Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-02-02
S8,Uo,9 500
Making An aggregate OF


All these roads orc incomplete and will require fur
ther ssestance from the Stats 10 finish thetn' ana
rsuder tho Gums heretofore Invested productive
Some of them are neary complete and Will neeo pu.
ttIe aid from the treasury. 0;hers have made but
little progress, aud it would be unTlse, under tSist
ing circumstances, 10 make large appropriations 10
finish them. Al that can be expected In regeru I'D
this latter claes, is to give such asssance az III pre-
vent the destruction Of The work that has been h
ready done, to keep it in progress, and where II ID
practicable to put the sections OF the roeds when are
nearly completed into pr0fs5! use.
Tn. Central road has bsen completed TO point
Wet o: JacSson's river, in Allegheny county a ols'
lance of 1877 miles, and within nina miles OF lis est
erp terminus. -,
The extension of the Orange a1d Alexandra road
has besn graded three ourtbs Of The distance from
Charlottesville TO Lyuchburg ard when me road IS
finished j. will supply the only deficient INK III tne
chain Of communication between Washington city
and Memphis.
Tbs Norfolk and Petersburg road has been graded
throughout its whole extent, and all the bridges ana
masonry have been finished in substantial manner.
The ails have been laid half tbs way from No.oik
to Petersburg, and the ties, iron, spikes &c. havs
been bought for the entire line. Engines, cars aho
freight trane have also been contracted for and with
a small amount OF assistance from the State, IN the
form Of subscription or loan tue whole iine oi roaa
can be put into active and pr, 6table operation. :,
The Manassa Gap road has beenconstructeo, annls
in operation from point on the Orange and Aexan'
dria road to the town of Woodstock IN SHENANDOAH
county. large portion o. the grazing &C; mas aiso
been done between Woodstock and Harrisonourg, tns
Soutbwt stern terminus Of the road, distance OF 90
miles, When this road 10 completed it will turnian
the outlet for the productions OF the large fertile ana
populous counties Of the valley which 1t penetra'es'
II now seeks aid at the hands of iheGeneral Assem-
bly,, to render available the large Gums whicn 'ne
State has already invested in 1t:
The Alexandria, Loudoun and Hamphire ha'iIooa
seeks connection with the Baltimore and ONO Ball
road near Piedmont, In the heart OF the great fo'o
mao coal region, passing through the rch anu popu
lous counties Of toudoun, Jeferson' Clarke FTeoe,
rick and HGmpshire, which abounds IN mineral sno
agricultural wealth. The counties OF clarke ana
Hampshire have already made county SUBSCRIPTIONS
t. the capital stock Of this road to the amount OF
500 600 each; and the town of Winchester aeo
heavy subscription None Of these subscriptions
can be made available without further State AID.
This road will be the means Of developing a large
end valuable trade In Cumberland coal, aud OF s'lmu
lating the manufacture OF iron; aud will connect tho
ci.y of Alex india With the system OF raroads prne'
tratipg the Mississippi Valley, end thus reaucs oy
more Than fifty miles the distance To Washington CITY
1t will also bring the whols OF Northwestern air'
ginia, which now has no neaus Qf communication
through the Slate with the Eastern part OF IT, ana 10
wholly tributary to Baltimore into direct connection
with Virginia seaport, with saving in distance o.
nearly forty miles. The grading and masonry OF TIL,
road baa been nearly completed for the distance OF
forty miles, through the wealthy and densey popua'
ted county Of L0udoun. A siia!l preparation now
will enable this company to 20 on with lie WORK, ana
tend to render the States interest in productive.
The grading of the Richmond and York River rail-
road has been nearly completed. This road was PRO
jacted to afford facilities Tor the conveyance TO the
deep waters Of York river, OF The produce which may
DO brought 10 Richmond by the various railroads
which concentrate al that point 1t will secure 10 tue
city of Richmond good port, readily accessible, and
thereby reieve its trade from the endorsements 10
rhich il Is subjected by the circuitous aud difficult
navigation OF james river. This work appeals strong
y to the General Assembly for assistance 10 enable II
to fulfill the purposes for which i, was undertaken.
The Richmond and Danville railroad has been com
peted according to the plan originally projected, and
10 now fulfilling in its of usefulness, the most
sanguine anticpatops Of its friends II Ia proposed
to extend it SONS distance South and West Of Dan.
vile, to accommodate the trade Of the counties OF
Henry and Patrick and other counties West OF them
aud sso to command the commerce OF the Valley OF
Yadkn. iu North Carolina, and ultimately TO seek
connection with the system Of railroads contemplated
by that State.
Besides these interests In unfinished roads, the
State aieo owns larger amounts of stock 10 other
roads, some Of which have been recently finished
The State 10 stock holder in the South Side road TO
OF near million OF dollars now. Th;s road has been
time has not yet elapsed for fair experiment OF its
value
The snrunt invested in The stark or the Lynch.
hury and Tennessee road il $,S u0g r',i- road has
also been recently completed The TsrI-stse line,
" here il connects with road already finished with
The exception of twenty-five miles now under con-