and eonscientiously 60
Der and varacious In the historian. What noble
mamss did the old Indian Sachems and herati
leave scattered over the State every one OF which
not only weighs ten pounds, like Websters, but Is
O rod long, aud still euphoniousi
wish could see Pocahontas and all the old
sAgamores, just 10 hear those grand mellituent
No d. as flowed from their iips. Chesapeake,
Shenandoah. Appomattox, Kanawha, Accomac,
the Alieghanies, Pamumky, Chickahominy, Mat
tapsni, Roanoke, Potomac, Rappahannock, and in-
Vulnerable others like them, are equalled by no
Language, ancient or modern. One 10 surprised
that the came race, with such facility In coming
sonoreus and cuphonic words, could at the same
time invent and utter such jaw-hreakers as 0pe-
chaneanoush, Chincoteauge, and the like. won
der what the Indian name ofthe Janes3river might
have been. II must have been a noble one, like
the river to which 1t was given, and should be
restored. The Viretnians have acted wisely In
aiming the old Ens lsh names oftowps and counties
which were given when Virginia was a colony.
Thus English memories are preserved by the side
OF Indian, till we come down to the period Of the
Revolution, and to the age purely American.
What = princely territory has the Old Dominion,
$40 miles long and 300 broad at Its greatest width,
containing $4,000 square miles, or 4l0oo,00o acres
enough for an European Kingdom. With every
variety Of climate between the seaboard and the
Ohio river; with generally rich soil. which only
careless husoandry can exhaust and often not even
that; with all the varieties Of agricultural produc
tions which the North, the West, and the South
can supply besides inexhaustible stores of mineral
wealth; while the rivers and bays abound with
hsh, clans and oysters, and the swamps and noun.
tains in deer and other game, aud the marshes and
sea-coast In inexhaustibfe quantities of wild duck
geese, and other fowl. nothing is wanting in natu-
raj appliance to make Virginia the richest, fairest
and happiest portion of the United States.
The following public works show that the yir.
giniaus are catching the general spirit of enter
prise, and already have accomplished what is
highly honorable TO the State, and far above what
is generally believed at the North. James river
and kanawha canal, 300 miles. at an expense of
20 000, 600 Dismal Swamp canal, % miles, 81 49,
900; Norfolk and North Carolina Railroad, so miles
81 600. Petersburg ard North Carolina Rail-
ad, % miles, 81 ,0o0,t Co Petersburg Richmond
Railroad, ~ miles. 81, 0O0 Petersburg and Lynch
burg Railroad, 123 miles, s29. 5,O0O Richmond and
Roanoke Railroad, l43 miles, 81, 600 900; Richmond
and Tennessee Railroad, 204 miles, S. 500 000 Rich
mond and Fredericksburg road IS miles. $l,775.00O
Central road $50 miles, 81 $50 900; York River
road, IS miles. 81 coo, 000 road from Richmond to
he mi mill M. p1r;, 4
Orange road, Ss miles, S2.135.000 and thence to
Lyn.hbnrg, so miles, 81, DOC, 900; Alexandria and
Harrisburg road l39 miles 81, 10000; Wheeling
and baltimore road, 3S2 miles, S23,Oo0,0Oo; Par
kersburg branch road 103 miles, 81. SOC, 900. Thus
Virginia has an aggregate of 223 miles of canal
and $50 miles of railroad, at total cost of near
ly seventy millions Of doiiarsi The great object
before the public mind at present is the connection
OF the Ohio river with the Atlantic by q canal
To do this, the back bone Of the State MIST be
traveraed, a distance between 100 aud 200 miles
from the foot of the. Blue Ridge to the Ohio
While summit level must be overcome of about
looo feet and tunnel after tunnel be constructed
at short intervals.
Gov. Wise estimates the total amount of the
wealth OF the State at $780, 600 000 and says that
real estate has increased more than SI0o 900 in
at the last census, if recollect right was about
1,ooo,ooo- But what the State now. or ever has
been, In population and wealth, Ia no criterion of
what 1t Is destined to be under the full develop
sAc1t VI nii itc EesuuTCcb. l1tF great men OF the
PAST however, her patriots her orators, her states
men. her heroes, public treasure and possession,
and the glory OF the nation well Of the indi-
ridual State which produced them. cannot be equal
led, still less obscured in all future time of her his
tory. The emigrants from Virginia have planted
themselves in larger numbers than from any other
state, in Missouri, Kentucky, Tenaessee, Arkansas
Louisians, Mississippi, Alabama Florida Georgia and
Texas besides contributing to fill up Ohio, Ind
= IA, Illinois, Michigan. Iowa, Wisconsin, Califor
MIA, Kansas and Nebraska. The entire population
now resident In these States and Territories Gov
Wise .reckons" to be equal to be present popula-
tion of the State
Beds of coal, iron, and limestone of the richest
quality and In the greatest variety are found in
immediate Juxtaposition. and in fields ten times
larger than those Of Pennsylvania. Mines of COP
per ole exist OF unknown extent; innumerabIe
and fnexhaustible springs of salt gust out from |
natural crevices and artesian wells, with naptha |
and gas to perform all the services Of light and fuel
without wood or coal. Her water power for mar |
ufaeturing Is greater than that Of any State in
the Union; her forests are ready To furnish giant
timber 10 any amount required; while the State |
owns more than 1000 square miles of oysters and
other shelifish, yielding annually more than thir.
y millions OF bushels and employing nearly 1Oo,-
600 tons Of coasting vessels Virginia may well |
beg proud Of her past history; and if she has the
energy TO develop her inexhaustibe resources and
she ambition to make her past her future Also she
need never fall In the rear OF her sister States,
however populous, affiuent and enterprising
The country 10 the vicinity of Norfolk is now |
principally devoted 10 HORTICULTURE with the de- |
sigu Of supplying the North with early traits and
for which both tas climate and soil are
uaequalled aud such has been the success that in /
q few years enterprising individuals have made a
fortune, and retired from active life. Then the
Ityers, creeks and bays abundant in delicious
fish OF all kinds shell aud fnny, that the poorest
annoy iai o. meat or II the waters fail of supply
Ihe birds OF the air, thick and constant as the
2uails OF the Desert fox the Israelites come in to
make up the deficiency.
The city OF Norfolk contains about % 900 inbabi-
ants, and the city Of Portsmouth. including Cos
,ort aud the Navy Yard, about 1000 more. The
treets are regular and most of them well paved
md clean. An additional number of trees would
idd much TO the beauty, and also to comfort In the
tot seafon- The prospect is highly picturesque
cenery, villas, Plantations aud broad forests be-
'ond all. The number of fine houses is not large
or the Vrginian taste does not run in that direc-
Ion, though most are substantial and comfortable
icing made ior use more than for show. The Court
louise, the new Custom House. and gothic Bap-
ist church are exceptions; and st. Paul's church Il
Episcopal. worthy of veneration for its autiaui
y, II not OF admiration for its beauty It is built
1879. When the city was burnt by the British in
I76, not house escaping. the interior of this
hureh was destroyed, and 1t remained for long
line unoccupied. After the war it was thoroughly
epairsd' and cannon ball which had bee . thrown
destroy 1t, was Incorporated with the restored
RICK wall, as giving part of the history of the
hurch. The house Of the Hon. Littleton w. Taze.
sell, once conspicuous among the Statesmen of
Iglnia, and In the United States Senate, is In the
utskir.s Of the town, surrounded by ample
rounds aud overlooking the water lie Is now
cry inhrua, being always confined to his house.
nd much Of his time to his bed.
l have attended public voral.ip in several
hurebss Of different denoI,nations, being desi.
Gus OF learning from nay own observation the
taee OF moral and religious sentiments in the
u IImlnion; and more reyerent congregations, {
ma able earnest, and eloquent preaching I have
eidom beard. | was struck by a passage In an
'1temporaneous discourse by one Of the clergy
nsn, inc most gifted, learned, and elevated Of the
hole, who, In illustrating the doctrine of depra-
NY, referred to the numerous murders, robberies
nd riots at the North and thi. inedant.uv - !;